In this bulletin:
1. FIJI — SODELPA opposition puts Fiji constitutional bill at risk as PM Rabuka warns Coalition could collapse
2. PACIFIC — Test of regionalism’: Pacific church group calls for review of Israel’s PIF role
3. FIJI — SODELPA appoints new deputy leader, challenges PAP over constitutional reform
4. PACIFIC — NGOs demand Israel’s Pacific Island Forum partnership be suspended
5. PACIFIC — Ma’ohi Church opposes US bid to abolish UN decolonisation committee
6. JAPAN — Japan, Micronesia step up cooperation on shipping and Pacific resilience
7. JAPAN — Japan pledges continued support for Solomon Islands development priorities
8. PACNEWS BIZ — ADB approves $5.6 million to Federated States of Micronesia to ease fuel price shock
9. PACNEWS DIGEST — Science a backbone of reversing and conserving the loss of our biodiversity
10. PACNEWS DIGEST — Professional money-laundering networks: Following the money to disrupt synthetic drug trafficking
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — The Pacific and HIV: A Chance to Turn the Tide
FIJI – POLITICS/CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
SODELPA opposition puts Fiji constitutional bill at risk as PM Rabuka warns Coalition could collapse
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES) —Fiji’s proposed constitutional amendments face mounting opposition, with coalition partner SODELPA refusing to support the Bill’s third reading, former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum calling for the process to be halted, and questions emerging over the parliamentary majority required for passage.
The developments put pressure on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s Coalition Government as it seeks to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, known as Bill 32.
Rabuka warned that failure to secure the required votes could end the proposed referendum and lead to the Coalition’s dissolution, with the general election proceeding as planned.
“It could mean the failure of the Bill, and everything stops but the election goes ahead.
“So, there will be no referendum if we don’t have the majority and we just dismantle the Coalition.
“Each political party will have to run on its own. There is no pre-election coalition,” Rabuka said in an interview in Savusavu.
SODELPA confirmed its position after discussions at its Special Annual General Meeting over the weekend, where 221 of the 296 members in attendance voted in favour of a motion opposing the Bill’s third reading in its current form.
The National Federation Party (NFP) has also presented 18 proposed constitutional principles, adding to the challenge facing the Government as it attempts to secure agreement among its Coalition partners.
Meanwhile, former attorney-general Sayed-Khaiyum has called on Rabuka to stop the Bill and allow more time for public scrutiny and examination of its provisions.
Speaking at a public consultation in Labasa, he said the proposed amendments were complex and required detailed cross-referencing.
“Prime Minister, I would please urge you, you still have the power and the capacity to stop this amendment bill,” he said.
“You don’t do the third reading. I think the overwhelming majority of the people are saying we need more time.”
Sayed-Khaiyum questioned the urgency of passing the amendments, noting that their proposed commencement date was 31 March 2028.
“It’s a very complex document. It needs a lot of cross-referencing,” he said.
“It’s very, very wrong in many of its provisions. It goes against the Constitution.”
He urged Rabuka to hold the next general election before proceeding with constitutional changes, saying a fresh electoral mandate would allow the Government to move forward with the proposed reforms.
“Have the elections. You’ll be given the mandate, and you can go forth from there,” he said.
Sayed-Khaiyum also raised concerns about proposed changes to the parliamentary term and the allocation of special seats to five maritime areas, questioning why those areas should receive special treatment compared with other parts of Fiji.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue (CDD) says the Bill requires at least 36 affirmative votes to pass both its second and third readings in Parliament.
The CDD said the Supreme Court’s opinion of 29 August 2025 required support from at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament at both readings.
With Parliament comprising 53 members, the organisation said 35 votes would fall short of the constitutional threshold, while 36 would meet it.
It argued that 35 votes represent 66.04 per cent of Parliament, below the required two-thirds majority, while 36 votes represent 67.92 per cent.
The CDD said the Supreme Court’s use of the words “at least” meant the threshold could not be rounded down to 35 votes.
The Government now faces the task of addressing concerns over the Bill’s provisions and securing sufficient parliamentary support before the final reading…..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY/CHURCH: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Test of regionalism’: Pacific church group calls for review of Israel’s PIF role
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2206 (RNZ PACIFIC)—-The region’s premier ecumenical organisation is calling for Israel’s new partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to be reviewed.
The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), which represents Christian churches and national councils across 18 countries and territories in the region, also wants all engagement with Israel suspended until it complies with international court rulings and United Nations resolutions.
It comes after Israel announced last week it had been accepted by Pacific leaders as a second-tier PIF partner.
PCC’s general secretary Reverend James Bhagwan told Pacific Waves that the announcement came as a surprise, particularly as PIF had not issued a statement on the partnership.
He said Pacific leaders should review the arrangement and ensure local communities are consulted before decisions are made on their behalf.
Last Thursday, Fijian deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka said the “entire Pacific Islands identify with Israel” and their relationship with the country was “biblical, ageless and real”.
Bhagwan told Pacific Waves that the region needed to apply consistent standards to its international relationships.
“We cannot invoke the [International Court of Justice] for our islands and ignore the fact that the ICJ, in 2024, stated that Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian territory as soon as possible,” he said.
Bhagwan said the Pacific’s own history of colonisation, nuclear testing and environmental destruction should inform how it engages with other countries.
“This is the test of regionalism and our commitment for our sisters and brothers in the Pacific,” he said.
“We cannot talk about the suffering of one community only without ignoring what others are going through. That’s not the Pacific way at all.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said criticising Israel’s inclusion in PIF is an insult to Pacific Island countries, adding that the decision by the Pacific leaders should be respected.
As a PIF partner, Israel will support Pacific development priorities in areas such as water management, desalination, agriculture and climate change adaptation.
Bhagwan stressed that the PCC’s concerns were not directed at Jewish people, nor at communities’ needs for water, food security and climate adaptation.
He said the PCC rejects anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, adding that the organisation mourns the loss of civilian lives on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Bhagwan is urging the PIF Troika, which comprises Solomon Islands, Palau and New Zealand, to consider PCC’s concerns as the partnership arrangements are developed.
He also wants regional leaders to continue advocating for the right to self-determination of the six Pacific territories on the United Nations list which are yet to achieve self-government.
He said the same principles should apply to all countries the region partners with, including Indonesia, which he wants pressed to allow a visit to West Papua by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights…..PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
SODELPA appoints new deputy leader, challenges PAP over constitutional reform
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Fiji’s Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) has appointed former Fiji Crop and Livestock Council chief executive Jiu Daunivalu as its Deputy Party Leader while intensifying its opposition to the Government’s proposed constitutional reforms.
Party leader Aseri Radrodro announced Daunivalu’s appointment, saying her experience in public administration, policy reform and executive management would strengthen the party’s leadership ahead of the next general election.
The appointment was ratified by the SODELPA Management Board following an application review and panel interview, according to Radrodro’s statement.
Daunivalu recently resigned as chief executive of the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council to contest the upcoming general election.
She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management from the University of the South Pacific. She previously worked as a senior civil servant specialising in national policy reforms, public administration and institutional strengthening, and served on government and private sector boards.
Radrodro said her appointment reflected the party’s commitment to professional governance, internal democracy and women’s leadership.
Daunivalu said she was honoured to take on the role and would work with the party leadership and grassroots members to strengthen SODELPA and develop solutions for the country.
Her appointment comes as SODELPA faces renewed political tensions with the People’s Alliance Party (PAP) over the proposed Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, known as Bill 32.
In a separate statement, SODELPA rejected criticism from People’s Alliance Party (PAP) general secretary Sila Balawa over its position on the proposed reforms, saying it would not support the bill in its current form.
The party said its objections centred on provisions relating to indigenous institutions, mineral ownership, immunity and the possibility of extending Parliament’s term during a national crisis.
SODELPA argued that Sections 200, 201 and 202 of Bill 32 would allow Cabinet to declare a state of emergency and extend Parliament’s term by up to 12 months under a national crisis.
It also opposed Clause 47, which provides for State ownership of minerals, oil and gas while allowing landowners a share of royalties.
The party said the proposed provisions did not adequately protect indigenous resource rights and called for stronger constitutional safeguards for the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (BLV), the Great Council of Chiefs.
SODELPA also criticised Chapter 14’s immunity provisions, arguing that retaining them would protect former leaders Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum from accountability.
The party accused PAP of prioritising political manoeuvring over pressing national concerns, including illicit drugs, rising HIV infections, unemployment and the cost of living.
It also disputed PAP’s justification for bringing 11 former FijiFirst MPs into its ranks, claiming the move was a political choice that weakened SODELPA’s influence within the coalition government.
SODELPA said it remained committed to replacing the 2013 Constitution but would not support a new document that compromised indigenous land and mineral rights, traditional leadership or democratic accountability.
“Having the numbers to pass a law does not make that law right,” the party said.
The party maintained that genuine constitutional reform required wider consultation and consensus rather than a Cabinet-drafted proposal pushed through Parliament….PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
NGOs demand Israel’s Pacific Island Forum partnership be suspended
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Twenty-two Pacific civil society organisations are calling on Pacific Islands Forum leaders to suspend Israel’s newly approved Forum partnership and urging Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Nauru to relocate their embassies from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.
The organisations, including the Pacific Conference of Churches, Oxfam in the Pacific and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, say Pacific leaders must apply international law consistently when defending sovereignty and self-determination.
“We cannot invoke the Court for our islands and ignore it for Palestine,” the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGO) Alliance said on Friday.
The alliance was referring to the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion, which found Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.
Its call follows an announcement by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa had informed him of leaders’ approval of Israel as a Forum Partner during their meeting in Palau.
The partnership would allow Israel to work with Pacific countries on water, desalination, agriculture and climate change.
The alliance acknowledged the Pacific’s need for assistance with water security, food production and climate resilience.
However, it opposed welcoming Israel “without condition” while raising concerns about compliance with international law.
The organisations also questioned the transparency of the partnership decision.
They said the Forum Secretariat had not publicly explained the decision despite already hosting an Israeli development cooperation talanoa.
The alliance called on the Secretariat to publish the basis for Israel’s admission as a Forum Partner.
It urged Pacific leaders to suspend engagements until Israel complies with the International Court of Justice’s ruling and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The coalition also called on Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Nauru to move their embassies from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.
Samoa was urged to reconsider its plan to establish an embassy in Jerusalem.
Fiji opened its embassy in Jerusalem in September 2025, while Israel opened an embassy in Suva this year.
The alliance argued that the Pacific’s commitment to international law and self-determination must extend beyond the region.
It said the Ocean of Peace declaration adopted by Pacific leaders in 2025 should reflect security “founded on justice, sovereignty, self-determination”.
The organisations also called on Pacific leaders to press Indonesia to allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua.
The demands place the Forum’s new relationship with Israel under scrutiny as Pacific civil society groups seek greater transparency and consistency in regional diplomacy…..PACNEWS
PAC – CHURCH/DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Ma’ohi Church opposes US bid to abolish UN decolonisation committee
PAPE’ETE, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— The Ma’ohi Protestant Church has warned that a United States proposal to abolish the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation would silence colonised peoples seeking self-determination.
In a statement, the church said it supported the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) in opposing the proposal raised by the United States before the UN Fourth Committee on 15 October.
The church said abolishing the Special Committee on Decolonization, also known as the C-24, would remove a key forum for colonised peoples to raise their concerns.
“To close the one forum where colonised peoples are heard would not end colonialism. It would end only the hearing,” said church president Reverend François Pihataae, who signed the statement.
Pihataae called on all UN member states, particularly Pacific countries, to support the continuation of the C-24’s mandate and the work of the Fourth Committee.
He said the right of the Ma’ohi people of French Polynesia to determine their own future remained central to the church’s position.
“Their right to decide their own future is no favour granted by the powerful. It belongs to them because every human being bears the image of God, and no authority on earth may take it away,” he said.
The church said it had supported the re-inscription of French Polynesia, known as Ma’ohi Nui, on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories in 2012, alongside the PCC.
Since 2018, it has also advocated for the Ma’ohi people before the C-24 and the Fourth Committee in New York, and before the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva in October 2024.
The church said electoral contests and political disputes had not changed its position on the right to self-determination.
It urged countries to approach decolonisation through justice rather than abandon the process, warning that abolishing the committee could leave colonised peoples without a forum to be heard.
“We pray that the nations will be guided by justice rather than by weariness, and that no people will be sent away unheard,” Pihataae said……PACNEWS
JAPAN – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Japan, Micronesia step up cooperation on shipping and Pacific resilience
TOKYO, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Japan and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have agreed to strengthen cooperation on maritime transport, climate change and regional security, as the two countries mark 40 years of FSM independence.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and FSM President Wesley W. Simina reaffirmed their commitment to closer bilateral ties during a summit meeting in Tokyo on 23 October.
Takaichi said Japan would continue supporting Micronesia’s ability to make its own decisions and strengthen its resilience, under Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy.
She confirmed Japan had decided to conduct a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) survey on the possible provision of a cargo-passenger ship for FSM.
Takaichi said the two countries should work together to become “more resilient and prosperous”.
Simina thanked the Japanese Government and people for their support across a range of sectors and expressed his commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations. He also welcomed Japan’s updated FOIP policy and its initiatives.
The leaders exchanged views on regional developments and international cooperation, agreeing on the importance of maintaining and strengthening the unity and integrity of the Pacific Islands region.
They also committed to working closely towards the success of the 11th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM11), scheduled for Yokohama next summer. The meeting will mark 30 years since the establishment of the PALM process.
The summit followed Simina’s meeting on 22 October with members of the FSM-Japan Parliamentary Friendship League, led by its chairman, Keiji Furuya.
Discussions covered climate change, renewable energy, information and communications technology, healthcare and education.
The meeting also highlighted Japan-supported solar energy initiatives and efforts to improve digital connectivity through submarine cable projects involving Google.
Simina acknowledged the parliamentary friendship league’s role in sustaining dialogue and promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
The discussions also revisited PALM10, held in Tokyo in 2024, and wider cooperation between Japan and Pacific Island countries on shared development challenges.
Japan and FSM have maintained diplomatic relations since FSM became independent in 1986. Their latest discussions come as Pacific countries seek stronger partnerships to address climate risks, improve connectivity and build economic resilience…. PACNEWS
JAPAN – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Japan pledges continued support for Solomon Islands development priorities
TOKYO, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Solomon Islands’ development priorities and strengthening the country’s resilience during talks between senior officials in Tokyo.
Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iwao Horii, met Solomon Islands Minister of National Planning and Development Coordination Peter Kenilorea Junior on 22 October to discuss bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
Horii said Japan would continue supporting the policy priorities of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale and efforts to strengthen the country’s resilience and its ability to determine its own future.
He referred to the outcomes of the Japan-Solomon Islands summit meeting held in July and reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to working with Honiara on its development priorities.
Kenilorea thanked Japan for its continued support.
The two officials also discussed regional affairs in the Indo-Pacific, agreeing on the importance of maintaining and strengthening unity among Pacific Island countries.
They further agreed to continue working together towards the successful hosting of the 11th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM11), scheduled to take place in Yokohama, Japan, next summer.
The meeting followed earlier discussions between Horii and Kenilorea in Palau in August, reflecting continued engagement between Japan and the Solomon Islands on bilateral and regional issues….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – DIPLOMACY: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 26 Oct 2026
ADB approves $5.6 million to Federated States of Micronesia to ease fuel price shock
MANILA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (ADB)—The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$5.6 million grant to help the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) contain fuel costs driven up by the Middle East conflict and keep essential public services running across the Pacific Island nation.
“In the outer islands, the price of fuel can determine whether a boat sails and medicine arrives,” said ADB President Masato Kanda.
“Those vital connections must not be cut by a conflict far beyond their shores. We are helping the Federated States of Micronesia protect its communities while it works to reduce its dependence on imported fuel.”
The grant will help finance the government’s US$20 million Crisis Response Plan, including a US$15 million Fuel Stabilisation Fund to cushion sharp increases in fuel prices. The plan will also help maintain essential services and provide temporary financial assistance to vulnerable households, while strengthening the country’s ability to withstand future economic shocks.
The Federated States of Micronesia imports all its petroleum. The state-owned FSM Petroleum Corporation reports that its daily fuel costs have surged by 76 percent, rapidly depleting reserves used to stabilise prices. Those reserves were expected to run out by the end of October.
The effects are already being felt. Electricity tariffs have risen across the country, by more than 32 percent in Kosrae, while higher transport costs have forced health authorities to reduce visits to outer islands, disrupting medical supply deliveries and immunisation services. Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck in April, has compounded the pressure on the country’s economy and essential infrastructure.
The programme aims to help at least 29,000 people in poor and vulnerable households maintain access to essential goods and services. The government will update its national social registry to identify households most in need and deliver temporary cash assistance, particularly in remote communities where transport and living costs are highest.
The grant is financed by the Asian Development Fund through ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility. It will cover 28 percent of the government’s projected US$20 million financing gap for its crisis response, reducing the need for additional borrowing and protecting funds for essential services.
The assistance complements US$44.4 million in ADB-supported projects in renewable energy and more resilient energy and water systems. These ongoing projects will help the Federated States of Micronesia reduce its reliance on imported diesel and advance its goal of generating 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
ADB’s multi-donor-financed Asian Development Fund supports countries most in need to meet today’s challenges while building the foundations for lasting growth……PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Science a backbone of reversing and conserving the loss of our biodiversity
YEREVAN, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)—The role science plays as the world strives to reverse and halt the global loss of biodiversity is central.
Working regionally to meet the global targets for the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) together with its Members and partners work through the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Mechanism to achieve Target 20 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
In September 2026, the State Of Environment and Conservation in the Pacific Islands 2025 Regional Report Second Edition was released. The assessment was aligned to the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and the current regional framework for Nature Conservation. It exists so Pacific decisions can rest on evidence.
“What is measured, can be managed. We cannot deny the crucial role science plays – it drives informed decision making when it comes to conserving our biodiversity,” said Ambassador Amena Yauvoli, Director of Biodiversity Conservation of SPREP.
“Understanding the significance of this, SPREP is one of 15 Regional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Centres to help bridge gaps in sharing of knowledge and approaches as we all work together to reverse and halt the loss of global biodiversity.”
Science actively protects and restores global biodiversity through targeted research, technology, and behavioural strategies. This was further recognised through Target 20 of the GBF which strengthens capacity-building, technology transfer, and scientific and technical cooperation for biodiversity,
To help progress this a Technical and Scientific Cooperation Mechanism was formed under the CBD consisting of a network of regional and sub-regional support centres to be coordinated by a global entity for which SPREP is one for the Asia Pacific, given its mandate across the Pacific.
“Being part of this global network was a smooth transition as this is work our organisation is already undertaking with our Members, we are now able to work with other centres across the world to learn from each other,” said Ambassador Yauvoli.
“The launch of the SOEC Second Edition is just one example of our range of work which is in line with the role of an RTSC. All we do, meet the goals of the RTSC”
This week in Yerevan, Armenia the Pacific Islands is coming together with over 180 governments for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Assessing progress of Target 20 of the GBF since it was endorsed in 2022 and negotiating a pathway forward for acceleration SPREP and the Pacific Members have also engaged in special events and sessions to strengthen its role as a Regional Technical Scientific Cooperation Centre.
“We see many opportunities for cooperation going forward as an RTSCC. We can match our Pacific needs with the right expertise in connecting country requests with technical partners and practical solutions to implement and mainstream Pacific-centred nature conservation,” said Monifa Fiu, the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Adviser of SPREP.
“We can also work towards strengthening access to finance, scale Pacific-led solutions and regional collective priorities by 2030 and support implementation and reporting. We look forward to working with our fellow centres to support the achievement of Target 20.”
The 15 RTSC Centres are based in Africa, Americas, Asia and Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia.
Their roles are to:
*enhance local, national, subregional, regional and international capacities in relation to science, technology and innovation by means of human resource and institutional capacity building and development.
*enable technology assessment and monitoring of appropriate technologies
*promote and facilitate the development, transfer and use of appropriate technologies, including indigenous and traditional technologies subject to free, prior and informed consent, according to national legislation
*promote and encourage joint research, cooperation and collaboration in the use of scientific advances and good practices in research
*promote the development, implementation and scaling-up of innovative solutions and
*facilitate access to and exchange of relevant technical and scientific data, information and knowledge.
The Seventeenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) is held in Yerevan, Armenia from 19 to 30 October 2026…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Professional money-laundering networks: Following the money to disrupt synthetic drug trafficking
BANGKOK, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (UNODC)—Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners gathered in Bangkok from 06 to 08 October for a three-day workshop focused on detecting, investigating, and disrupting professional money-laundering networks linked to synthetic drug trafficking and manufacturing.
The workshop highlighted the importance of following illicit financial flows to identify the networks that enable organised criminal groups to profit from synthetic drug trade.
Organised by UNODC, under the UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy’s initiative Financial Institutions Against Drugs and with the generous support of the Government of Canada, the workshop brought together 26 practitioners from various agencies, including Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Department of Business Development (DBD), Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), Ministry of Interior (MOI),
The Revenue Department (RD) and Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to strengthen their ability to detect Professional Money-Laundering Networks (PMLNs) and facilitators supporting criminal groups manufacturing and trafficking synthetic drugs.
Organised crime groups exploit legitimate financial institutions to launder proceeds from synthetic drug trafficking through a range of methods, including bulk cash smuggling, trade-based money laundering, virtual assets, shell companies and investments in property and businesses. They frequently rely on services of underground banking and professional money laundering networks.
To target financial dimension of synthetic drugs manufacturing and trafficking, the UNODC Synthetic Drug Strategy launched FIAD with the aim of fostering collaboration, building partnerships, strengthening capacities, and enhancing knowledge with the guidance and resources required to address the laundering of proceeds from synthetic drug manufacturing and trafficking.
“Money laundering-as-a-service”
PMLNs are established to facilitate money-laundering as a service and act as financial facilitators for diverse criminal activities, including the manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs, cyber-enabled financial crime and many others.
A single network can serve multiple criminals, effectively moving and laundering their finances. They are challenging to detect and investigate, but targeting and dismantling those has a strong and cascading effect on disruption of multiple criminal “clients”. Therefore, it should be one of the strategic pillars of the Member States’ response to organised crime and criminal finances. Understanding how these networks operate is essential to identifying the financial flows that connect to different criminal activities.
“By targeting the financial infrastructure behind synthetic drug trafficking, authorities can disrupt entire criminal business models, not just individual drug shipments or production sites. Following the money often reveals broader criminal networks, international connections, and opportunities for strategic disruption.” said Sabrina Lawton.
The workshop therefore focused on understanding what role PMLNs play at each stage of the synthetic drugs manufacturing and trafficking business model and how authorities can detect and disrupt those.
From detection to disruption
Over the three days of hands-on work, participants went through the process from initial detection through intelligence collection, use of special investigative techniques, international cooperation and prosecution, and asset recovery strategies. A variety of PMLNs modi operandi relevant for the region was explored.
The workshop also included practical scenario-based exercises, allowing participants to apply the concepts discussed during the sessions to simulated cases involving professional money-laundering networks linked to synthetic drug trafficking.
For participants, strengthening cooperation and information-sharing across agencies on such cases was a key expectation of the workshop. Sharing experiences, understanding financial flows and identifying potential actors and facilitators of money laundering were seen as important steps towards supporting future joint investigations and disrupting criminal networks.
“This workshop enhanced my understanding of how professional money-laundering networks and drug-trafficking syndicates exploit the interconnected nature of today’s world. It also highlighted the importance of inter-agency coordination and the effective use of existing tools and resources to counter these increasingly sophisticated networks “said Sirichan Atiwannapat, (Anti-Money Laundering Office) AMLO.
This first workshop marks the beginning of partnership between UNODC, governmental and private sector counterparts in Thailand on addressing professional money laundering networks that are facilitating the criminal financing of the illicit supply chain supporting clandestine manufacture, trafficking sales of synthetic drugs and related precursor chemicals. This work will continue at national, regional and global level, connecting the critical counterparts to efficiently disrupt criminal finance related to synthetic drugs….PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The Pacific and HIV: A Chance to Turn the Tide
The world has spent more than 40 years learning what works in the AIDS response. For the Pacific, with its long tradition of collective action in tackling shared challenges, those hard-won lessons could help prevent today’s growing HIV epidemics from becoming a much larger crisis.
Opinion by Beate Trankmann, Eamonn Murphy, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, Pio Smith and Delphine Schantz
MANILA/BANGKOK/SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (UNDP)—-The recent surge of international attention to Fiji’s HIV epidemic has carried uncomfortable echoes of an earlier era of AIDS.
A rapid rise in new infections. A national crisis declaration. Stories of people struggling to access services or staying away because of pervasive stigma. Health systems racing to catch up with an epidemic moving faster than the response. Once again, HIV has made international headlines with an urgency many had hoped belonged to the past.
But there is one fundamental difference. This is 2026.
Today, we have effective treatment, powerful new prevention tools and decades of experience that did not exist at the start of the AIDS epidemic. The Pacific cannot afford to lose time or repeat past mistakes.
The need to act is urgent: Fiji has seen one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics globally, with new infections rising approximately twelvefold between 2010 and 2025. But Fiji is not the only warning sign. Papua New Guinea remains the largest HIV epidemic in the region, with an estimated 110,000 people living with HIV. HIV diagnoses have also risen recently in Palau, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Across the Pacific, new infections increased by an estimated 65% between 2010 and 2025, while they declined across Asia and the Pacific overall.
In countries with small populations, even relatively few new infections can signal a major shift in the epidemic. Waiting until the numbers become alarming means losing valuable time to prevent further transmission.
First, HIV is everyone’s concern.
In 1989, American artist and activist Keith Haring painted a mural: Todos juntos podemos parar el sida—Together We Can Stop AIDS. More than a slogan, it captured the spirit of a movement that brought together people who had rarely worked side by side: doctors and politicians, activists and scientists, faith leaders and teachers, police and community advocates, celebrities and people living with HIV.
That mobilisation required heads of state to speak publicly about AIDS, parliaments to change laws that fuelled stigma or blocked access to services, and societies to confront deep-seated prejudice. The early AIDS response showed how fear and misinformation can contribute to discrimination—a lesson worth bearing in mind when measures such as mandatory testing or restrictive border controls are considered. It also demanded action across sectors: from health and education to law enforcement and justice, alongside broader efforts to advance human rights, gender equality and development.
Fiji’s declaration of a national HIV crisis is an important political step. It recognises that the health sector cannot tackle the epidemic alone.
Across the Pacific, addressing discriminatory laws, stigma and other barriers to prevention and treatment requires the kind of political leadership and collective action that shaped the global AIDS response.
Second, let communities lead.
The AIDS response was transformed by the communities most affected by HIV. They challenged stigma, fought for access to treatment and helped shape services around people’s needs.
Even today, despite advances in treatment and prevention, stigma and discrimination still keep many people away from HIV services. Fear of judgement or unwanted disclosure can determine whether someone seeks testing or treatment at all.
Community organisations and peer outreach workers help bridge that gap by building trust and reaching people who might otherwise remain outside the health system. This is especially important in the Pacific, where small island communities and remote settings can make privacy harder to protect and confidentiality all the more important.
As Pacific countries move towards greater national ownership and sustainable financing, community-led services need to become an integral part of national HIV plans and budgets, rather than remain dependent on short-term donor-funded projects. With external funding under pressure, this transition must not come at the cost of prevention, or of the independence and trust that make these services effective.
Third, close the gap between progress and access.
Medical science has transformed what is possible. Antiretroviral treatment now enables people living with HIV to lead long, healthy lives.
When people take effective antiretroviral treatment and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, they do not transmit HIV sexually—the principle known as U=U, or Undetectable = Untransmittable.
Yet treatment coverage remains alarmingly low in parts of the Pacific. In Fiji, only about a quarter of the total estimated people living with HIV accessed treatment, and in Papua New Guinea, only about half.
Effective treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding can protect women’s health and prevent HIV transmission to their babies. In Papua New Guinea, however, only about one in four pregnant women living with HIV receive antiretroviral treatment, and an estimated 2,700 infants acquired HIV in 2024—a stark reminder of the distance that can remain between what medicine makes possible and what reaches families in time. That is why HIV testing and treatment need to be readily accessible through routine antenatal, maternal and child health services, including in remote communities.
Prevention has entered a new era too. Alongside proven approaches such as condoms, harm reduction and oral PrEP, twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir offers an important new option, particularly for people who find taking a daily pill difficult.
Prevention is increasingly about choice: matching proven options to people’s needs and lives. In Fiji, where HIV infections linked to injecting drug use are increasing, recent legal changes have made it possible to introduce a needle and syringe programme—showing how prevention can adapt as the epidemic changes.
But none of these advances can prevent infections or save lives if people cannot access them. New prevention and treatment options need to reach Pacific countries sooner, at prices they can afford.
Access is about more than medicines. Many Pacific nations already face shortages of health workers, limited resources and the high costs of delivering care across remote islands. Climate change adds to these pressures, as extreme weather threatens health facilities and disrupts essential services.
As countries expand their HIV responses, prevention, testing and treatment can be integrated into primary health care and other essential services rather than built as costly parallel systems. This can make care easier to access, use scarce resources more effectively and strengthen health systems for the future, while preserving the specialised and community-led services that people trust.
Services also need to reach people who are often missed, including people in prisons, and ensure continuity of prevention, treatment and care when they return to the community.
For smaller Pacific countries, greater national ownership cannot mean going it alone. Sustained international financing will still be needed alongside growing domestic investment. Regional cooperation can help those resources go further—through pooled procurement, stronger supply chains and shared expertise. Not every country needs to build every service or specialist capability from scratch.
Pacific institutions such as the Pacific Community (SPC), working alongside the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)—including UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC and WHO—can help countries put these shared solutions into practice, bringing governments, communities and development partners together around national priorities.
An opportunity the Pacific cannot afford to miss.
Only four years remain until 2030, the target year set by UN Member States for ending AIDS as a public health threat. The UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, adopted in June 2026, renewed commitments to prevention and treatment, human rights, community leadership and sustainable financing.
The Pacific has the knowledge, the tools and a strong history of collective action. What happens next will shape the region’s HIV epidemics for years to come.
Fiji’s experience is a warning for the entire region. But it can also become a turning point….PACNEWS
Beate Trankmann, UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and Director, Bangkok Regional Hub
Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific
Pio Smith, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific
Delphine Schantz, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific
