In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Palau takes charge as Forum Leaders begin talks
2. PACIFIC — ‘This is the moment to invest’: Cook Islands PM backs Pacific Resilience Facility
3. PACIFIC — Tonga calls PRF a ‘game-changer’ for Pacific Resilience
4. PACIFIC — Australian PM Albanese signals push on Tonga, Solomon Islands Agreements
5. TONGA — Australia opens Tonga Media Association office
6. PACIFIC — Fiji, Australia and Tuvalu strengthen cooperation ahead of Pre-COP and COP31
7. PACIFIC — Tabuya calls for stronger Pacific voice at pre-COP31
8. FIJI — Fiji reveals pre-COP attendees at Pacific summit
9. PACIFIC — New plan to tackle drug trafficking in Pacific as Australian cases soar
10. SOL — ‘Why I resign’ – Solomon Islands Former Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs
11. SOL — Government House confirms resignation of three ministers
12. FIJI — Vuvale deal raises sovereignty alarm
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Palau tourism boom drives expansion of Australia air link
14. PACNEWS BIZ — Resident visa for long-term Palau residents proposed
15. PACNEWS BIZ — RSE workers contribute over VT340 million to VNPF
16. PACNEWS BIZ — Solomon Airlines to reduce Vanuatu flights as A320 leaves fleet
17. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Pacific risks becoming a ‘fortress’ under new security deals: PANG
18. PACNEWS DIGEST — Facebook and sorcery accusation-related violence in PNG
19. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific meteorological services strengthen ICT capacity through regional COSPPac workshop
PAC – FORUM LEADERS MEET: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Palau takes charge as Forum Leaders begin talks
By Pita Ligaiula in Koror, Palau
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Islands Forum Chair and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr has told regional leaders that the challenge facing the Pacific is no longer simply agreeing on priorities but delivering results.
Opening the Forum Leaders’ Plenary in Koror, Whipps said leaders were meeting at a time of rapid change and increasingly complex regional challenges.
“The responsibility now rests with us as leaders to provide a political direction.
“We do so in a time when the environment around us is changing rapidly. And one thing is clear, the evolving nature of our challenges is becoming too complex,” Whipps said.
Whipps said discussions with the wider Pacific regional family, civil society, the private sector, associate members, observers and international partners had provided important context ahead of the leaders’ deliberations.
He said Pacific countries must draw on their collective strengths to find common solutions.
“It will require greater regional leadership, stronger regional coordination, and above all, unity of purpose.
“Our challenge now is one of delivery,” Whipps said.
The Forum Chair said the breadth of the leaders’ agenda reflected the scale of challenges facing the region, covering political leadership and regionalism, peace and security, economic development, the wellbeing of Pacific peoples, climate change, oceans, technology and connectivity.
He said leaders must provide clear direction to regional agencies and use the Pacific’s collective voice to advance agreed priorities.
“I trust that through our deliberations today, we will be clear about the outcomes we seek, the direction we give our regional agencies, and the advocacy that we want to support,” Whipps said.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa said the agenda before leaders represented a year of work through the Pacific’s ministerial meetings and regional processes.
“The agenda before leaders reflect the breadth of the challenges and opportunities facing our region.
“It also represents a combination of considerable work across our regional processes over the past year,” Waqa said.
Waqa noted that while some Forum leaders were absent because of national commitments, their countries were represented and their views would be conveyed through their delegations.
He said the issues before leaders had progressed through sectoral ministerial meetings, the Forum Officials Committee, the Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other regional processes.
“Some matters are before you for endorsement. Others require strategic guidance.
“And on some issues, our regional processes have taken us as far as they can, and political direction is now required.”,” Waqa said.
He said the Forum Secretariat and the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies were ready to implement the decisions and direction of leaders.
“There are many challenges that we face, but we are always assured by the commitment and unity of our region,” Waqa said.
“The Secretariat, together with our CROP agencies, stand ready to support that work and to give effect to your direction.”
The plenary marks the start of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, where leaders are expected to set the political direction on major regional priorities and decisions affecting the Blue Pacific.
The Leaders’ Retreat will be held on Thursday…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FORUM LEADERS MEET/PRF: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
‘This is the moment to invest’: Cook Islands PM backs Pacific Resilience Facility
By Pita Ligaiula in Koror, Palau
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER (PACNEWS) — Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has called on development partners, philanthropies and institutional investors to back the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), saying the region’s new financial institution has moved from an idea discussed by Pacific finance ministers to funding projects in communities.
Speaking at a PRF side event on the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Brown said the next stage was to ensure money reaches communities facing the growing impacts of climate change.
“It’s pretty rare in public life to watch an idea travel from a conversation around a table to a full-blown agenda item at the leaders’ meeting, to a treaty being signed to money being pledged.
“Now what we really look forward to is money moving into the hands of communities that need it most,” Brown said.
Brown said he had been involved in discussions on the facility from the beginning, when Pacific finance ministers identified adaptation and resilience as the region’s central climate challenge.
Brown recalled discussions more than a decade ago involving Pacific finance ministers, including representatives from Samoa and Tonga, on the need for a regional financing mechanism focused specifically on resilience.
“The real challenge facing Pacific communities, Pacific islands, was not the mitigation efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
“It was the fact that we were being hit by the impacts of climate change and the focus for Pacific countries has to be on adaptation and building resilience” he said.
He highlighted the economic case for investing before disasters strike.
“The World Bank tells us that for every dollar we spend on resilience, we save $8 on rebuilding and recovery,” Brown said.
That discussion eventually developed into the proposal for a financing facility designed, owned and managed by the Pacific and focused on the needs of Pacific communities.
Brown said Pacific countries had faced continuing difficulties accessing international climate finance.
“We’ve seen the challenges of accessing climate financing over the years, and it was very difficult,” he said.
Pacific countries were competing for funding with larger regions facing their own climate challenges, while the Pacific’s smaller populations and project sizes often made it harder to compete, he said.
“The Pacific’s demands, though urgent, were at a much smaller scale due to our size, but no less important.”
Brown said the PRF was created to fill a gap in the international financial system.
“The big global funds are important, as I said, but they’re slow, they’re complex, and they’re built for big projects.
“What the communities in the Pacific needed was something different,” he said.
That meant smaller grants delivered quickly and before disasters occur, rather than assistance arriving only after communities have been hit.
“We wanted financing that reaches the last mile, the last mile that was unable to get support and help,” Brown said.
He said there were doubts about whether Pacific countries could establish and operate a financial institution of this scale.
“Some said that a fund of this scale, owned and led by the Pacific, could not be done
“But we persisted,” he said.
During the Cook Islands’ chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2023, Brown said the redesigned facility was taken back to Pacific economic ministers and then to Forum Leaders in Rarotonga, where its establishment was declared and major pledges began to flow.
Brown said he later promoted the facility internationally, including at the World Bank in Washington, as the Pacific sought support for its capitalisation.
Brown said the PRF had made rapid progress since the treaty was signed in Honiara last year.
“Within 12 months, 14 of 15 signatories have ratified it, a pace that our region has never seen for an agreement of this magnitude,” he said.
He said the facility was now established in the Kingdom of Tonga, its council had met, an interim board had been appointed and the first 14 community demonstration projects were already underway across member countries.
“This is no longer a vision.
“It is the Pacific’s first international financial institution collectively owned by our governments, and it is starting to work,” Brown said.
Brown used the event to appeal directly to development partners and investors.
“So today my message is simple. This is the moment to invest.
“To our partners, to philanthropies, to institutional investors, I say this. The Pacific Resilience Facility is not charity. It is the soundest investment you can make in resilience, stability and security of the Blue Pacific,” Brown said.
He said Pacific countries were also contributing their own resources to the fund.
“Our members have begun contributing to our own fund, because we believe in it,” Brown said.
The PRF event also heard how the facility’s first funding is supporting a community project in Palau to restore traditional taro patch systems.
The project aims to provide tools for women working to restore the taro patches and support community outreach to raise awareness of their role in responding to climate change.
The community representative said work was already underway, with women and their families spending weekends clearing taro patches through traditional voluntary community work.
The restored taro systems can slow water flows and allow sediment to settle before reaching estuaries and coral reefs, helping reduce the impact of heavier rainfall following drought and fires.
A fully functioning taro patch system also supports food and economic security by providing food for households and produce for sale.
The representative said the community was grateful to receive the first PRF funding.
“We are very fortunate to be the recipient of the very first PRF funding,” the representative said.
Brown said the coming months presented an opportunity to build international support for the Pacific-owned facility, with Pacific Pre-COP meetings and COP31 expected to focus global attention on the region.
“The stars have aligned for us this year.
“Let us seize the window together, join us on the ground floor of something that the world has never seen before — a fund by the Pacific for the Pacific, delivering for the people of the Pacific,” he said.
Brown said he had been involved when the PRF was first discussed and intended to remain involved until it reached full capitalisation.
“I was there when this was only an idea,” he said. “I intend to be there when it is fully capitalised, and I invite you all to be there with us,” he said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FORUM LEADERS MEET/PRF: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Tonga calls PRF a ‘game-changer’ for Pacific Resilience
By Pita Ligaiula in Koror, Palau
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Tonga’s Finance Minister Vika Sivoki Lavemaau has described the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) as a “game-changer” for the Blue Pacific and called on development partners to help fully capitalise the Pacific-owned climate and disaster resilience financing institution.
Speaking at a PRF side event on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, Lavemaau said Tonga was proud to host the PRF as the region’s first Pacific-led and Pacific-owned climate and disaster resilience financing facility dedicated to communities.
“The Government and the people of the Kingdom of Tonga are proud to host our PRF as our first Pacific-led and owned regional climate and disaster resilience financing that is dedicated to our communities,” Lavemaau said.
“The PRF is a game-changer for the Blue Pacific.”
She said the facility offered a regional mechanism to support and amplify national resilience efforts at a scale not previously attempted by Pacific countries.
“It is a transformative and innovative idea to amplify all of our governments’ national efforts, but at a scale that we have never attempted before as a region, to match the urgency of our needs,” he said.
Lavemaau said the PRF was already playing an important role in supporting anticipatory action and preparedness in Tonga.
“In Tonga, in anticipation of events such as prolonged Super El Niño extreme weather conditions, the collaboration between the PRF and Weather Ready has been very important,” she said.
She said the focus was not only on investing in weather equipment but also on “proactive and inclusive anticipatory action investments”.
Lavemaau said the PRF would become increasingly important as a cornerstone of the Pacific’s regional financial architecture.
“As the cornerstone of our regional financial architecture, the mandate of the PRF, as our first Pacific-owned international financial institution, will become more potent over time to blend and multiply our regional access to financing,” she said.
The Tongan Finance Minister said the climate-ocean nexus was another major opportunity for the PRF.
“In Tonga’s case, it’s looking into monetising our vast blue capital as large ocean states into tangible fiscal resources on our government balance sheets to help fund our resilience needs,” she said.
She said the upcoming Pacific pre-COP meetings and COP31 offered an important opportunity to secure the PRF’s US$500 million capitalisation target.
“Pacific pre-COP and COP31 are unique opportunities ahead of us this year to secure our US$500 million capitalisation ask.
“We think it can be more ambitious than that in the future if the PRF grows,” Lavemaau said.
He said the Forum Chair had Tonga’s full support in urging development partners to fully capitalise the facility.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa said the Palau meeting marked a major milestone for the PRF following the entry into force of its treaty in May.
“This year’s Forum in Palau marks a significant milestone as the first Forum Leaders’ Meeting to welcome the PRF as a legally established entity,” Waqa said.
He said 14 Forum member countries had now ratified the PRF Treaty.
“A vision first championed by Forum leaders has become a reality.
“The PRF represents something truly unique. It is the first Pacific-owned, Pacific-led, Pacific-managed regional resilience financing institution,” Waqa said.
Waqa said the facility had been created to ensure climate and disaster finance reached communities on the frontline of climate change.
“It is a practical demonstration of Pacific leadership responding to a Pacific challenge with a Pacific solution,” he said.
Waqa said the PRF had already started delivering results, with its first grant investments underway across nine Forum member countries.
“Today, I am pleased to advise that the PRF is already delivering results.
“Our first grant investments are underway across nine Forum members,” he said.
He said communities receiving early PRF support would provide a practical demonstration of what locally led resilience could achieve when communities were given resources to act.
“In the months ahead, these stories will be showcased at the Pacific pre-COP in Tuvalu and Fiji, and at COP31.
“They will demonstrate that investment in resilience isn’t just an abstract concept,” Waqa said.
He said resilience financing translated into “protected livelihoods, strengthened food and water security, preserved cultural heritage, and more resilient communities across our region”.
Waqa also issued a direct invitation to development partners to support the PRF’s expansion.
“To our partners, we extend a simple invitation. Walk this journey with us.
“An investment in the PRF is an investment in a resilient Pacific, and in strengthened Pacific leadership,” he said.
He said the facility offered a sustainable and non-debt-creating approach to financing climate and disaster resilience.
“It is an opportunity to support a sustainable, non-debt-creating solution that will serve Pacific communities.
“The Pacific has done its part. We have created the institution, established the governance framework, and demonstrated its early results.”
“We now invite you to help scale this success so that more communities across our Blue Pacific can benefit from the resilience that they deserve,” Waqa said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FORUM LEADERS MEET/DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Australian PM Albanese signals push on Tonga, Solomon Islands Agreements
By Pita Ligaiula in Koror, Palau
KOROR,02 SEPTEMBER (PACNEWS) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will continue discussions with Tonga and Solomon Islands on key regional agreements, while stressing that Canberra wants progress as soon as possible but must remain realistic about the timing.
Speaking at a press conference in Koror during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting, Albanese confirmed he had already met informally with Tonga’s Prime Minister and would hold further bilateral discussions.
“We’ll continue to work those issues through, but we’ll have those discussions,” Albanese said.
“I met my friend, the Prime Minister of Tonga. We had a brief informal chat with him and his wife here.”
Albanese said Tonga had brought a high-level delegation to Palau, including members of the Royal Family.
“It’s a high-level delegation from Tonga. The Crown Prince is here as well, members of the Royal Family.
“I look forward to engaging with them. We will have bilateral meetings with him, and I’ll certainly also speak with the Solomons,” he said.
Asked whether the end of the year was a realistic target for concluding negotiations on the agreements, including the Kaume’a Ofi arrangements and discussions involving Solomon Islands, Albanese stopped short of setting a deadline.
“We always aim for doing things as soon as possible, but also being practical as well,” he said.
The Australian Prime Minister said Canberra wanted to further strengthen its relationship with Solomon Islands.
“We want to upgrade the relationship with the Solomons further,” Albanese said.
He highlighted his attendance at Solomon Islands’ National Day celebrations as an important moment in the relationship between the two countries.
“I was the first international leader to attend their National Day.
“You will remember that very warm day there in Honiara, at that stadium. It was a turning point in the relationship,” Albanese said.
Albanese said his focus in Palau was on continuing to strengthen Australia’s ties across the Pacific.
“I look forward to continuing to build on the relationships with all of our friends while I’m here,” he said… PACNEWS
TONGA – MEDIA: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Australia opens Tonga Media Association office
NUKU’ALOFA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Journalists must be free to ask difficult questions, report in the public interest and work without fear or intimidation, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga Brek Batley said as he officially opened the new office of the Media Association of Tonga (MAT).
The office, opened last Friday, will provide a space for journalists to meet, plan, exchange ideas and strengthen professional cooperation.
Batley said journalism required courage, intellectual rigour and integrity.
“There’s a lot of courage in being a journalist. It’s a lot of intellectual rigour, there is a lot of integrity, and you show a lot of humour in the work you do, to keep a smiling face through it all,” he said.
He said Tonga’s media played a significant role in helping people understand events and decisions affecting their lives, preserving the country’s stories and culture, and connecting Tonga with its large diaspora, including communities in Australia.
“Freedom of the press is fundamental to a strong society.
“Journalists must be able to report in the public interest, they must be able to ask difficult questions, and they must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, and without fear or intimidation,” Batley said.
Batley said Australia supported a viable, resilient, independent, and professional media sector in Tonga and across the Pacific.
Between 2023 and 2026, Australia committed about AUD$1.08 million (US$771,739) in bilateral support to Tonga’s media sector through funding administered by the Australian High Commission.
This complements wider regional support through PACMAS and the Regional Media Support Fund.
The support includes capacity building, training, equipment, overseas exchanges and professional development opportunities.
“I know PACMAS, who delivered in partnership with ABC International Development, supports MAT’s organisational and governance capacity,” Batley said.
He said the new MAT office and coordinator would also support professional training, journalist fellowships and cadetships.
But he stressed that Australian support came without editorial conditions.
“We want capacity building, we want the strongest media, and we do not want any editorial expectations in return.
“MAT and Tonga’s journalists must determine their own priorities, ask their own questions, and reach their own professional conclusions, including about the work that Australia does here in Tonga,” Batley said.
He said a healthy relationship between governments and the media must allow journalists to ask difficult questions.
“A healthy relationship with the media must be honest enough to include tough questions and respectful enough to recognise the independence and professional judgement of journalists.
“I congratulate you for the tough questions that you ask in the PM press briefings and in other places. They make a big difference,” he said.
Batley also recognised the courage of Tongan journalists, referring to Milika Ulupano of Kele’a Voice, who recently completed a week-long internship with the ABC in Brisbane following a frightening incident at her workplace earlier this year.
“Her return to journalism and continued professional development are a powerful reminder of the courage and commitment of Tonga’s journalists, but also sometimes the risks that are involved,” he said.
Batley said Tonga’s information environment was changing rapidly as audiences increasingly moved online.
Digital platforms created new opportunities to reach and engage audiences but were also placing pressure on the sustainability of traditional media, he said.
“In an environment where information moves faster than ever, accuracy, verification, critical reporting, and public trust are increasingly and always important,” Batley said.
Batley said media cooperation would also form part of ‘kaume’a ofi’, the growing partnership between Australia and Tonga.
He said governments, communities and the media had to work together to respond to digital transformation and the growing challenge of misinformation.
The MAT Press Club events were also helping to create a space for journalists, leaders and communities to hold open and constructive talanoa on issues affecting Tonga, he said.
Two Press Club events have already been held this year, with another scheduled for 9 September.
Australia’s wider cooperation also supports parliamentary and regional broadcasting, digital and outside broadcasting capability, and access to trusted regional and international news content.
It also provides targeted assistance to Tongan media organisations and opportunities for journalists to participate in regional media forums and professional exchanges.
Batley said he was particularly encouraged to see students from Tonga National University attending the opening.
“I’m especially pleased seeing some students from Tonga National University here tonight, investing in emerging journalists, investing in the inquisitive minds of young people,” he said.
He said the new office should become more than a physical workplace for the country’s media professionals.
“May this office create a space for learning, a space for sharing, a space for planning but ultimately a place where Tonga’s prosperity is stronger through greater accountability and through greater transparency and through more accurate information.”
The opening of the MAT office provides Tonga’s journalists with a dedicated space to strengthen professional cooperation and support the development of the country’s media sector… PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP/COP31: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Fiji, Australia and Tuvalu strengthen cooperation ahead of Pre-COP and COP31
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI GOVT) — Fiji is strengthening cooperation with Australia and Tuvalu to ensure Pacific priorities, experiences and solutions are placed at the centre of global climate discussions ahead of pre-COP and COP31.
The three countries held a trilateral meeting on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Koror, Palau Tuesday, focusing on preparations for the upcoming Pre-COP31 and the Leaders’ Segment to be hosted in Tuvalu.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss Pacific priorities and bring global leaders to the region to see firsthand the impacts of climate change.
Prime Minister Albanese said climate change is both an opportunity and a significant challenge for Pacific nations, including an existential challenge for countries such as Tuvalu.
Prime Minister of Tuvalu Feleti Teo welcomed the opportunity to host the Leaders’ Segment, saying it would allow visiting leaders to see firsthand the country’s vulnerability to climate change, particularly the impacts of sea-level rise.
“This is the opportunity for leaders that will make it to Tuvalu to see for themselves the extent of our vulnerability to the impact of climate change and particularly sea level rise and also to showcase to them our adaptation measures,” the Prime Minister stated.
“We have not been sitting idly around. We have taken on board with the resources that you and other partners have provided us to try and build our own resilience.”
For Fiji, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Sakiasi Ditoka said COP31 presented a pivotal moment and a critical opportunity to build consensus on key regional priorities.
“It’s about bringing Pacific frontline experience at the centre of global climate deliberations, reinforcing the agency of global commitments and ensuring Pacific voices, priorities and solutions are placed at the centre of global decision-making,” Ditoka stated.
Fiji will host the main pre-COP31 programme in Nadi from 5 to 8 October, with Tuvalu hosting the Leaders’ Segment…. PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Tabuya calls for stronger Pacific voice at pre-COP31
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI GOVT) — “Energy systems built on imported fossil fuels leave countries like ours exposed. While renewable energy strengthens our resilience, reduces costs and supports sustainable development.”
This is why Fiji’s Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya said the discussions at Pre-COP will place a strong emphasis on accelerating renewable energy deployment and translating political commitments into practical implementation.
Speaking at the Leaders’ Ascent Dialogue at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Palau Tuesday, Tabuya said Pacific nations were proud to host the pre-COP and wanted the world to understand the challenges faced by island communities on a daily basis.
The Minister said pre-COP will provide a platform to advance several priorities that Pacific leaders have consistently championed, including climate finance, the ocean-climate nexus, and keeping the global target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.
“A declaration and action plan on improving access to climate finance for small island developing states and least developed countries is expected to be launched in Fiji, helping advance practical reforms that make climate finance faster, fairer and more accessible,” she stated.
“The ocean-climate nexus will also feature prominently. For Pacific people, there is no pathway to climate resilience or keeping 1.5 degrees within reach without a healthy ocean.”
Tabuya urged Pacific leaders and development partners to support strong participation in the event.
She said the Pacific’s influence on global climate action has often been greater than its size and that the region must continue to use its collective voice to push for meaningful climate action…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PRECOP: AAP PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Fiji reveals pre-COP attendees at Pacific summit
SUVA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (AAP) — Fiji has revealed the first batch of attendees for the Pacific pre-COP climate talks in October, including leaders from four continents.
Tuvalu and Fiji are hosting the event next month as part of an Australia-negotiated compromise in its failed bid to host COP31, the world’s biggest annual climate talks.
While that event will be hosted by Turkey, Australia and the Pacific have been hopeful of bringing representatives from around the world to the lead-up event.
In trilateral talks at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau, Fiji Foreign Minister Sakiasi Ditoka gave a roll call of attendees secured to date.
Ditoka said an unspecified number of Pacific leaders would travel, as well as leaders from Antigua and Barbuda, Cabo Verde, Thailand, Maldives and Timor-Leste.
Additonally, “ministerial-level representation from several countries” including Germany – which hosts the body’s secretariat – Mexico and South Korea will attend.
The list is not final, with Ditoka saying he “looked forward to more confirmations” in the next month.
It follows weeks of speculation about the success of the four-day October event, which could cost the Australian government more than $19.2 million (US$13.71 million) in event management and broadcast fees.
While the promised turnout is modest, given 198 nations are eligible, Tuvalu prime minister Feleti Teo said his nation was “very grateful” for the chance to host.
“We’ve been advocating and trying to describe through our limited English vocabulary what the situation on the ground is like,” he said.
“This is the opportunity for leaders who can make it to see for themselves the extent of our vulnerability to climate change.”
In 2023, Australia and Tuvalu agreed a world-first climate compact that affords Tuvaluans the right to emigrate to Australia given the growing existential threat.
Tuvalu is the world’s lowest-lying nation, a collection of reef islands and atolls north of Fiji which is home to around 10,000 people and just two hotels.
“We’ve presented two options for the event in Tuvalu: one is for those that are game enough to come and spend the night over there, and the rest will come on a day trip,” Teo said.
“Either way, the whole nation is ready and prepared.”
Fiji has also asked not to be judged on attendance at the summit in the remote region, but instead on whether it “advances substantive progress towards successful outcomes at COP31”.
The Australian opposition has lashed the event as an “overseas talkfest” that could cost up to $150 million (US$107.18 million).
On a bustling day of diplomacy at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting, climate change was central to many sessions.
Alongside Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Palau President Surangel Whipps launched a prospectus of projects to drive the region towards 100 per cent renewable energy.
The initiative is likely to be one of the centrepieces of Whipps’ leadership of PIF over the next year.
“It details priority projects and country pipelines to capture progress and the necessary next steps … the ultimate success of the prospectus effort will be measured in dollars, deals and decarbonisation,” Whipps said.
The effort to step up renewables, already underway, has been given a nudge by soaring fuel prices this year owing to the US-Iran war.
This is also the first PIF summit since the Pacific Resilience Facility, the region’s first climate financing organisation was established…. PACNEWS
PAC – DRUG FIGHT: ABC PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
New plan to tackle drug trafficking in Pacific as Australian cases soar
CANBERRA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ABC) — The federal government is expected to tip $600 million (US$528.58 million) into a new Pacific scheme designed to tackle the surge of drug smuggling into the region, including into Australia.
It comes as leaders grapple with increasingly sophisticated and determined criminal cartels trafficking cocaine and methamphetamines into the country.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to announce the investment at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau today, as leaders prepare to endorse the Waqa Moana initiative aimed at bolstering surveillance of the vast Pacific Ocean and helping authorities to intercept smuggling vessels and so-called narco subs.
The new funding package, which will be spread over several years, will see Australia spend more on aerial surveillance across the Pacific, as well as additional training and support for police in the region.
The new plan is also designed to help police across the Pacific region improve coordination to tackle the trade, while also bolstering Australian Federal Police cooperation with South and Central American countries in an attempt to target the source of the illegal drugs.
Australian and Pacific authorities have become increasingly concerned by the way the drug trade has contributed to social breakdown and police corruption in parts of the region, as well as its contribution to serious health problems like the HIV crisis in Fiji.
The government is also conscious that the drug smuggling trade ravaging some Pacific communities is being fed by Australia’s appetites for illegal drugs, with smugglers keen to reach the lucrative markets of major cities such as Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
Albanese said the Pacific was Australia’s “home and family”.
“That’s why it’s in Australia’s interests to work with our Pacific partners to combat organised crime,” he said.
“For the good of every country in the region, including our own, we need to work together to stamp out the illicit drug trade.”
Earlier this year, Australian Federal Police declared the surge in drug smuggling a serious national security threat to both Australia and the region, with more than 17 tonnes of illicit cocaine and methamphetamine seized so far this year.
That is up from 5.5 tonnes in 2025.
The announcement comes as Pacific leaders prepare for their major meetings at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, with the plenary session today and a private retreat on Thursday.
The early stages of the gathering were disrupted by another diplomatic stoush, between China and Taiwan. Palau has given Taiwan a more prominent role at this year’s meeting, as one of its three remaining Pacific allies.
China’s envoy to the Pacific, Qian Bo, threatened that including Taiwan would have “consequences”, while Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the “Taiwan authorities will only end up bringing humiliation upon themselves”.
But Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-Lung, issued a sharp response on Tuesday, saying China was trying to “squeeze our international space and coerce our allies”.
He also compared China to a guest at a party who acted like a host and created an unpleasant atmosphere for everyone.
“We should not make compromises because of China’s bullying,” he said…. PACNEWS
SOL – POLITICS: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
‘Why I resign’ – Solomon Islands Former Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs
HONIARA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — The former Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs in Solomon Islands, Clezy Rore has finally gone public to provide reasons why he decided to quit the GREAT Coalition.
The Member of the Parliament for North Vella resigned over the weekend.
In a statement on Tuesday night, he explained, his resignation was over lack of consultation and unfair treatment of Justice Sector.
“I have resigned from my position as Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs because I can no longer continue to serve in Cabinet where decisions directly affecting the justice sector are made without consultation with the Minister responsible for that sector.”
He said, the immediate issue concerns the appointment of the Attorney-General and the determination of his remuneration and terms and conditions of service at approximately $35,000 (US$4,374) per fortnight.
“I want to make it clear that my resignation is not a personal objection to the Attorney-General.
“The Attorney-General is an important constitutional office holder, and I fully respect the office and the responsibilities that come with it.
“My concern is the process by which this decision was made and the principle of fairness across the justice sector.
“As Minister responsible for Justice and Legal Affairs, I should have been consulted before a decision of this nature was made.
“My only involvement was a request to the AUSAID to provide salary tops for two key positions within the Ministry.
“These are for the Solicitor General and the Senior Legal Draftsman, amid concerns over Government’s loss of several legal cases.
“The request was made to attract and retain competent experts for these critical positions, whose roles are vital to the government.
“AUSAID responded affirmatively to my request. Beyond these two positions, other decisions directly affecting the justice sector are made without consulting me as the Minister responsible for that sector,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Attorney-General is the principal legal adviser to the Government, and his terms and conditions of service are matters that have significant implications for the justice sector and government as a whole.
More importantly, the Attorney-General is not the only senior constitutional office holder within the justice system.
“We have the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Public Solicitor, both of whom hold important constitutional offices.
“We also have our judges and magistrates, as well as government lawyers and other legal professionals who carry out critical functions in maintaining the rule of law and administering justice.
“Many of our government lawyers have for some time been seeking improvements to their terms and conditions of employment.
“Yet there has been no corresponding comprehensive improvement across the justice sector.
“It is therefore difficult for me, as Minister responsible for Justice and Legal Affairs, to justify a situation where the remuneration and terms and conditions of one constitutional office holder are substantially improved while the circumstances of other constitutional office holders, judges, magistrates and government lawyers remain essentially unchanged.
“This is not about begrudging anyone a fair salary. It is about fairness, equity and consistency.
“If the Government has determined that the responsibilities and demands of the Attorney-General’s office warrant a significant improvement in remuneration, then we should also have a serious and structured discussion about the remuneration and conditions of the other key offices and professionals who sustain our justice system.
“Our judges and magistrates must be properly supported. The Director of Public Prosecutions and Public Solicitor must be properly supported.
“Our government lawyers must have competitive and fair terms and conditions so that we can retain experienced and competent legal professionals within Government.
“The justice system cannot be strengthened by improving the conditions of only one office while leaving the rest behind.”
He added, there is also an important constitutional principle at stake. Decisions concerning constitutional offices should be approached carefully, transparently and with proper consultation.
“The Minister responsible for the sector should not learn of or be presented with major decisions affecting the justice system after those decisions have effectively already been made.”
Cabinet government requires consultation, collective responsibility and respect for the responsibilities of individual Ministers.
“I cannot in good conscience continue to serve as Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs while being expected to defend or support an approach that I believe is unfair to the wider justice sector and was made without proper consultation with the Minister responsible.
“My resignation is therefore a matter of principle and responsibility, not personality.
“I remain committed to the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, equality before the law and a strong and properly resourced justice system.
“I believe that every person working to uphold justice and the Constitution deserves to be treated fairly, and that improvements to remuneration and conditions should be considered through a transparent, consistent and equitable process.
“The justice sector belongs to all of us. Its integrity must not be compromised by selective treatment or decisions made without proper consultation,” the former Minister said.
Two other ministers that resigned are Harry Kuma and Manasseh Maelanga…. PACNEWS
SOL – POLITICS: SIBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Government House confirms resignation of three ministers
HONIARA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SIBC) — In Solomon Islands, three Cabinet ministers have formally resigned from the GREAT Coalition Government amid a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Matthew Wale.
They are Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs Clezy Rore, Minister for Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration Harry Kuma, and Minister for Home Affairs Manasseh Maelanga.
Deputy Private Secretary to the Governor-General, Maxwell Banyo, confirmed the resignations to SIBC News Monday afternoon.
Banyo said the three resignations remain the only ministerial resignations received so far.
“I can confirm that the three Cabinet ministers’ resignations have remained as it is,” he said.
He also confirmed that no other Member of Parliament has submitted a resignation.
“There is no other MP who submitted their resignation,” Banyo said.
Banyo confirmed that Governor-General Sir David Tiva Kapu formally received and signed the three ministers’ resignation letters.
The resignations follow the filing of the no confidence motion against Prime Minister Wale by Maelanga in Parliament on Saturday.
Parliament is set to resume on 7 September…. PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Vuvale deal raises sovereignty alarm
SUVA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Fiji’s right to seek independent legal recourse is being questioned over provisions in the proposed Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union treaty.
Committee member Penioni Ravunawa raised concerns over Articles 8.2 and 10.6, which deal with external dispute arbitration.
Ravunawa said Article 8.2 strictly prohibits referring disputes to any national or international court, tribunal or third party.
He questioned the constitutional risks of relying entirely on political consensus to settle disputes.
He also raised concern that the ban on external arbitration would remain binding even after the treaty is terminated.
“The only chance that Fiji, as well as Pacific countries, is in staying together, in sharing resources, and this is where a treaty of this sort becomes important. That we commit to one another.”
Ravunawa asked why Fiji should accept an international obligation that could bind the country in perpetuity.
The Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Lesikimacuata Korovavala, said the treaty does not override Fiji’s domestic decision-making processes.
“If an issue requires Cabinet or Parliament to make a decision, those processes must be completed before a position is taken under the treaty.”
The Permanent Secretary said this protects Fiji’s sovereignty.
Data sovereignty and Fiji’s growing reliance on Australian technical support were also questioned.
Committee Member Virendra Lal asked how Fiji would protect domestic data and ensure its national networks do not become dependent on Australian security systems.
Dr Korovavala said Fiji currently needs technical assistance to strengthen its IT infrastructure.
He said support from Australia would be provided through Fiji’s own government procurement and decision-making processes.
Lal also questioned whether Fiji has enough administrative capacity to prevent its development priorities from being influenced by Australia.
The Permanent Secretary said Fiji must first establish what it needs and what it wants to achieve from the partnership.
He said proposals are assessed through the Development Subcommittee and aligned with Fiji’s national development plans.
Border security and institutional capacity were also raised.
Committee members questioned whether the treaty would provide enough support for Fiji’s police, military, navy, customs and immigration agencies.
The Permanent Secretary said a 10-year work plan has been developed to strengthen the capability of government agencies.
He said the Fiji Police Force would receive $24 million (US$12 million) in additional support under the framework.
He also said the treaty provides for greater cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime and sharing information.
The committee further questioned whether funding would translate into stronger integrity and accountability within Fiji’s border agencies.
Dr Korovavala said governance and transparency are fundamental to the framework.
He said recent amendments to the Police Act and Immigration Act seek to strengthen transparency and accountability.
He adds that funding under the Vuvale Union will also support professional standards, monitoring, tracking and institutional capacity…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PALAU – TOURISM: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Palau tourism boom drives expansion of Australia air link
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — Palau’s booming tourism recovery is giving its direct air link with Australia a major boost.
The Palau Paradise Express will now operate until at least November 2027, with Qantas adding a second weekly Brisbane-Koror flight from December to meet rising demand.
The service has carried more than 15,400 passengers since it launched in 2024, helping Australian visitor numbers to Palau surge by 68 per cent in the first seven months of this year.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the extension during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Koror after meeting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr on Tuesday.
“Palau is a close friend of Australia,” Albanese said. “This announcement will allow more Australians to visit this stunning Pacific holiday destination and ensure connections between our countries grow even stronger.”
He said the service had become an important part of Palau’s economy.
“The Palau Paradise Express is a significant contributor to Palau’s economy and this expansion will deliver a steady boost for tourism and business operators across the region.”
The route is being extended as Palau records a strong tourism recovery.
More than 51,000 visitors arrived between January and July, up 27 per cent on the same period last year. Australia was one of the fastest-growing markets with arrivals up 68 per cent.
The growth shows what direct air links can mean for Pacific economies where tourism is a major source of income.
Australia’s Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy, says the popularity of the route is also about bringing Pacific neighbours closer.
“Palau is a great place to visit, and that’s why this route has been so popular. I’m pleased more Australians will now be able to get there easily on the Paradise Express.
“This is about building stronger connections with Pacific neighbours, at the same time as boosting Palau’s economy through tourism.”
Whipps said when the service began in 2024 that the link was about more than tourism.
“We appreciate Australia for partnering with us to promote economic activity between our two nations,” he said.
“The flight makes it easier for tourists and businesspeople to travel between our two nations and encourages trade and commerce.”
Whipps said it also created opportunities for education, workforce training, and stronger people-to-people ties.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson says the second weekly flight will help meet demand during Palau’s peak season.
“As the national carrier, we’re proud to be working with the Australian Government to keep Australia and Palau connected,” Hudson said in a statement.
“A second weekly service in the peak season means more Australians can experience one of the Pacific’s most extraordinary destinations, and more visitors for the local tourism operators who depend on them.”
But while the Palau route is a success story, Pacific aviation faces a much bigger challenge: how to keep vital air links operating when costs are high and markets are small.
The pressure is also being felt in Fiji where the government has changed how its new five per cent Tourism Services Tax will apply after concerns from the tourism industry and travel groups in Australia and New Zealand.
The tax came into effect on Tuesday but will not be applied retrospectively to bookings confirmed before 31 August.
David Tohi, Secretary-General of the Association of South Pacific Airlines, says Pacific airlines operate in a difficult environment.
“Small markets, high costs, infrastructure and resourcing challenges, lack of access to capital, and not a lot of margins for error.”
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters has previously said investment in air links can pay off for Pacific economies.
“I was providing them $3 million (US$1.75 million) a year to make sure the flights went to the Cook Islands, and they’ve gone from there to now having 175,000 visitors a year coming,” Peters told William Terite on Pacific Mornings.
“That’s the kind of story we want to see over and over again in the Pacific. It can be done, and it’s inspiring.”
But Solomon Airlines Commercial Manager John Wopereis says airlines still face pressure to keep services running to smaller and more isolated communities.
“There’s only so many ways we can respond when we’re relying on government as well; it’s quite a big challenge for us,” he told media.
For Palau, Whipps says the immediate focus is on making the most of the extra capacity as the country’s tourism industry continues to recover.
The twice-weekly Brisbane-Koror service will begin in December…. PACNEWS
PALAU – VISA: ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Resident visa for long-term Palau residents proposed
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLAND TIMES) — A new permanent resident visa category for certain non-Palauans who have deep and longstanding ties to Palau, has been proposed to address the current immigration system that leaves some people who have made the country their home face the same uncertainty as short-term foreign workers.
In a letter transmitting the proposed legislation to the Olbiil Era Kelulau on Aug. 20, Whipps said Palau has been home for years to people who were raised in the country, built families and livelihoods there, and made lasting contributions to its economy and society.
“Yet under our current system, these long-term residents are treated the same as short-term foreign workers,” Whipps wrote, noting that they must continually renew their visas and face uncertainty over their right to remain in Palau.
The proposed bill would create a new permanent resident visa category under Title 13 of the Palau National Code. The legislation is intended to provide a more permanent immigration status while preserving the distinction between residency and Palauan citizenship.
Under the bill, permanent residents would be allowed to live indefinitely in Palau, enter and leave the country without limitation and work without obtaining a nonresident work permit.
They would not, however, become Palauan citizens. The proposed law would bar permanent residents from owning land or an interest in land and from voting in national or state elections or referenda.
The bill as currently drafted establishes eligibility specifically for individuals who were legally adopted by Palauan citizens before reaching age 16.
Applicants would have to demonstrate that they were adopted by a Palauan citizen and lived with their adoptive parent or parents in a parent-child relationship in Palau for at least two continuous years before turning 16. The adoptive parent also must have exercised primary parental responsibility, including financial support, education and caregiving.
The legislation would exclude adoptions made primarily to obtain immigration benefits. It establishes circumstances that would create a rebuttable presumption that an adoption was entered into for that purpose, including continuing substantial personal or financial ties between the adoptive and biological parents, certain adoptions occurring shortly before the applicant’s 16th birthday, and exchanges of money or other consideration related to the adoption.
Whipps said the proposal would strike a balance between protecting the rights of Palauan citizens and recognising the contributions of people who have helped build the country.
“By defining clear criteria and procedures for permanent residence,” he wrote, “this measure also strengthens transparency and accountability within our immigration system.”
The proposed framework would also require applicants to provide proof of adoption, age and identity, along with other documentation required by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.
The bureau would review applications and determine eligibility. The bill gives the director authority to investigate the circumstances surrounding an adoption, including obtaining sworn statements, interviewing people familiar with the adoption and requesting information from domestic or foreign authorities.
A permanent resident visa could be revoked if it was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation, if the holder was convicted of a felony in Palau, or if the holder violated the conditions of the law or related regulations.
The bill also provides penalties for fraudulent applications, including denial of a permanent resident visa, removal or exclusion from Palau and possible criminal prosecution under laws governing fraud, false statements or perjury.
Whipps said the proposal comes as another measure is pending in the House of Delegates that would provide travel documentation to people facing similar circumstances.
He invited lawmakers to consider whether the two measures could be combined if the pending House legislation advances.
The proposed permanent resident visa would create a new category of legal residence that does not currently exist in Palau. While the bill does not extend permanent residency generally to all long-term foreign residents, its stated purpose is to establish a clearer and more lasting status for individuals whose lives and family ties are rooted in Palau.
The legislation now goes to the Olbiil Era Kelulau for consideration…. PACNEWS
VAN – SEASONAL WORKERS: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 02 Sep 2026
RSE workers contribute over VT340 million to VNPF
PORT VILA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Seasonal workers under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in New Zealand have contributed more than VT340 million (US$2.87 million) in voluntary contributions to the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF).
The VT340 million (US$2.87 million) comes from more than 4,000 workers who have made contributions since VNPF began including seasonal workers in its Informal Sector initiative in 2018, with 10 workers from one employer, according to VNPF Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Edwin.
“Since then, more than 4,000 workers have registered with VNPF and made contributions. This year, around 950 workers are actively contributing to their savings. RSE workers contribute an average of VT8 million (US$67,673.27) to VT12 million (US$101,419) each month,” he conveyed to the Daily Post Tuesday.
He said the funds are currently held in a VNPF bank account in New Zealand and will be used for reinvestment to generate further returns for members.
He said the RSE sector has made a significant contribution to livelihoods in Vanuatu and, importantly, to the growth of the Fund. He assured the workers that their funds are secured and can be accessed upon retirement, just like those of other VNPF members in the formal sector.
However, the VNPF Deputy CEO explained that members can also access their funds if they return to Vanuatu sick and a doctor certifies that they are unable to return abroad, as well as under other approved withdrawal conditions.
Edwin said that there are 101 employers in New Zealand that employ seasonal workers from Vanuatu and are registered with VNPF, although not all of them are paying contributions.
“Around 27 employers or farmers are not paying VNPF contributions for their workers, but we (the Fund) is working them to ensure contributions are made,” he said.
“14 employers are paying workers’ contributions directly into VNPF’s ANZ Account in New Zealand, after which payment details are sent to Vanuatu for processing. VNPF staff have 24 hours to must update workers’ accounts.
“The other 60 employers registered through Apello Services, a New-Zealand based company that facilitates their workers’ payment through VNPF’s account in New Zealand.”
Under the VNPF Act, anyone aged 10 and over who is not formally employed can register as a voluntary member and make contributions to their VNPF savings on a voluntary basis.
Informal sector workers include farmers and fishermen, drivers, handicraft producers, market vendors, kava bar owners and seasonal workers.
Voluntary members can access the same benefits as regular members as long as they contribute at least VT1,000 (US$8.44) per month, including annual interest on savings, a special death benefit, and access to direct loan services…. PACNEWS
PAC – AIRLINE: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 02 Sep 2026
Solomon Airlines to reduce Vanuatu flights as A320 leaves fleet
PORT VILA, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Solomon Airlines will reduce its international services involving Vanuatu as part of a fleet restructuring that will see its second Airbus A320-200 returned to its lessor in May 2027.
The Solomon Islands national carrier announced on 31 August that Airbus A320-200 H4-SIB will be formally withdrawn from service in February 2027, with its current lease ending in May.
For Vanuatu travellers, the changes will include reduced flight frequencies between Vanuatu and Auckland, while Solomon Airlines’ Vanuatu-Christchurch service will be suspended from November.
The airline said the decision to operate with one fewer international aircraft in the short term was driven by several factors, including higher fuel costs, softer forecast market conditions in Australia and New Zealand, and structural repairs required on H4-SIB following recent damage.
Solomon Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Matt Findlay said the decision was a disciplined response to factors expected to continue affecting the airline.
“Many regional carriers, Solomon Airlines included, are heavily impacted by the ongoing global fuel crisis and resulting heightened fuel costs,” Findlay said.
The airline said it is working with insurers to return H4-SIB to service for the limited period remaining on its lease.
Solomon Airlines said all existing bookings would be honoured and affected passengers would be contacted to arrange the best available alternative travel options.
The airline will also issue revised schedules and provide updated information to travel agents and industry partners as new operating arrangements are confirmed.
While international capacity will be reduced, Solomon Airlines said it intends to strengthen its domestic operations in Solomon Islands, including progressing the addition of Twin Otter aircraft over the next 12 to 24 months.
The airline is also seeking to expedite the return of its 32-seat Dash 8 domestic aircraft, which is currently offshore for maintenance.
CEO Findlay said improving domestic air services remained a priority for Solomon Airlines, particularly in supporting essential transport and tourism connectivity within Solomon Islands…. 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
Pacific risks becoming a ‘fortress’ under new security deals: PANG
By Pita Ligaiula in Koror, Palau
KOROR, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has warned Pacific Islands Forum Leaders against approving negotiations on two proposed regional security agreements, arguing they could formalise an already expanding military architecture without sufficient political control or public oversight.
In a new report, Fortress or Partner? Analysing Regional Insecurities and Pacific Militarisation Through Regional Compacts, PANG said the key question facing the region was not whether the Pacific needed security, but “who defines it, who controls it, and who bears its consequences.”
The report comes as Forum Leaders meet in Palau, where the proposed Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Regional Security Treaty (BPOPRST) and the Regional Operations Deployment Framework (RODF) are moving through regional processes.
PANG said the proposals should not be considered in isolation.
“The Pacific is experiencing a rapid build-up of overlapping, uncoordinated security frameworks driven by intense geopolitical competition,” the report said.
It argued that the proposed treaty and deployment framework would formalise a security architecture already being built through standing forces, bilateral security agreements and operational bodies supported by external powers.
PANG warned that new legal arrangements could “entrench foreign military access and conventional militarisation” while remaining silent on demilitarisation, autonomous weapons and nuclear non-proliferation.
‘Operationalised before it is governed’
A central concern raised by the report is that security capabilities are already being deployed before regional political and legal oversight has been fully established.
PANG pointed to the Pacific Response Group (PRG), a multinational military body for humanitarian and disaster response, and the Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG), which is part of the Pacific Policing Initiative.
The report said the PRG had already deployed to Vanuatu and the PPSG had been deployed to Samoa before a comprehensive regional framework governing the legal status and movement of personnel was in place.
“The RODF is not a proposal developed ahead of operational needs. It is being drafted to legalise a force that is already deploying without settled legal status,” the report said.
PANG argued that the sequence of events matters because operational capability, funding arrangements and bilateral security commitments have advanced ahead of the proposed regional legal and political framework.
“The question is not simply who is in charge today, but what exactly is being made permanent, under whose authority, and with what limits,” it said.
Call for Leaders to hold back
PANG is urging Forum Leaders not to authorise treaty negotiations for either the BPOPRST or the RODF during the Palau meeting.
Instead, it wants a consolidated assessment of how the proposed instruments would interact with other security structures already taking shape in the region.
These include the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting Status of Forces arrangements, the Integrated Regional Response Mechanism and proposals for a Pacific Peace Institute.
The report said allowing multiple security processes to proceed separately risked creating overlapping and uncoordinated regional arrangements.
PANG is also calling for Forum-level political oversight, ongoing civil society participation and explicit limits on militarisation if treaty negotiations eventually proceed.
“Pacific Leaders must establish strict political control and comprehensive civil oversight before signing permanent international agreements,” the report said.
‘Ocean of Peace’ or military architecture?
The report also raised concerns about the growing number of bilateral security agreements across the Pacific, particularly those involving Australia.
It argued that several Forum members had already entered into different security arrangements with Australia, meaning any future regional treaty would not begin from a “blank page”.
PANG said the Australia-Fiji Ocean of Peace Alliance was particularly significant because it shares the Ocean of Peace name with the proposed Pacific-wide treaty.
“A Pacific-wide treaty proposing to consolidate the region’s declarations is entering a field where a bilateral alliance already carries the same name,” the report said.
It warned that bilateral agreements with provisions allowing other Pacific countries to join could develop into wider regional security arrangements without going through a Forum-wide negotiation process.
The report said this raised questions about who would ultimately shape the meaning and practical implementation of the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace concept.
Silence on nuclear issues
PANG said one of its major concerns was the absence of clear provisions on demilitarisation and nuclear issues.
It said neither the RODF nor publicly available information on the proposed BPOPRST addressed the Treaty of Rarotonga or nuclear weapons.
The report argued that this was significant as new defence arrangements, military exercises and emerging technologies expand security activity across the region.
“The absence of any commitment to demilitarisation is especially striking given the history the Ocean of Peace draws on,” PANG said.
It argued that earlier Pacific peace movements had explicitly opposed foreign military bases, military alliances and nuclear weapons, while the current security architecture was more focused on managing military activity.
“This is the infrastructure of a more heavily militarised region, arriving under the language of assistance,” the report said.
PANG said the issue before Leaders in Palau was ultimately about sovereignty and political control.
It is calling for wider consultation and greater transparency before permanent international agreements are negotiated and signed.
“The question is not whether the Pacific needs security,” the report said. “It is who defines it, who controls it, and who bears its consequences.” …. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Facebook and sorcery accusation-related violence in PNG
By Miranda Forsyth, Anurug Chakma and Joe Barak
PORT MORESBY, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (DEVPOLICY.ORG) — A video appears on Facebook showing a person accused of sorcery being tortured. Sharing it may alert police and help secure the person’s rescue, as well as raising awareness about this terrible form of human rights abuse. But sharing can also circulate the victim’s face and location to new audiences, potentially exposing them to further harm and turning their suffering into a public spectacle.
What should someone who sees such a post do?
This dilemma captures the central finding of our new Development Policy Centre discussion paper. Facebook overwhelmingly dominates the digital landscape in PNG today, acting as a critical medium for the spread of local and national news. It therefore has the potential to both facilitate and prevent sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) — and indeed we found it plays a very multi-faceted role. Facebook is a place where SARV is witnessed and condemned, but also debated, normalised and sometimes encouraged.
We analysed 507 posts addressing SARV from 24 public Facebook pages and groups between 2013 and 2024. We combined statistical and topic analysis with a close reading of selected comment threads and interviews with people working against SARV.
At first glance, the findings appear encouraging. More than 83 percent of posts opposed SARV, while only 2 percent supported it. Yet this does not mean that 83 percent of Papua New Guinean Facebook users oppose SARV. It tells us, above all, who is producing the visible public discourse. Government, NGO and advocacy pages generated 83 percent of all posts in our dataset and 87 percent of the oppositional posts. A relatively small group of committed institutional actors has succeeded in establishing a strong public narrative condemning SARV.
This is a significant achievement. Over the decade covered by our data, Facebook evolved from a space used mainly to report incidents and debate religious dimensions of sorcery accusations into a more developed advocacy infrastructure. More recent posts promote legal reform, promote support for survivors, document parliamentary action, build coalitions and seek to hold political leaders to account. In a context where formal reporting channels are often inaccessible, slow or distrusted, Facebook also allows witnesses and victims to make cases public and difficult to ignore.
But the apparent consensus against SARV weakens when we move from examining institutional posts to individual comments. Here we found a much more varied range of perspectives expressed, including incitements to violence against those accused. We suspect that much more such content circulates in private pages to which we did not have access owing to ethics limitations. This is an area ripe for further investigation.
One real point of contestation in the comments was whether SARV is constitutive of PNG or Melanesian cultural identity. On the one hand, many rejected SARV as an element of cultural identity, labelling it a “primitive” or “stone age” mentality incompatible with modern PNG citizenship. On the other hand, many argued that sorcery belief is intrinsic to Melanesian lifeworlds, contesting the idea that it could be regulated by law or external human rights advocacy.
A common position we found in the comments was “sorcery is real, but violence is wrong”. This is consistent with recent national survey data from the Melanesian Institute showing that many Papua New Guineans simultaneously believe in sorcery and reject violence against those accused. It also reflects the worldview pluralism we have written about previously: biomedical, Christian and magical belief systems can be held at the same time. People may believe that sorcery causes harm while also insisting that torture and killing are morally unacceptable.
This matters for advocacy. Campaigns built only around secular human rights language, criminal penalties or the assertion that sorcery does not exist may fail to engage a substantial part of their intended audience. Effective messages need to meet people within the moral and spiritual worlds they inhabit, while remaining unequivocal that accusation never justifies violence. This could mean emphasising that violence does not resolve misfortune or make communities safer, drawing on Christian as well as legal frameworks and using trusted local voices to frame non-violence as a responsibility to the whole community.
Here the relative digital absence of churches is striking. The church pages in our dataset were among the least likely to post explicit opposition to SARV, despite the strong anti-SARV work of many church leaders offline. We found no Pentecostal or Evangelical institutional pages posting on the issue. Churches are among PNG’s most trusted and far-reaching institutions, and many church leaders already speak in a register that acknowledges spiritual concerns while rejecting violence. Supporting them to translate this work into accessible digital content could extend anti-SARV messaging into communities that secular advocacy struggles to reach.
Our findings point to several practical steps. Governments and donors should treat digital communication as part of core anti-SARV work, not as an optional addition to “real” offline programmes. Advocacy organisations need funding for content production, moderation and strategy. Survivors and survivor organisations should help develop shared protocols for reporting incidents without revealing identities, locations or images that create new risks. Churches and other trusted community leaders should be supported to produce locally grounded messages. Online campaigns should also connect to offline dialogue, where fears, grievances and competing explanations can be talked through rather than merely contradicted.
In addition, while 2022’s glasman legislation significantly strengthened criminal penalties for making accusations of sorcery, it does not contain provisions addressing the use of technology or social media to incite violence or distribute SARV-related content. This should be a priority for law reform.
Facebook’s most valuable role may be its capacity to make SARV visible and create pressure to act. However, the danger is that the same visibility can magnify accusations, intensify humiliation and cause harm, as well as acting as a contagion mechanism by spreading and normalising the violence. The challenge is to build a safer and more effective anti-SARV digital ecosystem that capitalises on the reach of Facebook to spread effective messages and support coalitions of support for survivors…. PACNEWS
Miranda Forsyth is a professor at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at ANU and ARC Future Fellow.
Anurug Chakma is a Research Fellow in the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University and a Visiting Fellow in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University.
Joe Barak is a research officer with the Culture and Society Research Programme at PNG National Research Institute.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific meteorological services strengthen ICT capacity through regional COSPPac workshop
MELBOURNE, 02 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC) — As climate-related hazards continue to increase across the Pacific, robust ICT systems are becoming increasingly important in ensuring that weather forecasts, climate information and early warnings reach governments, communities and decision-makers in a timely and reliable manner.
Recognising this need, information and communications technology (ICT) professionals from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) across the Pacific gathered in Melbourne, Australia, for the first-ever Regional ICT Workshop, aimed at strengthening the digital systems that support weather, climate and ocean services throughout the region.
The workshop brought together ICT personnel, technical partners and regional specialists who support the delivery of critical weather and climate information to Pacific communities.
Organised under the Australia and New Zealand-supported Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac), the five-day workshop provided a platform to enhance capacity in managing systems, networks, databases, websites and cybersecurity measures, share experiences and develop practical solutions.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Dr Stuart Minchin, CEO and Director of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, highlighted the critical role of ICT in modern meteorological operations.
“Reliable ICT systems are now at the heart of effective weather, climate and ocean services. From collecting observations and managing data to disseminating forecasts and early warnings, strong digital infrastructure enables our meteorological services to provide timely and accurate information that helps protect lives, livelihoods and economies across the Pacific.”
He added that regional cooperation remains essential in addressing common challenges and building long-term resilience.
“Through COSPPac and partnerships across the region, we can share expertise, learn from one another and work towards stronger, more resilient ICT systems that support all Pacific communities.”
Over the week, participants undertook hands-on training and discussions covering ICT infrastructure, cloud computing, network management, maintenance planning, cybersecurity, data storage, APIs, website management, accessibility, analytics, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
A key objective of the workshop was to help countries identify priority ICT gaps and develop practical actions to improve the resilience, reliability and security of their operational systems.
Leonard V. Bale, ICT Manager at the Fiji Meteorological Services and Chair of the Pacific Island Communications Infrastructure (PICI) Panel, an advisory committee to the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC), underlined that the first-of-its-kind workshop is instrumental in establishing a benchmark of needs and gaps across the region. He encouraged the participants to review and update the findings from the COSPPac-supported national ICT capacity assessments.
A seasoned ICT professional with the Fiji Meteorological Service, Bale emphasised that the most important investment Pacific meteorological services can make is in their people. He encouraged fellow ICT professionals attending the workshop to step outside their comfort zones and gain a broader understanding of meteorological services and products beyond the ICT domain.
“Technology is evolving rapidly, and continuous learning is the only way to keep pace. Build both your professional networks and your technical expertise. Do not fear AI but learn to use it responsibly. Human expertise remains our greatest differentiator,” he said.
Participants also developed maintenance and troubleshooting plans, explored opportunities for automated data exchange through APIs, and improved their understanding of operational data workflows and emerging regional initiatives such as WIS 2.0.
The workshop additionally focused on strengthening National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) websites and mobile platforms to ensure weather, climate and ocean information is accessible, user-friendly and inclusive for all users, including persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Expected outcomes from the workshop include updated national ICT assessments, country-level action plans, preliminary website accessibility reviews, and the identification of future technical assistance and regional collaboration opportunities under COSPPac.
The COSPPac programme supports Pacific Island countries in strengthening climate and ocean information services through technical assistance, capacity development and regional collaboration, helping countries improve resilience to weather and climate-related risks…. PACNEWS
