In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific communities must have their climate solutions heard at COP31, says fomer Fiji President Katonivere
2. PACIFIC — COP is not for fundraising”: Pacific media urged to scrutinise climate promises
3. PACIFIC — “Freedom that is not exercised is not freedom”: Fiji Times editor warns press freedom cannot be taken for granted
4. PACIFIC — Pacific media partnerships must follow audiences, protect independence
5. PACIFIC — Naoero tells UN it is now Naoero, reclaiming ancestral name
6. FIJI — Fiji PM Rabuka stops short of backing immunity repeal
7. PACIFIC — Pacific Response Group key to stronger regional cooperation: RFMF Commander
8. PACIFIC — Pacific pushes urgent climate finance action at UN
9. PNG — PNG Police rescue 39 Indonesians from human trafficking
10. PACNEWS BIZ — American Samoa Governor opposes U.S plans for commercial deep-sea mining
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Lloyds ‘committed’ to Panguna and Bougainville
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — When a country goes underwater: Island States fight for their future
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — “1.5°C remains the anchor. Urgency and agency need to travel together” – Fifth Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference closes with key message
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/PRECOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Pacific communities must have their climate solutions heard at COP31, says fomer Fiji President Katonivere
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—- Pacific voices, traditional knowledge and local climate solutions must be at the centre of discussions ahead of COP31, former Fiji President and Tui Macuata Ratu Wiliame Katonivere told the Pacific Media Summit’s Pre-COP31 session in Fiji.
Katonivere said Pacific countries were among those most affected by climate change and needed to ensure the work being done by Indigenous peoples and local communities was reflected in regional and global climate discussions.
“The time for action is now, and one of the ways we can take action is to share our stories and experiences,” Katonivere said.
Speaking as a Climate Champion, Katonivere said Indigenous peoples and local communities had long been custodians of forests, oceans, rivers, flora and fauna.
He said traditional knowledge had helped protect natural resources and should be combined with scientific evidence and new approaches to address growing climate threats.
“Our forefathers were wise custodians, and they were gifted with the pristine environment that we enjoy today.
“They set the precedent for us and we owe it to our future generations to manage our environment and resources,” he said.
Katonivere said climate change, pollution and drought were now threatening not only the environment and livelihoods but also Pacific culture and identity.
“The resources in them are crucial for our language and our culture.
“Significant flora and fauna are cultural tokens that contribute to our cultural heritage,” he said.
He highlighted the conservation work in Macuata, including efforts by traditional resource owners to protect fishing grounds and marine areas.
Katonivere said collaboration between resource owners, government and environmental organisations had been critical to conservation efforts.
He urged development partners and others working on climate and environmental programmes not to overlook existing traditional networks.
“As a traditional leader, I am constantly reminding our partners not to reinvent the wheel, but to tap into the existing community and traditional networks and knowledge we have.
“Our traditional approaches, coupled with new knowledge, such as scientific evidence and practice, will help address threats to our resources,” he said.
Katonivere said similar work was taking place across Fiji’s 14 provinces, much of it driven by communities themselves rather than donor-funded projects.
“The work underway in the villages and communities that are not necessarily funded by donors … are now aided by science and new innovations.
“We are driven to do these things not by project funding but the responsibility that we have to look after our God-given resources,” he said.
As Pacific countries prepare for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Katonivere challenged the media to give greater attention to community-led climate action.
He acknowledged the media’s role in reporting Pacific positions at Pre-COP and COP, but said coverage should also highlight what communities were doing on the ground.
“How can you cover climate change in your national, regional, and international context?.
“Would you consider highlighting the stories of what Indigenous peoples and communities across the Pacific are doing when there is climate change?” he asked.
Katonivere urged Pacific journalists to report stories of communities using traditional knowledge and networks to respond to climate impacts.
“My takeaway for all of you today is to please collaborate with us, tell our stories.
“Stories of those affected and most likely to be affected by climate change,” he said.
He said communities wanted to leave the environment and resources in better condition for future generations.
“We want to handle our environment and our children in the same, in a better state than we see them.
“And our friends in the media can help by telling us this,” Katonivere said……PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/PRECOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
COP is not for fundraising”: Pacific media urged to scrutinise climate promises
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific media must scrutinise climate promises, follow the negotiations and question claims made around COP31 rather than treating the UN climate conference as a fundraising event, climate champion Taholo Kami has told the Pacific Media Summit in Fiji.
Kami, Strategic Advisor to Blue Prosperity Fiji at the Waitt Institute and a former Fiji COP23 Special Envoy for Oceans, said the media had a critical role in explaining what Pacific governments were seeking from COP31 and what was actually delivered.
“COP is not for fundraising. COP is for relationships, COP is for shaping direction and negotiations,” Kami said.
He said COP could help start or strengthen processes towards climate finance agreements, but funding should not be presented as an immediate outcome of the negotiations.
“It’s not a magic place for fundraising,” he said.
Kami said Pacific media should ask questions when governments or officials made claims about COP outcomes.
“So if you see a headline like that, you can ask some very good questions,” he said.
Kami said oceans must remain a major focus for Pacific countries heading into COP31, drawing on his experience during Fiji’s COP23 presidency when Pacific negotiators pushed to bring oceans into the UN climate negotiations.
He said the Pacific had played a major role in advancing the 1.5°C target and should continue to push for stronger ocean action.
“There’d be no 1.5 degrees without Pacific leadership,” Kami said.
He said the Pacific’s ocean space gave the region a global responsibility and opportunity to influence climate and ocean policy.
“If you put all our EEZs together, it’s 28 million square kilometres. If you add New Zealand, we’re past 30.
“What we do in our oceans, for our healthy ocean, is critical not just for us, but critical for the planet,” he said.
Kami said a healthy ocean was also directly linked to climate resilience, food security and Pacific prosperity.
“A thriving ocean is also critical for a thriving planet,” he said.
Kami identified improved access to climate finance as another key issue for Pacific countries, including the Pacific Resilience Facility(PRF) and the need for small grants that communities can use.
He highlighted the Loss and Damage Fund, saying the Pacific had spent decades pushing for recognition and support for climate-related losses.
“The loss and damage fund has begun,” he said, while noting that important questions remained about how accessible the funding would be and how its rules would operate.
Kami said Pacific media should continue following those processes rather than focusing only on announcements made at COP.
Deep-sea mining was another issue Kami urged journalists to follow closely.
He said Pacific countries should ensure they had access to the same level of information as companies involved in resource exploration before signing agreements.
“Any agreement we’ve signed without equal information to the information that the company has, we lose.
“It leads to exploitation.
That’s the history of mining in the Pacific,” he said.
Kami called for more research before countries make decisions on deep-sea mining, including research into minerals, biodiversity and wider ocean systems.
“All we should be calling for is let’s make sure the research is done before we sign anything,” he said.
He said the debate should not simply be framed as being for or against seabed mining.
“It’s not about anti-seabed mining. It’s about doing it the right thing at the right time,” Kami said.
Kami said journalists also had a responsibility to report uncertainty and emerging scientific evidence carefully.
Referring to research concerning “dark oxygen” and polymetallic nodules on the seabed, he said the issue demonstrated how much remained unknown about the deep ocean.
“There are so many things we do not know yet
“And the voice of the media should be on the forefront of being proportionate about these issues that we do not know,” he said.
Kami said this was particularly important when economic interests could push governments towards decisions before research was complete.
He urged journalists to hold governments accountable for decisions affecting the Pacific’s ocean resources.
Kami said Pacific countries had continued to push above their weight in global climate negotiations, but the region needed to maintain that leadership by linking advocacy with practical action.
He identified issues including sea-level rise and the protection of maritime boundaries, fisheries and food security, coral reefs, high-seas protection and large marine protected areas as areas the media should continue following.
He also urged greater attention to how climate change is affecting coral reefs and the wider ocean ecosystem.
For Kami, the role of Pacific media extends beyond reporting statements from climate conferences.
“The media is the only voice that comes to the people,” he said.
He said journalists should continue asking whether climate and ocean commitments were leading to concrete action and whether Pacific interests were being reflected in global decisions…..PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
“Freedom that is not exercised is not freedom”: Fiji Times editor warns press freedom cannot be taken for granted
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Fiji Times Editor Fred Wesley has warned that restoring press freedom is not enough if newsrooms do not rebuild the confidence to ask hard questions and engage directly with the public.
Speaking at the Pacific Media Summit plenary on Beyond News Coverage: The Role of the Media for Democratic Resilience and Engagement, Wesley said 16 years of media restrictions in Fiji had left lasting damage to journalism, public trust and the country’s ability to fight misinformation.
“Freedom that is not exercised is not freedom. It is only permission,” Wesley said.
He recalled the period after the 2006 coup when government censors were placed inside The Fiji Times newsroom to review stories before publication.
When stories were removed, the newspaper sometimes left blank spaces and told readers that the content had been censored.
“It was the only protest available to us,” he said.
Wesley said the impact of the restrictions went beyond censorship of individual stories.
“The decree never jailed a journalist. It did something far more efficient. It taught us to jail ourselves,” the Fiji Times Editor said in Savusavu.
He said journalists and editors became increasingly cautious about stories that could expose the newspaper or its staff to heavy fines, legal costs or possible imprisonment.
Over time, he said, self-censorship became part of newsroom culture.
“It cost us the second question.
“It cost us our editing. The most dangerous edit is the one nobody remembers making,” Wesley said.
He said the restrictions also weakened the relationship between mainstream media and its audience.
“We covered press conferences word for word and asked no hard questions.
We printed Government statements without challenging their authors,” he said.
As mainstream media became less challenging, audiences increasingly turned to social media for information and debate.
“We did not lose our audience because they stopped caring. Assisted by the strategic manipulation of the narrative, we lost them because we stopped being worth reading,” Wesley said.
He said Fiji’s current vulnerability to misinformation was partly created during those years when credible journalism was weakened.
“When credible journalism goes quiet, the public does not wait.
They build their own information supply, even if it has no standards, no quality control and not even truth as the aim,” he said.
Wesley said the repeal of the Media Industry Development Act (MIDA)in April 2023 was an important step, but removing the law did not immediately remove the culture created under it.
“You can repeal a law in an afternoon. You cannot repeal a habit of fear,” he said.
The challenge now, he said, was rebuilding newsrooms where young journalists feel safe and are expected to question politicians, public servants and business leaders.
He said this requires mentoring, retraining and senior journalists demonstrating that hard questions can be asked without fear.
Wesley also highlighted community town halls as an important way to rebuild trust between media and the public.
He said competing media organisations had begun co-hosting town hall forums, broadcasting them live and taking them into communities where people could question decision-makers directly.
The approach, he said, had helped turn audiences from passive consumers into participants.
“Our town hall forum in Levuka reached around two hundred and fifty thousand viewers, in a country of under a million people,” he said.
Wesley said the next initiative was Fiji’s first Pre-COP31 climate town hall, held in Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu, bringing climate discussions directly to a maritime community.
He identified three lessons from the town halls: restoring hard questions, making journalism visible and turning audiences into participants.
“And a person who has taken part in a real public conversation is far harder to recruit with a false rumour,” he said.
Wesley said participation was one of the strongest tools media had found to counter disinformation.
“In our experience, that is the most effective answer to disinformation we have found. Not fact-checking alone — participation.”
However, he warned that Fiji’s progress remained fragile.
He said journalists had been summoned to court over their reporting, a journalist’s phone had been seized by police over a social media post, and journalists, particularly women, continued to face online harassment.
He also warned that financial pressure on newsrooms could undermine journalism just as effectively as censorship.
“A newsroom that cannot pay its journalists is just as silent as a newsroom that has been censored,” he said.
Wesley challenged political parties contesting Fiji’s next general election to recognise the importance of freedom of expression and democracy.
“I challenge you to factor this into your manifesto. Let us never deny the right of the people to be informed,” he said…..PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Pacific media partnerships must follow audiences, protect independence
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific media partnerships must be flexible, long-term and built around local needs, while protecting editorial independence, speakers at the Pacific Media Summit in Fiji have stressed.
The call came during a plenary discussion on “Models and Lessons of Pacific Media Partnerships”, where media development partners and Fiji’s Ministry of Information outlined what has worked and what more is needed to strengthen collaboration across the region.
ABC International Development (ABCID) Head Claire Gorman said there was no single partnership model that could work across the Pacific.
“There is no single model that works across the Pacific.”
Gorman said partnerships should start with the purpose they are intended to achieve rather than a predetermined model.
She said institutional partnerships, regional networks, peer-to-peer relationships and targeted technical support could each serve different purposes, with the strongest approach often combining several models.
“Trust and continuity are essential infrastructure,” Gorman said.
She said sustained relationships allowed partners to understand local contexts, have more honest conversations, adapt to changing circumstances and work through challenges together.
Gorman also stressed that editorial independence must remain non-negotiable, particularly where media development partnerships operate alongside government or diplomatic objectives.
“Clear boundaries, transparency and respect for Pacific editorial sovereignty are fundamental to credibility,” she said.
“Without them, partnerships risk weakening the audience trust that they are intended to support.”
Gorman said adaptation was also a sign of a strong partnership, with partners needing to agree on shared outcomes while remaining flexible about how those outcomes were achieved.
She cited ABC’s partnership with Papua New Guinea’s National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) around the country’s 50th independence anniversary as an example of long-term collaboration built around local priorities.
The project began discussions about two years before the anniversary and combined content production with media capacity building.
Gorman said the partnership enabled the creation of content that respected Papua New Guinea’s “story sovereignty” while also helping Australian audiences better understand the country’s independence story.
Regional Partnerships Director at BBC Media Action, Rachael McGuinn said flexibility and adaptation had also been central to her organisation’s work in the Pacific.
“We’ve really felt the challenge over the last couple of years with the change in international funding,” McGuinn said, noting the impact of reduced development funding on local media organisations.
She said BBC Media Action had worked with local media organisations and media associations to identify their needs and develop programmes around them.
“What has worked for us is actually having a very flexible and adaptive approach to our programming,” she said.
McGuinn said audience research had also been important, particularly as Pacific audiences increasingly moved between platforms.
She noted that radio remained a major source of information across the Pacific, alongside digital platforms.
The BBC Media Action approach has also included localisation, training-of-trainers programmes and mentoring, including fact-checking initiatives.
McGuinn said training local trainers helped strengthen collaboration across the media sector because journalists could take the skills back into their own newsrooms.
She also called for greater coordination among development partners to identify gaps and avoid duplication.
“We have a six-week catch-up conversation with each other to try to understand different funding priorities of different media development partners and donors in the region,” she said.
The aim, she said, was to identify areas where other funders were not providing support.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Information, Eseta Nadakuitavuki, said Fiji’s experience showed that media partnership models must evolve as audiences and technology change.
She traced Fiji’s public broadcasting model from the establishment of the Fiji Broadcasting Commission (FBC)in 1954 to the current system involving radio, television and newspapers.
Nadakuitavuki said the earlier model, which relied heavily on one public broadcaster, had provided an effective mechanism for delivering public-interest information but became less suited to a fragmented media environment.
“The media environment did not stand still,” she said.
As commercial broadcasters, newspapers, digital platforms and social media expanded, audiences became more fragmented.
“If the objective is public reach, then our partnership model also has to follow the audience,” Nadakuitavuki said.
She said Fiji began opening its public service broadcasting grant to other media organisations in 2024 through a competitive process.
The programme was expanded to commercial television and radio providers and, in 2026, to Fiji’s two major newspapers.
Nadakuitavuki said the experience showed government did not have to rely on one platform to deliver public service information.
“Different media organisations reach different people, they operate across different languages, communities and platforms,” she said.
She said government-media partnerships were increasingly being used for public awareness campaigns on issues including illicit drugs, HIV and AIDS, non-communicable diseases, gender-based violence, cyberbullying, online harassment and disaster preparedness.
But she stressed that government funding must not compromise editorial independence.
“Partnership does not mean compromising media independence,” Nadakuitavuki said.
“Public service broadcasting support is for great public interest content. It should not be about purchasing favourable editorial coverage.”
She said government had a responsibility to provide timely and accurate information and ensure public resources were used transparently, while media had a responsibility to inform, question and scrutinise government and other institutions.
“Those roles can and must co-exist,” she said.
Looking ahead, Nadakuitavuki said Fiji could consider expanding public-interest media support beyond established broadcasters and newspapers to content creators producing documentaries, films, dramas, music, cultural programmes and digital content.
She said this could create opportunities for more Fijian and Pacific stories to be told “in our own voices, for our own people and for the world.”
For the Pacific media sector, she said the challenge was not to identify one perfect partnership model but to keep developing partnerships that respond to changing audiences, technology and community needs.
“The fundamental objective remains: how do we ensure our people have access to information that informs them, educates them, protects them and connects them?” Nadakuitavuki said…..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Naoero tells UN it is now Naoero, reclaiming ancestral name
NEW YORK, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Naoero President David Adeang has told the United Nations that the country is reclaiming its ancestral name, calling on the international community to recognise “Naoero” as an affirmation of its identity, language and history.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Adeang said the name Naoero had always been used by the country’s people and its restoration was about honouring the past rather than erasing it.
“Naoero is the name our people used among themselves.
“Today we restore Naoero. We do not make this choice to erase our past. We make it because we honour it,” Adeang said.
Adeang called on the international community to respect the name as part of Naoero’s identity and place in the international community.
“What I ask of the world costs nothing. Join us in recognising and respecting the identity that is already ours.
“Say our name. Naoero.”,” Adeang told the UNGA.
The name change was one of several issues Adeang raised in an address centred on sovereignty, equal treatment of small states, sustainable development, ocean governance and the vulnerabilities faced by small island nations.
He challenged the UN to deliver on its commitments to small states, saying trust in the multilateral system depended on whether it could respond to the realities of vulnerable countries.
“A multilateral system that cannot deliver for a state like mine does not deliver at all,” Adeang said.
Referring to the UNGA81 theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all”, Adeang said delivery must apply to countries regardless of their size or geographic distance.
“For my country, that means ensuring no nation, regardless of size or distance, is left behind as the world changes around us,” he said.
Adeang also renewed Naoero’s call for the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to complete regulations governing deep seabed mining.
He said Naoero had spent 15 years fulfilling its obligations as a sponsoring state and had invested resources in exploration and scientific data.
“We were told then that we were rushing. That was five years ago, and today the rules remain unwritten,” he said.
Adeang said Naoero’s position was based on scientific evidence, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS) and relevant legal opinions.
He warned that continued delays created uncertainty for states that had acted under the existing legal framework.
“A principle declared in 1970 and a bargain struck in 1994, both in this hall, still wait for the rules that would give them effect.
“When a multilateral process cannot deliver, the world does not stand still. Those with the means to act will not wait,” he said.
Adeang called on the International Seabed Authority to complete the regulations.
“Adopt the rules. Let the waiting end,” he said.
On economic development, Adeang said Naoero’s progress should not be measured by income alone, arguing that conventional economic indicators failed to fully capture the structural vulnerabilities of small island states.
He said Naoero had invested in fisheries, seabed resources, new revenue streams, financial regulation, health, education and sport to build a more diversified economy.
But he said geographic isolation and a limited economic base continued to impose significant constraints, including dependence on imported food and limited infrastructure.
“That is why we strongly support the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, or MVI, and the United Nations efforts to pilot the tool,” Adeang said.
He called for vulnerability assessments to play a greater role in determining access to development finance.
Adeang welcomed moves by institutions including the Asian Development Bank to consider vulnerability alongside income, while urging other institutions, including the World Bank, to adopt a similar approach.
“If the international community is truly serious about restoring trust and managing transformation, it must demonstrate that commitment where it matters most — with those who are most vulnerable,” he said.
Adeang also said Naoero would continue working with international partners while maintaining its sovereignty and right to make its own decisions.
“Naoero will not be made to choose. We will work with every partner who respects our sovereignty and our right to decide our own future.
“That is not neutrality. It is called independence,” he said.
He reaffirmed Naoero’s support for Cuba’s call for an end to the United States embargo and backed reform of the UN Security Council.
Adeang said the Security Council no longer reflected the international system created since 1945 and supported expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership categories.
“The Security Council does not reflect the world as it is. It reflects the world as it was in 1945, when most of the countries in this hall did not yet exist as sovereign states
“A body that speaks for all of us should look like all of us.,” he said.
Adeang said the issues raised in his address were linked by the principle that every people had the right to be treated as an equal and to speak for itself.
“Our name is about sovereignty. How we are measured is about justice. The deep seabed is about opportunity and responsibility. Our partnerships are about standing as equals,” he said.
He challenged the United Nations to match its commitments with action.
“Trust is restored when promises are kept. Transformation is managed when decisions lead to action.
“And we deliver for all only when you deliver for the small.”
“I am challenging you to be as good as your word. Say our name. Let the waiting end. Let vulnerability be measured honestly and treat us as partners,” Adeang said…..PACNEWS
FIJI – IMMUNITY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Fiji PM Rabuka stops short of backing immunity repeal
SUVA, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—-Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stopped short of backing the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) call to remove the immunity clause from the 2013 Constitution.
Rabuka said the Supreme Court had already ruled on the matter and Government must respect that decision.
Speaking to this masthead after tabling the CRC report in Parliament, Rabuka was asked whether now was the time to end Fiji’s “coup culture” by removing immunity.
“Well, the Supreme Court has ruled on the position of the immunity in the constitution and we’ll have to respect that,” the Prime Minister said.
The Supreme Court’s August 2025 opinion validated the 2013 Constitution but preserved the immunity chapter as “unamendable”, citing stability.
The CRC report recommends removing Chapter 10, the immunity clause, which grants “absolute and unconditional immunity” for the 1987 and 2006 coups and carries over immunity from the 1990 and 1997 Constitutions.
The commission put forward three options:
* Repeal Chapter 10 outright;
*Ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its position; or
*If both fail, retain Chapter 10 but require immunity beneficiaries to swear an Oath of Reconciliation and Allegiance renouncing past actions.
Rabuka stressed that the CRC’s recommendation and the actual draft constitution were two different things.
“That’s not the draft, that is the recommendation from the CRC,” he said, adding that a Cabinet sub-committee had spent two weeks reviewing proposed changes before they go to Parliament.
He also confirmed that Government had the numbers for the required two-thirds majority to pass constitutional amendments.
Rabuka has previously said the clause does not protect him, declaring himself “free”…..PACNEWS
PAC – DEFENCE MEET: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Pacific Response Group key to stronger regional cooperation: RFMF Commander
NADI, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Pacific nations have endorsed closer defence cooperation through the Pacific Response Group (PRG), strengthening the region’s ability to respond collectively to natural disasters and transnational security threats.
The initiative was among the key outcomes discussed at the 2026 South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPADMM) in Denarau, Nadi.
Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai said the PRG was becoming an increasingly important platform for regional defence collaboration.
“One of the key issues that have been discussed here is the Pacific Response Group,” Ro Jone said.
He said the group strengthened defence ties among Pacific partners and improved their ability to work together during major crises.
“The PRG is important for the RFMF in terms of our defence relationship with the rest of our defence partners. It allows us to work together with them.”
Ro Jone said the partnership had played a critical role in building regional capacity for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, while also addressing other transnational challenges facing Pacific countries.
The SPADMM forum endorsed the continued development of the PRG, with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat also participating in discussions, a move expected to expand the group’s regional reach and coordination.
The PRG currently comprises Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia and France.
While Fiji maintained its own response capabilities, Ro Jone said regional cooperation was essential when dealing with large-scale emergencies and complex security issues.
“We can’t do a lot of things, but with them, we can do a lot together,” he said.
His comments highlight a growing recognition among Pacific nations that collective action is crucial as the region faces increasingly frequent natural disasters and evolving transnational threats.
Discussions on the future role of the PRG are expected to continue as Pacific countries work towards stronger preparedness, faster disaster response and greater regional security cooperation.
The SPADMM concludes today…..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS/PIFS PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Pacific pushes urgent climate finance action at UN
NEW YORK, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa has called for urgent action to close the widening gap between climate finance available to vulnerable countries and the scale of funding needed to build resilience.
Speaking at the UN Climate Summit 2026 Solutions Dialogue on Climate Finance during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Waqa highlighted the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) as the region’s mechanism to direct investment into locally led climate and disaster resilience.
Waqa said the PRF, with a long-term capitalisation target of US$1.5 billion to support a 1.5°C world, had moved beyond being an ambition and should now be treated as an urgent investment priority.
The Pacific’s call comes as the 41st Meeting of the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance (SCF41) gets underway in Sydney, Australia, bringing together climate finance experts and negotiators ahead of COP31.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Selwyn Hart also highlighted the growing global climate financing gap, reinforcing calls for innovative and accessible financing solutions for vulnerable countries and communities.
Waqa said the PRF would help ensure climate and disaster finance reaches communities where it is most needed.
Through the Belau Declaration for Urgent and Inclusive Climate Action to Keep 1.5°C Within Reach, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders reaffirmed the PRF as the Pacific’s pre-eminent climate investment priority.
The SCF41 discussions this week will focus on finalising the Technical Report on the Seventh Biennial Assessment and Overview of Climate Finance Flows.
For Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the discussions are important as implementation of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance begins.
The Pacific is calling for climate finance that is more accessible, predictable and responsive to the specific circumstances of vulnerable island states.
Key Pacific priorities include operationalising recognition of the special circumstances of SIDS, protecting grant-based finance for adaptation, scaling up programmatic approaches and strengthening regional institutions responsible for delivering climate finance across the Blue Pacific.
The Pacific says the success of climate finance should not be measured only by the volume of funding mobilised globally, but by whether it reaches countries and communities at the scale, speed and quality required to build resilience and protect development gains.
Pacific priorities continue to be represented on the 12-member UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance through Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) representation, helping ensure the concerns of SIDS are reflected in global climate finance discussions…..PACNEWS
PNG – HUMAN TRAFFIICKING: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Thu 24 Sep 2026
PNG Police rescue 39 Indonesians from human trafficking
PORT MORESBY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—Papua New Guinea Police commissioner David Manning says police have disrupted an alleged international human trafficking operation in Port Moresby, with four Chinese nationals detained as police prepare a range of serious charges.
Acting on intelligence developed by the Police Transnational Crime Directorate, police executed search warrants at a downtown Port Moresby residence and located 39 Indonesians – five women and 34 men – confined inside a three-bedroom property.
It is alleged that the 39 individuals were approached through social media with false offers of employment, and subsequently held against their will as part of an alleged complex people-smuggling enterprise.
Manning condemned the criminal enterprise which sought to profit from the exploitation of vulnerable people.
“There will be no leniency for those who traffic and exploit people.
“RPNGC Investigators are committed to ensuring that every offender identified through this investigation is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and we will seek penalties that reflect the seriousness of these crimes,” Manning said.
“Investigators are tracing the movements and connections of the alleged traffickers, including members of the network operating within Papua New Guinea and overseas.
“We expect this work to lead to further arrests.”
Manning said the safety, welfare and dignity of the victims remained the immediate priority, with the Government working closely with the Embassy of Indonesia.
“Consular support has been provided to all 39 victims. Government agencies, including health professionals and the Department of Foreign Affairs are also providing necessary assistance,” he said.
“It is deeply disturbing that such alleged crimes could occur in our country.
“At the same time, we commend the professional RPNGC investigators that located these victims and brought them to safety.
“Papua New Guinea is founded on Christian values, respect for the law and, above all, respect for the dignity of every person,” he said……PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – DEEP SEA MINING: ABC PACIFIC PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 23 Sep 2026
American Samoa Governor opposes U.S plans for commercial deep-sea mining
PAGOPAGO, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ABC PACIFIC)—Opponents against concerted efforts by the U.S Government to conduct deep sea mining in the Pacific ocean have welcomed a statement by American Samoa Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula, opposing any commercial extraction of minerals in the territory’s waters.
Governor Pula says a proposed deep-sea mining lease which covers more than 31 million acres of ocean floor should focus only on scientific and environmental research.
The decision however still rests with the U.S Government.
Dr Elora Raymond, an American Samoan academic says the lease leaves the territory open for devastating exploitation.
“This is a commercial mining lease,” she said.
“We should not view it as an opportunity for more research, but really treat it as something that could open the door to decades of mining right off the coast of American Samoa,” said Pula….PACNEWS
B/VILLE – MINING: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 24 Sep 2026
Lloyds ‘committed’ to Panguna and Bougainville
BUKA, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL)—Developer, Lloyds Panguna Metals and Energy Limited (LPMEL), says its operational plans remained unchanged as it is committed to Bougainville’s economic development.
LPMEL chairman and managing director Balasubramanian Prabhakaran was responding to the attack on its Panguna plant camp where 27 machines were burnt and a worker killed.
Prabhakaran said the company would continue to invest in the Panguna mine redevelopment project and social commitments.
He said the company was an iron-ore producer and authorised to work toward restarting the copper mine that had been closed for almost 40 years.
Panguna’s remaining reserves are estimated at 5.3 million tonnes of copper and 19.3 million ounces of gold – worth about AUD$160 billion (K488 billion) at current prices.
The mine was closed in 1989 under the ownership of Rio Tinto Group because of protests over the environmental damage and revenue distribution.
It degenerated into a civil conflict that lasted over a decade, and Rio Tinto gave away its majority interest in the firm which then held the licence.
Prabhakaran said Lloyds planned to revalidate the resource base to revive economic development in Bougainville
He said: “For now, LPMEL’s underlying priority is ‘people first’ and, under in its social plan, has invested a substantial fund into its corporate social responsibility projects.
“The project is part of a global dash for copper as the trend toward electrification is expected to boost demand for the wiring metal in the years ahead.”
Lloyds is still unloading shipments of machinery and construction materials at the Loloho wharf in Central Bougainville which arrived in August.
According to Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama, the company was authorised on 07 August to carry out ‘preparatory works and feasibility activities” to “properly assess and plan the future redevelopment of the Panguna mine. …. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
When a country goes underwater: Island States fight for their future
NEW YORK, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —Rising sea levels and ever-more-powerful storms are eroding shorelines, submerging land and threatening to evict millions of people from their homes worldwide.
Yet, for the people of some low-lying small island States, what is at stake is more than just their houses. Their countries face the possibility of substantial losses of land territory and even complete submergence, which could render them uninhabitable.
Where will they go? What will happen to their nationalities? Their culture?
Global mean sea level is rising and accelerating. By 2100, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation estimates that seas will have risen by at least 0.5 metres – while the most pessimistic predictions estimate a full two metres increase.
For small low-lying nations in the Pacific Ocean like Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, which lie only around two metres above the sea, this growing reality poses a very tangible threat.
Yet, despite the prospect of losing their homes, people from these States are determined not to lose their nationality, culture, cultural heritage or identity.
Preserving sovereignty
States have recognised that preserving statehood and sovereignty is essential to prevent loss of nationality and statelessness and to safeguard the right of people to self-determination.
For a State to be considered a subject of international law, the elements normally considered necessary are:
*Defined territory
* Permanent population
*A government
*Capacity to enter into relations with other States
However, relevant legal instruments do not address the question of the continuity of statehood in the context of sea-level rise even as nations have expressed strong support in that regard.
This principle has been affirmed in several declarations of the Pacific Islands Forum and the Alliance of Small Island States.
Resource-rich maritime zones
Another issue of concern is the continuity of States’ maritime zones.
Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), maritime zones are measured from “baselines”, which are generally drawn around the coast at the low-water line.
If baselines were to shift as waters rise, the maritime entitlements of a State could change if coastlines move landward.
This in turn would mean losing such entitlements as rights over fisheries and other resource and conservation and management measures.
States have already called for baselines and the outer limits of maritime zones established in accordance with UNCLOS as well as settled maritime boundaries to be maintained regardless of physical changes caused by sea level rise.
This would support legal stability, certainty and predictability.
“We are not going to change the map for a crisis we did not cause,” stressed the President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands at the 2024 UN high-level meeting on sea level rise. Indeed, the States most affected by sea level rise are those that contributed least to the emissions that cause it.
“The answer cannot be that our borders will be ambiguous or open for international plunder of our resources,” she said.
What is the UN saying?
The United Nations provides a forum for all States and other relevant stakeholders to discuss this important issue and to identify solutions.
The upcoming high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on sea level rise is an example of this action.
In relation to international law, the International Law Commission, an expert body established by the General Assembly, and the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, examined the issue of sea level rise and provided important clarifications.
They both identified strong support among States for the continuation of statehood.
They also concluded that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not require States to update their baselines or outer limits of maritime zones once they have been established in conformity with the Convention.
Tuvalu’s trailblazing “digital nation”
Tuvalu, an archipelagic country in the west-central Pacific Ocean, is spending millions of dollars on a coastal adaptation project to elevate vulnerable land and reduce coastal erosion, in an effort to protect its territory for as long as possible.
At the same time, it has been particularly proactive in elaborating how to concretely preserve its geography, administration and culture in the face of loss of territory or habitability due to sea level rise.
In 2022, it announced plans to become the world’s first “digital nation.”
The initiative aims to move all governmental functions into a digital space, which would allow the government to continue holding elections and referendums, as well as registering births, deaths and marriages.
It is exploring a digital ID system that could allow members of a future Tuvaluan diaspora to remain connected to each other and participate in public life from abroad.
The country is also recreating its territory digitally through a three-dimensional scan of all its islands – a new kind of “defined territory”.
Finally, the project is digitally archiving the country’s history and culture, including traditional songs, historical documents, recorded cultural practices, and stories, thereby protecting and preserving important cultural heritage and identity for future generations.
Where will people go?
International cooperation is essential to address the needs of communities facing difficult decisions about relocation due to sea level rise.
The International Law Commission identified practical tools to address the protection of people affected by sea level rise, such as climate mobility agreements, humanitarian visas and measures to prevent the loss of nationality and statelessness, with human dignity as a guiding principle.
In a world first, in 2023, Tuvalu and Australia concluded a treaty – the Falepili Union Treaty – through which Australia recognised the continuing statehood of Tuvalu notwithstanding sea level rise and created a special visa pathway for citizens of Tuvalu to move to Australia to live, work and study.
Last year, 90 per cent of Tuvalu’s population applied for the first round of the ballot for 280 visas….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
“1.5°C remains the anchor. Urgency and agency need to travel together” – Fifth Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference closes with key message
HONIARA, 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)— Four days of science, community knowledge, policy dialogue and cross-sectoral exchange at the Fifth Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference (5POPCCC) culminated in a Talanoa on ten proposed conference takeaways, with participants calling for the outcomes to carry Pacific evidence, priorities and agency into regional and global climate processes.
Held in Honiara from 14–18 September under the theme “Amplifying One Pacific Voice for Action on 1.5°C to Stay Alive”, the Pacific-owned and Pacific-led conference brought together researchers, governments, regional organisations, communities, development partners, students, civil society and practitioners from across disciplines.
Presenting the proposed conclusions, 5POPCCC Committee Chair Dr Vaeno Wayne Vigulu emphasised that the ten takeaways were being put to participants for discussion rather than presented as a final conference statement.
“We now have a chart for our voyage ahead,” said Dr Vigulu.
“In the spirit of Pacific partnership, we have worked together to forge ten priorities that will navigate us on this journey. We selected these after presenting them to the conference for discussion. Together, we identified what needed to be corrected, what was missing, which messages should go forward and who will carry them next.”
The resulting priorities focus on Pacific agency and leadership; keeping 1.5°C alive; the depth of adaptation practice and scientific evidence already present in the region; responsible integration of Indigenous, traditional and scientific knowledge; the connections between oceans, health, food, communities and other systems; meaningful community authority; climate finance suited to Pacific realities; sustained investment in Pacific institutions and careers; stronger pathways for Pacific evidence into global decision-making; and the opportunity created by the level of agreement already present across the conference.
Across these themes, a consistent message emerged: the Pacific is already generating knowledge, testing solutions and practising adaptation. The region should not be defined through vulnerability alone. The conference showcased sophisticated scientific research alongside community-led approaches, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, locally developed tools and practical examples of resilience across sectors.
“From this conference we know where we can work together to strengthen key areas. Community engagement needs to translate into meaningful influence over decisions, and Pacific researchers, practitioners and knowledge holders need sustained career pathways, mentoring and institutional support,” said Tagaloa Cooper, Director of Climate Change Resilience at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
“The evidence generated across the region needs stronger pathways into policy, investment and international climate processes. We look forward to working together to make sure this happens.”
A central conclusion was that Pacific knowledge and evidence must be able to travel into the systems where decisions are made. Community experience needs pathways into national evidence; applied research needs to become visible and citable; and Pacific evidence needs to shape professional standards, indicators, investment pipelines, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and United Nations climate negotiations.
An earlier message from Solomon Islands Prime Minister Hon. Matthew Wale, highlighted again during the presentation of outcomes, captured this pathway:
“To the scientists and academics here, I say: produce knowledge that can travel beyond the journals and conference halls. To policymakers, I say: create pathways through which evidence changes laws, budgets and public investment.”
The newly launched Pacific Climate Change Journal provides one practical pathway for this work, supporting Pacific research and applied evidence to become peer-reviewed, visible and accessible to governments, communities and the international scientific community.
“Perhaps the most encouraging conclusion was the level of agreement already present in the room,” saidCooper.
“Political leaders, scientists, governments, communities, regional organisations, development partners and practitioners approached climate change from different perspectives but repeatedly converged around a shared direction: keep 1.5°C alive, strengthen Pacific leadership, build and protect the evidence base, give communities meaningful authority, improve access to finance and turn knowledge into implementation.”
The challenge after Honiara is now to carry that agency and alignment forward, translating the evidence, relationships and momentum built during 5POPCCC into measurable impact across Pacific communities and greater influence globally.
As Dr Vigulu challenged participants: “Our target must be action. What legacy are we going to leave for the generations that will come after us?”
The 6th POPCCC will be held in 2028, with Tonga National University and the National University of Vanuatu both committed to hosting.
The Fifth Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference was hosted in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The Fifth POPCCC is jointly organised by Solomon Islands National University, the Pacific Climate Change Centre of SPREP, the Solomon Islands Government’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and the National University of Samoa, continuing a lineage of Pacific-led gatherings held in Wellington in 2016 and 2018, online in 2020 and in Apia in 2024…..PACNEWS
