In this bulletin:
- SOL — Solomon Islands AG Muria urges Courtof Appeal to set aside order against PM Manele
- FIJI — Fiji villagers reject plan for ‘Pacific ashtray’ in beach paradise
- UN— Extreme heat pushing global food systems to the brink, UN agencies warn
- FIJI — Fiji Military role can be amended in Constitution: PM Rabuka
- PACIFIC — Back-to-back extreme weather events batter Pacific, IOM urges greater Preparedness
- B/VILLE — Bougainville Activist wins environment award
- NZ — Green Party pushes Pacific voice with strong election list
- CNMI — One of six missing crew members found dead after typhoon overturned U.S.-flagged ship in Pacific
- PACNEWS BIZ — Ministers meet to reflect on agrifood challenges in vulnerable Asian and Pacific countries
- PACNEWS BIZ — Fuel price increase implemented as Solomon Islands Government confirms mitigation measures
- PACNEWS BIZ — Tonga and Australia strengthen skills for a resilient future through the country launch of Pacific Australia Skills
- PACNEWS BIZ — Employment travel rises for Fijians
- PACNEWS DIGEST — Earth Day: The battle to save a drowning Pacific island nation
- PACNEWS DIGEST — Kiribati Convenes Fourth National Climate Outlook Forum, Marking Four Years of Sustained Climate Services Support
SOL – POLITICS/COURTS: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Solomon Islands AG Muria urges Courtof Appeal to set aside order against PM Manele
HONIARA, 23 APRIL 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS)—Solomon Islands Attorney-General John Muria Jnr has asked the Court of Appeal to set aside last week’s High Court ruling that ordered Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to convene Parliament within three days.
Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer had ordered Manele to call Parliament to debate a motion of no confidence filed against him by the New Coalition last month.
Before a three-member bench comprising Howard Lawry, Gina Nott and Gibbs Salika, Muria argued that last week’s High Court orders have “no legal basis because of errors the chief justice made in his ruling”.
He said the orders were wrong because they violate internal parliamentary processes.
Muria further argued that the orders contravene the doctrine of separation of powers.
“The court has no duty to order the prime minister to convene Parliament,” the Attorney-General said.
Chief Justice Palmer had earlier ruled that Prime Minister Manele’s failure to convene Parliament was unconstitutional.
However, at Wednesday’s Court of Appeal hearing, Wilson Rano, a private lawyer representing the Speaker of Parliament, said Prime Minister Manele has at no time refused to call Parliament.
“What the prime minister has been saying all along is that he will call Parliament when government business is ready,” Rano argued.
Gabriel Suri, one of the lawyers appearing for the New Coalition, said the motion of no confidence, which has matured and is ready for debate in Parliament, is a constitutional matter—not government business.
“The prime minister cannot use ‘government business’ to stifle Parliament,” Suri told the court.
He said that while the Constitution gives the prime minister the power to convene Parliament, that “power must not be treated as a soft pillow”.
“Constitutional power cannot be treated like a soft pillow. It’s there for a purpose, to be exercised lawfully. It’s not a soft pillow so that one can just lay on,” Suri said.
He added that MPs have the right to attend Parliament, debate the motion of no confidence, and vote on it.
Suri further argued that “government business” is not a condition for convening Parliament.
Other lawyers for the New Coalition made similar submissions.
The hearing resumes at 10:30am tomorrow, when Attorney-General Muria and his colleague Rano are expected to respond to the New Coalition’s submissions.
The Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its ruling by the end of this week or early next week….PACNEWS
FIJI – INCENRATOR PROJECT: AFP PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Fiji villagers reject plan for ‘Pacific ashtray’ in beach paradise
NADI, 23 APRIL 2026 (AFP)—An Australian billionaire’s plan to burn rubbish for energy in Fiji amounts to “waste colonialism” and risks spoiling a “beach paradise”, villagers and the Pacific nation’s UN Ambassador said.
Traditional landowner Inoke Tora boarded a bus to the capital Suva on Tuesday with a petition from villagers opposing the US$630 million waste-to-energy incinerator, which is forecast to consume 900,000 tonnes of non-recyclable rubbish each year.
The fashion entrepreneur behind the Paris-born Kookai label and an Australian billionaire who made his fortune in rubbish disposal want to build a port and waste incinerator within 15 kilometres (nine miles) of Fiji’s tourism gateway Nadi.
The Australian-based duo of Ian Malouf and Rob Cromb have told Fiji’s government the project could meet 40 percent of the small nation’s electricity needs, cutting its reliance on diesel.
However, an environmental impact statement lodged by their company TNG shows it would also raise Fiji’s national emissions by 25 percent.
Residents say the emissions will spoil Fiji’s eco-tourism reputation and pose a safety risk with hotels and schools nearby.
“There are hundreds of people living in villages in this place and they fish each day, eat fresh crabs. They call that beach paradise,” Tora told AFP by telephone on his way to petition Fiji’s prime minister.
“The government should stop this.”
Fiji’s ambassador to the United Nations, Filipo Tarakinikini, wrote on social media on Monday that the Vuda coast north of Nadi “must not become the Pacific’s ashtray”.
Ash residue and dioxins would contaminate the food chain, Tarakinikini warned, likening the plan to send up to 700,000 tonnes of non-recyclable rubbish to Fiji each year to “waste colonialism”.
“Dial-a-Dump” founder Malouf spent seven years trying to get a similar waste-to-energy incinerator approved in Sydney before it was rejected as a risk to human health in 2018, planning and court documents show.
Stephen Bali, then mayor of Blacktown in Sydney, led opposition to the project in his suburb and urged Fiji to seek independent scientific data.
“Gathering up rubbish from Australia, driving it in a diesel truck to port, putting it on a diesel ship to Fiji to be offloaded — it would be interesting to look at those emissions,” Bali, now a lawmaker in the New South Wales state parliament, told AFP.
“We need to deal with our own waste,” he said.
Malouf did not respond to AFP’s request for comment……PACNEWS
UN – HEATWAVES/FOOD: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Extreme heat pushing global food systems to the brink, UN agencies warn
SUVA, 23 APRIL 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE)—Extreme heat is pushing global food and farming systems to the brink, threatening the livelihoods of over a billion people as rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves redefine how food is produced worldwide, a new UN report warns.
The joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) finds that extreme heat is already causing half a trillion work hours to be lost each year, with impacts set to intensify as temperatures rise.
“Extreme heat is increasingly defining the conditions under which agrifood systems operate,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, warning that it acts “as a compounding risk factor that magnifies existing weaknesses across agricultural systems.”
The report highlights how heatwaves – prolonged periods of unusually high day and night temperatures – are affecting crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, while also putting agricultural workers at serious risk.
Extreme heat is “a major risk multiplier,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, “exerting mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries and forests, and on the communities and economies that depend upon them.”
Across farming systems, the impacts are already visible. For many major crops, yields begin to decline above 30°C (86°F), leading to weakened plant structures and reduced productivity. Livestock experience stress at even lower temperatures, particularly pigs and poultry, which cannot cool themselves efficiently, resulting in reduced growth, lower dairy yields and, in severe cases, organ failure.
In oceans, rising temperatures are lowering oxygen levels, putting fish under strain – with 91 per cent of the global ocean experiencing at least one marine heatwave in 2024. Forests are also affected, as extreme heat disrupts photosynthesis and increases the risk of wildfires.
Extreme heat also amplifies other climate risks. It can trigger droughts, worsen water scarcity, increase wildfire risks and accelerate the spread of pests and diseases – creating what the report describes as “compound effects” that ripple across entire ecosystems.
In some regions, these impacts are already severe.
A 2025 heat event in Kyrgyzstan, for example, saw temperatures rise around 10°C above normal, contributing to a 25 per cent decline in cereal harvests, while also triggering locust swarms and reducing irrigation capacity.
Elsewhere, prolonged heat and drought conditions in Brazil in 2023 and 2024 cut soybean yields by as much as 20 per cent, while a major heatwave across North America in 2021 led to significant losses in fruit crops and a sharp spike in forest fires.
The human toll is equally stark. In parts of South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the number of days too hot to work could rise to 250 per year – putting millions of agricultural workers at risk and undermining food production.
To respond, the report calls for urgent adaptation measures, including heat-resilient crops, adjusted planting schedules and improved farm management practices.
Early warning systems and access to financial support – such as insurance and social protection – are also critical to help farmers cope with rising risks.
“Protecting the future of agriculture and ensuring global food security will require not only building on-farm resilience but also…a decisive transition away from a high-emissions future,” the UN agencies conclude…..PACNEWS
FIJI – DEFENCE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Fiji Military role can be amended in Constitution: PM Rabuka
SUVA, 23 APRIL 2026 (FIJI SUN) –Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said there was always a path to be played by the military in accordance with the Constitution.
“In the previous constitutions, they could be called to assist the police in a situation where law and order has broken down, where they are given special authority and special powers and powers of police officers,” he said in an exclusive Fiji Sun interview
“That is no longer in the Constitution today. And if it needs to be done, it will have to be legislated.”
Rabuka has cautioned individuals engaged in criminal activities to stop, as the military and police continue joint operations to dismantle illegal drug networks in Fiji.
“It is illegal and it hurts a lot of people,” he said
His comments follow recent events involving the joint operations between the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Fiji Police Force.
Following the death of alleged drug dealer Jone Vakarisi, Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai said there was a criminal network attempting to compromise national stability and posing credible threat to public safety.
The Prime Minister says people should not worry about those trying to compromise national security, assuring that everything was under control.
“There are fear mongers out there. People should not be unduly worried about those statements. As far as I got from the briefing yesterday (Monday), the military and police are in very good control of everything.”
Rabuka held discussions with the Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua, Major General Kalouniwai, and Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu on Monday.
Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai has cancelled his trip to Indonesia to assist with Police investigations into the events leading to the death of Jone Vakarisi.
Rabuka said he had confidence and trusted the military and police to conduct fair and just investigations.
Vakarisi died in military custody last week. He and his group had made attempts to break into the military’s armoury.
Vakarisi’s family is calling for a full and transparent investigation.
The Prime Minister also sent his condolences to the family and relatives of Vakarisi.
“My condolences to them. They had been part of the community of the Queen Elizabeth Barracks and surrounding areas, and we have probably gone to church while this chap was a young boy in Mead Road, and I was a preacher in the Nabua circuit. So, I send my condolences,” he said …. PACNEWS
PAC – WEATHER WATCH: IOM PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Back-to-back extreme weather events batter Pacific, IOM urges greater Preparedness
BANGKOK, 23 APRIL 2026 (IOM)— Back-to-back Category 4 extreme weather events have hit Pacific island countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of people, disrupting essential services and prompting the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to call for greater investment in preparedness and early action.
Tropical Cyclone Maila struck Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea after intensifying in the Solomon Sea, bringing destructive winds, heavy rainfall and flooding to vulnerable coastal and island communities.
Typhoon Sinlaku hit the Federated States of Micronesia, triggering a state of emergency, causing deaths and displacement, damaging homes, infrastructure and water systems, and undermining local livelihoods.
“This is yet another reminder that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and unpredictable,” said Iori Kato, IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
“Without sustained investment in preparedness and early warning systems, the region risks facing devastating human and economic costs. This is a critical window for action.”
In Solomon Islands, the Government declared a State of Disaster for Western and Choiseul Provinces, with impacts also reported in Isabel, Central and Guadalcanal Provinces. Preliminary estimates suggest more than 150,000 people were affected, with severe damage to homes, schools, health facilities and transport networks.
In Papua New Guinea, the Autonomous Bougainville Government declared a State of Emergency, with 22 confirmed fatalities and more than 15,000 people in urgent need of assistance.
Damage and displacement were also reported in Milne Bay, East New Britain and West New Britain, with more than 65,000 people affected in East New Britain alone.
In the Federated States of Micronesia, Typhoon Sinlaku damaged homes and public buildings, disrupted power and communications, blocked roads and worsened drought-induced water shortages in Yap State, prompting a State of Emergency. At least four fatalities have been confirmed.
As governments lead response efforts, IOM is supporting national emergency coordination and delivering critical relief items, including tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, jerrycans, and water purification units.
In coordination with partners, IOM is distributing relief supplies in Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia, drawing on prepositioned stocks in the region.
This support was made possible by the Governments of Australia, Japan and the United States, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency. IOM is also supporting data collection, including through activation of the Displacement Tracking Matrix in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, to help guide the response.
Beyond the immediate response, IOM is also working with Pacific governments to strengthen people-centred early warning systems and preparedness in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
With support from the Government of Japan, this work focuses on improving coordination, making sure warnings reach even remote communities, working more closely with radio stations and mobile networks, and helping people in high-risk areas know what to do before disasters strike.
Preliminary findings point to urgent needs for safe shelter, basic household supplies, clean water and sanitation, and access to healthcare. Restoring electricity, communications and transport links will be critical to reaching affected communities and supporting recovery.
With forecasts pointing to a possible strengthening El Niño and a potentially more severe cyclone season ahead, IOM is urging increased support for humanitarian response, preparedness and early warning systems…. PACNEWS
B/VILLE – ENVIROMENT AWARD: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Bougainville Activist wins environment award
BUKA, 23 APRIL 20265 (THE NATIONAL)—Bougainville’s environment and human rights activist Theonila Roka Matbob is among the five winners of the 2026 Goldman Environment Prize in the United States.
The awards ceremony for the Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the Green Nobel Prize, was held at the San Francisco Opera House in San Francisco.
“The move taken was completely new to world. Such has never been done anyway, thus people who followed the process nominated me. I had no idea,” Matbob said.
Matbob, from Makosi Village in Panguna district, began her campaign during her final year at the Divine Word University in 2013, pushing Rio Tinto to take responsibility for the environmental and human rights damage left behind at the Panguna copper mine.
Rio Tinto opened the mine in 1972 and was in operation for 17 years.
During that time, mine wastes were dumped into rivers. Farmland and fisheries were destroyed. Villagers suffered health problems.
The company left in 1989 after a civil war broke out, caused by the damage the mine had on the environment and the people.
The war lasted 10 years, and killed more than 15,000 Bougainvilleans –including Matbob’s father.
She became the lead complainant in a 2020 case filed by the Human Rights Law Centre, accusing Rio Tinto of human and environmental rights violations linked to the mine.
She also won a seat in Bougainville’s House of Representatives to extend her advocacy.
Her persistence eventually brought Rio Tinto back to the table.
In 2024, the company committed to addressing the mine’s lasting impacts and funded an independent assessment – a highly unusual move for a mining company.
“It gives me hope to keep going, and its relieving to say the actual reason why Bougainville became deeply devastated has finally caught the world’s attention,” she said.
Matbob added that the fear of being condemned had long silenced Paguna people from speaking out and her team had to go out into the communities to explain the process before they agreed to sign.
In her speech at the awards ceremony, Matbob acknowledged her husband Nathan Matbob, legal director Karen Adams of the Human Rights Law Centre, and the staff at Sage Fund who nominated her for the award.
Matbob announced at the ceremony that she would be travelling to Australia within two weeks to meet Rio Tinto’s new chief executive at the company’s annual general meeting.
She called on supporters around the world who attended the ceremony to sign a petition through the Goldman Environmental Prize website.
Despite the challenges, Matbob said she would not stop fighting.
“As long as I am alive, I won’t give up because it’s my life and the future generations’ life,” she said…..PACNEWS
NZ – ELECTION/POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Green Party pushes Pacific voice with strong election list
AUCKLAND/WELLINGTON, 23 APRIL 2026 (PMN)—Pacific representation is back in focus ahead of New Zealand’s 2026 election with the Green Party putting forward one of its strongest line-ups yet.
Four Pacific candidates have been ranked in the party’s top 30 list, led by sitting MP Teanau Tuiono at number three.
This is a sign the party says it aims to deepen its connection with Pacific communities.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson told journalists the party wants Pacific communities to “see their home with us”.
“We want to ensure that all communities and especially the Pacific can see their home with us,” Davidson said.
“We are the party advocating for more accessible travel between Pacific nations and Aotearoa… I hope to see us looking to be more relevant and present across Pacific issues as well.”
Tuiono, who rose from number five in 2023 to number three, remains a key Pacific voice within the party.
He holds several portfolios including Defence, Foreign Affairs, Pacific Peoples, and Oceans and Fisheries.
He is joined in the top 30 by Tania Waikato at 13, Zephyr Brown at 24, and Te Whatanui Kipa Leka Taumalolo Skipwith at 30. They have links across the Pacific including Tonga, the Cook Islands, Hawai’i, and Sāmoa.
Skipwith is from Tonga, the island of Vava’u and villages of Neiafu and Holonga, Tuiono is from Atiu, Brown is from Pangai, Ha’apai and Waikato has recently discovered Pacific roots to Hawai’i and Sāmoa.
For the Greens, the list is more than just rankings. They say it reflects a broader push to build trust and visibility in Pacific communities after past criticism.
Following the last election, some Pacific volunteers raised concerns about how they were treated within the party.
Davidson acknowledged those concerns but said change was already happening from within.
“I’m really proud of the leadership that grassroots Pacific and South Auckland members are bringing to the party to show that this is a really good political home for Pacific people.”
Davidson also pointed to Tuiono’s work in Parliament including his role in advancing changes to Western Sāmoan citizenship laws. His member’s bill, which gained support across Parliament, has helped grant New Zealand citizenship to hundreds of Sāmoans.
Climate advocacy for Pacific nations has also been a key focus as rising sea levels and extreme weather continue to impact the region.
The Greens say their 2026 line-up reflects a wider ambition, not just to grow their numbers in Parliament but to play a central role in the next government.
Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the party plans to contest more electorates strongly this year and is aiming to return with its largest caucus yet.
For Pacific voters, the message from the Greens is clear: they want to be seen as a political home. Whether that message lands could play a key role in shaping the party’s support in 2026….PACNEWS
CNMI – MISSING BOAT CREW: AP PACNEWS 1: Thu 23 Apr 2026
One of six missing crew members found dead after typhoon overturned U.S.-flagged ship in Pacific
SAIPAN, 23 APRIL 2026 (AP)—Authorities have found the body of one of the six missing crew members from a U.S-flagged cargo ship that overturned near the Northern Mariana Islands during a typhoon.
U.S Air Force divers “used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel” and recovered the body Tuesday, the U.S Coast Guard said in a statement.
Additional divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship. They did not find any additional crew members, the U.S Coast Guard said.
“Coast Guard aircrews continue to search for the five missing crewmen and an orange 12-person life raft in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” the statement said.
The guard and partnering agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand have covered more than 99,000 square miles, the guard said this week.
The crew of the ship, called the Mariana, notified the U.S Coast Guard on 15 April that the 145-foot U.S-registered vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku and needed assistance. The guard said it lost contact with the ship the next day.
“Our hearts are with the families of the Mariana crew members and the communities impacted by this tragic incident,” Commander Preston Hieb, search and rescue mission coordinator, Coast Guard Oceania District, said.
“We continue to search in close coordination with our partners, using all available resources to support the ongoing response.”
Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted Saturday about 40 miles northeast of Pagan, one of the islands that make up the Northern Marianas, which is a U.S. territory. The ship had drifted 26 nautical miles northeast from where it was first located.
The U.S Coast Guard said Monday that debris including a partially submerged inflatable life raft was spotted about 110 miles from the ship.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding.
The typhoon had sustained winds of up to 150 mph, equating to a strong Category 4, when it hit the islands of Tinian and Saipan, according to the National Weather Service.
Before making landfall, the typhoon’s maximum sustained winds stabilized at 175 mph, making it the strongest storm to develop in 2026, behind typhoons Narelle and Dudzai, which respectively peaked at 149 and 147 mph.
Cleanup crews were seen clearing debris in blustery conditions on Saipan in a social media video posted by the mayor’s office….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – AGRICULTURE MEET: FAO PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Ministers meet to reflect on agrifood challenges in vulnerable Asian and Pacific countries
BRUNEI, 23 APRIL 2026 (FAO)—Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, welcomed ministers from around Asia and the Pacific to a special meeting to discuss the “distinct and persistent structural vulnerabilities” faced by countries in the region that are particularly cut off from mainstream pathways to agricultural development and resilient food security.
These countries are especially exposed to mounting pressures in a context of increasing climate variability, supply chain disruptions and shifting trade dynamics.
Despite the challenges, “there is strong reason for optimism,” the Director-General told participants in a special ministerial event on “Accelerating agrifood system transformation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).”
The special event, held during the week-long 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific hosted by Brunei Darussalam, aimed to stimulate sharing of perspectives and ideas on how such countries can achieve their goals through policy measures, financing mechanisms, innovations and innovations.
The discussions also provided strategic guidance to FAO on priority areas for support, including analytics, capacity development, investment planning and partnerships.
“Across Asia and the Pacific, countries are advancing innovative approaches to transform agrifood systems, leveraging digital technologies, strengthening climate resilience, promoting inclusive rural development, and mobilizing investment through enhanced partnerships,” Qu added.
While the focus countries face distinct challenges, they have several characteristics in common: geographic isolation, high transportation costs, climate exposure, environmental fragility, limited fiscal space and high dependence on food imports, all of which are exacerbated by current global trends.
National initiatives embedded in a context of collective action and knowledge sharing can lead to impactful results, Qu said. “Across Asia and the Pacific, countries are advancing innovative approaches to transform agrifood systems, leveraging digital technologies, strengthening climate resilience, promoting inclusive rural development, and mobilizing investment through enhanced partnerships,” the Director-General added.
Two ministerial panels were held during the event, one focusing on agrifood systems transformation and the other on how finance and partnerships can help deliver impactful results at scale.
Ministers from Bhutan, Laos, Papua New Guinea and Tonga shared insights into their national practices and priorities, focusing respectively on sustainability, policy and governance, the livestock sector, and coping with climate and economic shocks.
Senior officials from Cambodia, Mongolia and Tuvalu centreed their contributions on funding and strategic partnerships, respectively focusing on how to strengthen agrifood value chains and market linkages, how to bolster investment readiness, and opportunities linked to building climate resilience.
Several presentations noted the utility and role of FAO initiatives such as Hand-in-Hand, One Country One Priority Product, Blue Transformation and Digital Villages, all of which are particularly popular and engaged with around Asia and the Pacific, as well as the Pacific SIDS Investment Proposal, which aims to translate country-led priorities into bankable opportunities and will be showcased at the 2026 SIDS Solution Forum in the Solomon Islands next month.
The debate offered precious insights into local priorities and conditions, Qu noted.
Those help FAO draft the next five-year Multi-Country Programming Framework for the Pacific Islands, which covers fourteen countries. Ministers also discussed a FAO proposal to set up an informal ministerial network focused specifically on Land-Locked Developing Countries in the region: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, and Nepal.
There are nine LDCs in Asia and the Pacific, 17 SIDS and four LLDCs….PACNEWS
SOL – IRAN CRISIS/FUEL PRICE: SOL GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Fuel price increase implemented as Solomon Islands Government confirms mitigation measures
HONIARA, 23 APRIL 2026 (SOL GOVT)— The Solomon Islands Government has confirmed a fuel price increase announced Wednesday by the Price Advisory Committee (PAC), with new prices taking effect immediately.
The adjustment reflects a sharp rise in the price paid by our two fuel importers – SPOL and Markwarth Oil since the beginning of March 2026 as a result of the increase in international fuel prices, driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Global oil prices have increased from below USD$70 per barrel before the conflict to over USD$100 per barrel during the first week of the conflict and had remained above USD$100 per barrel ever since.
Fuel prices in Solomon Islands are typically adjusted every two months with each new monthly price based on the price of fuel two months earlier. However, the scale of the increases paid by our importers since the beginning of March 2026 due to the scale of recent global price increases have necessitated the PAC to adopt a strategy to smooth out the price increases thereby preventing huge monthly jumps on fuel pricing going forward.
The new increase has not yet incorporated the fiscal measures approved by the Cabinet to cushion the impact of the global price increases on the domestic market. These measures have now been Gazetted, and they will be incorporated into the fuel price adjustments expected in the first week of May 2026.
The details of these measures will be shared by the Prime Minister at his Press Conference later this week – but they include various forms of fuel tax relief and other measures to reduce the consumption of fuel supply.
The smoothing mechanism applied by the PAC together with the incorporation of the Gazetted Government Fiscal Measures will help ensure that the next fuel price adjustment in early May should be minimal compared to the current rate of increase. This will provide more confidence to businesses ,other consumers and households.
The Government is also working closely with the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry to address the broader impact of rising costs on businesses and the economy, and a meeting with SICCI is scheduled to occur tomorrow morning to hear from SICCI of their major concerns and work with them on common solutions…..PACNEWS
TONGA – DEFENCE: PACIFIC AUSTRALIA SKILLS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Tonga and Australia strengthen skills for a resilient future through the country launch of Pacific Australia Skills
NUKU’ALOFA, 23 APRIL 2026 (PACIFIC AUSTRALIA SKILLS) —Skills and training are not just about gaining qualifications, they are about opportunity, resilience, and building a better future for families and communities.
This is a vision Tonga is pursuing on its own terms, with the support of valued partners such as Australia.
The Government of Tonga and the Government of Australia marked the official country launch of Pacific Australia Skills in the Kingdom of Tonga.
The programme is a locally led, Australia-backed, skills and training initiative designed to strengthen national skills systems and expand pathways to employment for Tongan people.
The chief guest, Mo’ale ‘Otunuku, Minister for Education and Training, and Brek Batley, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, joined government counterparts and stakeholders to recognise Tonga and Australia’s collaboration to support skills development that reflects local priorities, labour market needs, and community aspirations.
Pacific Australia Skills is working in partnership with Tonga to strengthen national approaches to skills development, support stronger local systems, increase training quality, and create meaningful pathways to employment. Australia has always walked alongside Tonga and is proud to continue doing so by supporting priorities that Tonga has identified as important and helping bring them to life.
Pacific Australia Skills represents a new chapter in Australia’s longstanding support for skills across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Australia’s previous regional skills programme, the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), supported more than 1,100 Tongans between 2007 and 2025 to access full qualifications, short courses, microcredentials, and other training opportunities.
Pacific Australia Skills works with a broad range of partners including government agencies, training providers, non-profit organisations, the private sector, partners dedicated to gender equality, disability and social inclusion, and international organisations to ensure skills and training activities connect directly to what Tonga’s workforce and communities need.
Pacific Australia Skills also has a strong focus on climate resilience, inclusion, and accessibility for all Tongans. The programme has a responsibility to support skills development activities which help Tonga to be climate and energy resilient and responsive to natural disasters and climate change.
Additionally, opportunities are being designed to reach more Tongans, including women and men, youth, persons with disabilities, and remote communities to ensure no one is left behind.
Pacific Australia Skills is ultimately about supporting Tonga’s skills aspirations to build a better future.
With Tonga and Australia’s continued collaboration, Tonga will advance efforts to strengthen a skills system that is locally led, regionally connected, and built to last.
Mo’ale ‘Otunuku, Minister for Education and Training, said: “Through partnership, careful planning, and practical action, we are ensuring that the next generation is equipped to succeed. Together, let us build these pathways from learning to work, and from opportunity to prosperity.”
Brek Batley, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, said: “Pacific Australia Skills is about supporting what Tonga has identified as important and strengthening the systems, the people and the culture that will carry this work forward long into the future.”…PACNEWS
FIJI – EMPLOYMENT: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Employment travel rises for Fijians
SUVA, 23 APRIL 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—Travel for employment purposes continues to feature in Fiji’s outbound movement, according to the latest Fiji Bureau of Statistics data for March 2026.
A total of 1,129 residents left the country for employment-related reasons, accounting for 8.4 per cent of all departures.
The data shows a significant number of these travellers were away for longer periods, with 426 departing for between three to 12 months and 411 for one to five years, indicating ongoing overseas work opportunities.
Short-term employment travel also remained steady, with 292 residents leaving for less than three months.
While holiday travel and visits to friends and relatives dominated overall departures, the figures highlight the continued role of overseas employment as a key driver of longer-term travel among Fijians.
The Bureau’s report underscores the importance of labour mobility in supporting income opportunities for Fijian households. …PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Earth Day: The battle to save a drowning Pacific Island nation
FUNAFUTI, 23 APRIL 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —Few places are experiencing it as rapidly as the Pacific Ocean where factors such as ocean currents and winds combine with global warming to create a ‘pile-up’ effect on some of the most vulnerable low-lying islands.
In the independent island nation of Tuvalu, the level has risen 21 centimetres in 30 years, nearly twice the global average. At the current rate, some projections suggest 95 per cent of the country could be under water by 2100.
Why high tides are the real danger
The greatest day-to-day challenge for island communities is the increase in the number and intensity of high tides.
“Our islands are drowning,” Altangerel said.
With the country averaging under two metres above sea level, traditional methods in coastal protection – whether building sea walls or nature-based methods such as planting mangroves – “no longer work” in managing these tides, she said.
“If we plant mangroves, the mangroves will be simply swallowed by the sea… The king tide will just wash over the mangroves, or they can wash over the seawalls,” she said.
Migration, a solution?
Whilst adaptation projects are underway, migration is also an option. In 2023, the Tuvaluan and Australian Governments launched the Falepili Union, a treaty allowing 280 Tuvaluans to relocate to Australia each year for residency or citizenship.
Last year, 90 percent of the country’s population applied for the first round of the visa ballot.
Other agreements are in place in Kiribati and Vanuatu which allow working citizens to obtain visas in Australia. Meanwhile, New Zealand offers 75 residency visas per year to Kiribati and Vanuatu, and the United States has an agreement with the Marshall Islands where citizens can live, work and study in the US without a visa.
Against this backdrop, there are concerns over the implications for the culture and heritage of Pacific peoples, especially those in traditional livelihoods, if populations move away en masse.
Can a nation survive without land?
With rising sea levels, it’s possible that some island nations could physically disappear.
“It’s not just about coastal areas disappearing, it’s also the people’s sense of nationhood and also the future existence of these countries are very much under threat,” Altangerel said.
An International Court of Justice ruling in 2025 clarified that loss of its physical territory due to sea-level rise does not automatically result in the loss of its statehood or sovereignty, allowing Tuvalu to remain a nation state with rights over its ocean resources and a seat at the UN, even if its islands are underwater.
A template in Tuvalu
In Tuvalu, UNDP – working alongside the Government and the Green Climate Fund – started a novel adaptation plan back in 2017 based on detailed sensor mapping to create over seven hectares of new land designed to stay above projected sea levels beyond 2100.
The Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project dredges sand to create elevated land that is protected against storm surges in the islands of Funafuti, Nanumea, and Nanumaga.
“These are very drastic measures,” warns Altangerel with the project costing close to US$55 million so far: “We basically rebuild the land around the atolls so that there is safe land where people can build shelters, housing.”
Phase two started in 2024 where a further eight hectares will be added along the southern shoreline of the nation’s capital, Funafuti, on the island of Fongafale where 60 per cent of the nation’s population live. Many Tuvaluans from less protected atolls have already migrated there seeking protection.
Another way the Government and the UNDP is supporting Tuvaluans to remain, is through providing an insurance scheme when flooding occurs from high tides, and an initial 400 households in Funafuti will receive automatic payments of up to US$1,500 per high tide event.
For Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands – three of the four lowest lying countries in the world – the measures in Tuvalu may offer a template for their future adaptation and their survival.
“If we manage to safeguard Tuvalu as a nation…we’re contributing all of this amazing work to be scaled up and replicated across the Pacific, but also across other small island developing States,” Altangerel said.
Saving the Pacific
Visiting the Pacific islands, that stretch thousands of miles apart in the world’s largest ocean seven years ago, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “if we save the Pacific, we save the world.”
As the world marks Earth Day on 22 April, in Tuvalu, the effort is not only about adaptation, but survival and the question of whether a nation can hold onto its land, identity and future as the seas rise…..PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Kiribati Convenes Fourth National Climate Outlook Forum, Marking Four Years of Sustained Climate Services Support
TARAWA, 23 APRIL 2026 (SPREP)—The Kiribati Meteorological Service (KMS) convened the fourth National Climate Outlook Forum (NCOF) in Tarawa in March this year, bringing together Mayors and Clerks from across Kiribati’s 33 islands, alongside national ministries, disaster risk reduction agencies, development partners and members of the diplomatic corps, for substantive dialogue on the latest climate and ocean outlook for the coming season.
The Forum carries particular significance this year. In June 2023, after an eight-year lapse, the Kiribati Meteorological Service reconvened the National Climate Outlook Forum in Tarawa, which brought together more than 25 participants for two days of in-depth discussion. That reconvening marked both a renewed national commitment to climate services and the beginning of a formative partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), through the European Union’s Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme. Now in its fourth year of implementation, ClimSA has supported every edition of the Forum since its restoration. The fourth NCOF is a direct reflection of that continuity.
“While disseminating weather and climate information through various channels is important, direct engagement with community leaders is indispensable. The National Climate Outlook Forum serves as a vital platform for sharing this information with island leaders,” said Taneti Mamau, President of Kiribati.
The NCOF is the primary national platform for promoting understanding of meteorological events and facilitating the exchange of climate information between the Kiribati Meteorological Service and the range of sectors that depend on it. Given Kiribati’s geography, comprised of 33 islands dispersed across 3.5 million square kilometres of ocean, the Forum is hosted in two locations: Tarawa for the Gilbert Islands group, and Kiritimati for the Line and Phoenix Island groups.
“Four years ago, this Forum did not exist. Today, it is the thread connecting a climate forecast in Tarawa to a decision on an outer island. That thread must not break. Every year that we gather, every Mayor who returns to their island with a forecast in hand, is proof that sustained investment in climate services saves lives,” reaffirmed Salesa Nihmei, Director of SPREP’s Climate Science and Information Programme.
“The European Union’s investment through ClimSA has made this continuity possible but continuity is exactly what’s needed. Climate services only work when communities can rely on them year after year. One forum is a start, four forums, without interruption, is a system. That is what we are building with the Kiribati Meteorological Services,” added Nihmei.
This year’s Forum takes place against the backdrop of a deepening institutional partnership between SPREP and KMS. A Letter of Agreement under the ClimSA Project, valued at AUD 405,153.53 and extending through November 2027, underpins a programme of concrete investment in Kiribati’s meteorological infrastructure.
This includes the installation of three new Automatic Weather Stations on Nikunau, Kuria, and Abaiang; the deployment of five wave buoys at pilot sites around Butaritari, Maiana, Beru, Arorae, and Kiritimati; IT infrastructure expansion and archive modernisation at KMS; a data rescue and digitisation initiative, including employing a dedicated Data Rescue and Digitisation Officer, to safeguard historical climate records; and the installation of ENSO signboards in Buota, Butaritari, Kiritimati, and Beru to extend the reach of climate information to outer island communities.
Beyond ClimSA, KMS continues to benefit from complementary support through SPREP’s Weather Ready Pacific programme and the DFAT-funded COSPPac project, which strengthens sub-seasonal and seasonal prediction capability through data archival into the CliDE database and integration into the Ocean and Climate Outlook Forum. The Republic of Korea–Pacific Island Climate Prediction Services Project Phase 3 further supplements KMS capacity through advanced climate modelling tools and targeted training for staff.
Looking ahead, SPREP is supporting the finalisation of the Kiribati Meteorological Strategic Plan 2026 – 2036, a ten-year institutional roadmap aligned with the Kiribati 20-Year Vision (KV20). The Plan prioritises sustainable financing to reduce donor dependency and builds in-house capacity for aviation and marine forecasting. A Validation Workshop is scheduled for June, with an official launch planned for Kiritimati in October.
“The ClimSA programme is committed to supporting the Kiribati National Climate Outlook Forum and aims to ensure that all stakeholders have improved understanding of weather, climate and ocean products and services, whilst supporting the Kiribati Meteorological Services in meeting their information needs,” reaffirmed Nihmei.
While these investments represent meaningful progress, SPREP has been transparent about the broader resourcing landscape. The Weather Ready Pacific programme, the regional blueprint for protecting Pacific lives from weather and climate hazards, still requires USD$160 million to implement unfunded activities across member countries. Closing this gap remains a shared regional priority.
The NCOF is the primary national platform for exchanging climate and ocean information between KMS and key sectors including fisheries, disaster risk reduction, health, education, transport, and island governance. After an eight-year lapse, the Forum was reconvened in June 2023 with ClimSA support. The fourth NCOF, held on 24 – 25 March 2026 in Tarawa, is the latest.
The Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Programme is a EUR 9 million initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by SPREP. It is dedicated to enhancing the production, accessibility, and application of science-based climate information to empower decision-makers across the Pacific….PACNEWS
