In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Neville Choi takes PINA presidency as Moala steps down
2. PACIFIC — PNG secures bid to host 2028 Pacific Media Summi
3. PACIFIC — Climate crisis ‘not of our making’, Palau’s President says, speaking for small island States
4. PACIFIC — ‘Pacific voices have helped shape global response,’ Marshall Islands says
5. FIJI — Fiji chooses principles, not power blocs: President
6. PACIFIC — ‘Hear or voice, end fossil fuel expansion’: Torres Strait message to Australia’s Pre-COP
7. COOKS — U.S Ambassador rejects military base claims over Penrhyn wharf
8. FIJI — Fiji Military backs civilian control
9. PACIFIC — Australia launched new Pacific defence training hub
10. VAN — Vanuatu denies revoking Andrew Tate’s citizenship
11. PACNEWS BIZ — 500 Development Banks to meet in Thailand for the 2027 finance in Common Summit
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Op-Measles is making a comeback. Will we end it for good?
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Neville Choi takes PINA presidency as Moala steps down
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Papua New Guinea Media Council President Neville Choi has been elected President of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), replacing veteran Tongan journalist Kalafi Moala, who stepped down after serving one term.
Choi was elected at the PINA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Savusavu on Friday, with Solomon Islands journalist Lisa Osifelo elected Vice President.
Kalafi withdrew his nomination for another term, telling members he had decided it was time for new leadership.
“I just want to say that I withdraw. Thank you for the nomination. Thank you for your support. But I withdraw.
“Let’s just have our next President,” Kalafi said.
Kalafi said the next phase of PINA would be closely linked to Papua New Guinea, which will host the Pacific Media Summit in 2028.
He said Choi had the capacity to lead the organisation into its next term.
“We’re going to Papua New Guinea. And all the changes that we want to happen is this one guy that can really do it,” Kalafi said.
Kalafi thanked PINA members for their support during his term and acknowledged the PINA secretariat and board for their work.
“It’s been a tremendous journey and I’ve worked very closely.
“I want to especially thank Makereta Komau and the Secretary for the tremendous support and the leadership you have provided,” he said.
Kalafi also welcomed the newly elected board members, using humour to tell them their work would come with a pay rise.
“For those of you new members on the board, one thing I was assured, they’re going to increase your salary.
“They’re going to add on two more zeros to the pay that you’ve been getting,” he said
In his first remarks as PINA President, Choi thanked Kalafi for his leadership and said his influence would continue beyond his term.
“Kalafi, since Niue, I think we’ve all seen what you are and who you are. And you’ve just been yourself.
“You’ve been authentic. You’ve been visionary, but you’ve also tied us to our roots,” Choi said.
Choi said Kalafi had reminded Pacific journalists of their shared identity and connection across the region.
“You’ve brought us back to our land, our sea, our mountains.
“You always have a tale about all these things that continue to remind us that we are from one island and one nation, which is the Pacific,” he said.
Choi said one message from Kalafi would guide him as he takes on the presidency.
“The oceans may be wide, but it’s what connects us.
“And that I will take away and into this new term,” he said.
Choi thanked PINA members for their confidence and said he valued the experience and advice Kalafi had provided during his time on the board.
“You have shown confidence in me to represent you at times when you could not represent the PINA board.
“I truly, truly value all the experience that you have given me and the board,” he said.
Choi asked Moala to remain involved as PINA prepares for its next phase.
“So, until Papua New Guinea, I would like you to still continue to provide advice, because we do value your advice a lot,” he said.
The new PINA board is:
*President: Neville Choi — Papua New Guinea
*Vice President: Lisa Osifelo — Solomon Islands
*Print Media Representative: Frank Genaia — Papua New Guinea
*Television Representative: Charles Sumbe — Vanuatu
*Radio Representative: Viola Ulakai — Tonga
*Online/Digital Media Representative: Rose Amos — Papua New Guinea
* National Media Association Representative: Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia — Samoa
The new leadership takes office as PINA prepares for the 2028 Pacific Media Summit in Papua New Guinea…..PACNEWS
PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
PNG secures bid to host 2028 Pacific Media Summi
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Papua New Guinea has secured the bid to host the Pacific Media Summit in 2028, with the decision taken at the Pacific Islands News Association Annual General Meeting in Savusavu on Friday.
President of the PNG Media Council, Neville Choi, said PNG was ready to host the regional summit and build on the standard set by Fiji with this year’s event.
“We are ready to host. And we have a very, very tough act to follow,” Choi said.
Choi said PNG had spent several years working with the government to strengthen the media industry and ensure it remained self-regulating.
He said the media industry needed to move while it still had the confidence of regional governments, particularly with elections approaching in several Pacific countries.
“While the eye is hot, while we still have the confidence of regional governments in some of our countries, I think we need to start moving before the next elections,” Choi said.
He said PNG was preparing for an election scheduled for April next year and acknowledged that the current members of Parliament may not remain after the election.
“What we do know is that the work that we have done over the past three to four years has put the media in PNG on a stronger footing with negotiating with the government, with ensuring that the industry remains self-regulating,” he said.
Choi said the PNG media industry had spent the past five years working to find the right balance of negotiation, understanding and collaboration with national leaders.
“Those things have now put us with legislation that says, or at least sets the foundation, for how we can be not just Papua New Guinea, but the Pacific,” he said.
Choi said PNG’s cultural diversity would also provide an important backdrop for the 2028 summit.
“We are a land of more than a thousand tribes. We have the same number of cultural foundations,” he said.
He said the PNG Government was currently supportive of the media sector, but warned that the situation could change.
“There are things that we know that can change overnight,” Choi said.
“Our passion now is to ensure that that doesn’t happen before we can achieve what we want to achieve.”
Choi said the PNG media delegation and PINA members across the country were ready to begin preparations for the 2028 summit.
He acknowledged the Fiji Media Association(FMA) for setting a high standard with the 2026 Pacific Media Summit.
“I think the Fijian Media Association has shown that this is the level and standard of the PINA Summit,” he said.
“And it’s going to be, like I said, a tough act to follow. But we are up to the challenge.”
Choi called on regional media organisations to support PNG as it prepares to host the summit.
“If you are only supportive, then we want you along with us on this journey over the next few years,” he said….PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CLIMATE CHANGE: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Climate crisis ‘not of our making’, Palau’s President says, speaking for small island States
NEW YORK, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —“For States that are literally defined by the ocean around us, the impact of sea level rise will be life-altering,” said Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States(AOSIS).
Sea level rise threatens their people’s well-being, cultures and ecosystems, he said. Compounding those threats is the “unfairness of the situation”: “The climate crisis is not of our making.”
Small island developing States have sounded the alarm since the 1989 Malé Declaration on Global Warming and Sea Level Rise and helped develop international law on the issue, he said.
He welcomed today’s declaration as “a genuine achievement”, while stressing that it is “far from the end of our journey”.
UN agencies are working with partners around the world on a wide range of initiatives to address threats stemming from sea level risee include:
*Supports countries facing sea level rise through climate action, adaptation, early warning systems and international cooperation.
*Helps mobilise financing and strengthen resilience in small island developing States and other vulnerable countries.
*Supports global efforts under the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit future sea level rise….PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
‘Pacific voices have helped shape global response,’ Marshall Islands says
NEW YORK, 25 SEPTEMBER 2025 ( UN NEWS CENTRE)—Speaking on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, the representative of the Marshall Islands welcomed the Declaration as evidence that Pacific countries have helped shape the international response to sea level rise.
Its affirmation that maritime zones can remain in place despite shifting coastlines reflects a solution long advanced by the region, he said.
The Pacific has sounded the alarm on rising seas for more than three decades, he recalled.
The Declaration is an important step, but countries must follow it with stronger adaptation measures, better disaster preparedness and new financial commitments to help communities confront the growing threat.
As the world grapples with rising sea levels, the UN has issued a series of forward-looking recommendations recognising the global multidimensional impacts and their implications for human rights and sustainable development, including that:
*Strategies should support the resilience of affected communities in maintaining their cultural identities and traditional ways of life in the face of rising seas
*Climate-resilient planning at the national and local levels, including nature-based solutions, flood-resilient infrastructure and inclusive zoning, will be critical to reduce long-term vulnerability
*Urgent action should target the integration of multi-hazard early warning systems, sector-wide adaptation measures and human rights-based disaster risk reduction to ensure that access and finance reach States, communities and individuals…PACNEWS
FIJI – DIPLOMACY: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Fiji chooses principles, not power blocs: President
NEW YORK, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—Fiji will not be drawn into choosing between competing global power blocs and will instead stand by international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has told the UN General Assembly in New York.
Addressing world leaders, Ratu Naiqama said international law was particularly important for small states, whose security could not depend on military strength.
“International law is not optional and peace cannot be secured by power alone,” he said.
“For small states, the principles of the Charter — sovereign equality, territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes — are the safeguards against a world in which the size of military strength decides whose rights matter.”
Ratu Naiqama said Fiji’s position was clear when faced with competition between major powers.
“When the world asks small states to choose between competing power blocs, Fiji chooses principles and we choose the Charter.
“We choose international law. We choose dialogue over coercion, human dignity over domination and cooperation over confrontation.”
He called for the peaceful settlement of conflicts and urged parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law and return to negotiations.
“The Charter does not apply differently according to who is involved or where,” he said.
“Fiji asks the same of every party in every theatre.”
Ratu Naiqama also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to UN peacekeeping operations.
He said peacekeeping missions must be “properly mandated, properly financed and properly supported”, while greater investment was needed in prevention, mediation and diplomacy.
“We carry a very simple conviction: the life of a stranger is worth protecting. Dialogue is worth pursuing, and peace, however difficult, is always worth building.”
Turning to the Pacific, Ratu Naiqama said the region continued to carry the legacy of militarisation and nuclear testing.
“Our ocean carries the memory of decisions made elsewhere, but suffered by Pacific peoples,” he said.
That history, he said, strengthened the Pacific’s determination to remain a region of peace.
“Our message to all partners is clear: the Pacific welcomes friendship, investment and genuine cooperation. But our ocean must not become a theatre in which others settle their rivalries.”
Ratu Naiqama also highlighted the Pacific Resilience Facility, saying it was the first climate and disaster financing facility owned, governed and hosted by the states it serves.
He said the facility had an initial capitalisation target of US$500 million by December, with US$173 million pledged so far.
“I thank all those who have come forward, and I ask those who are able to close the gap to do so willingly,” he said.
“Cooperation of this kind does not diminish our sovereignty. It strengthens our ability to exercise it.”
Ratu Naiqama also told world leaders that the size and vulnerability of Pacific Island nations should never be mistaken for a lack of influence or agency on the global stage.
He called for a United Nations that moves beyond describing global crises and delivers meaningful solutions.
“Our size does not diminish our voice. Our vulnerability does not diminish our agency, and our distance from the centres of power does not distance us from its consequences,” he said.
The 81st UN General Assembly is meeting under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
President Lalabalavu said transformation was inevitable, but countries had a choice over how that transformation would be managed.
“The real question is what kind of transformation we choose? Will it be governed by law or by power?” he said.
“And will this great assembly remain a place where we come to describe crisis or become an institution that solves them?”
He urged world leaders to ensure the 81st session was remembered not simply for acknowledging the scale of global challenges, but for decisions taken to address them.
“Let this 81st session be remembered, and not for the depth of our concern, but for the courage of our decisions.”
President Lalabalavu also called for a United Nations that could rebuild international trust through fairness, adaptability and results.
“Let us build a United Nations that is trusted because it is fair, relevant because it adapts and respected because it delivers,” he said.
For the Pacific, he said the goal must remain a region capable of determining its own future.
“Let us build a Pacific that remains an ocean of peace, united in purpose, confident in its identity, and strong enough to shape its own future.”
President Lalabalavu said the success of international diplomacy should ultimately be measured by its impact on ordinary people rather than the speeches delivered by leaders.
“The measure of what we do here will not be found in our speeches,” he said.
“It will be found in whether a coastal community can remain on the land of its ancestors, and whether a young person can trust democracy and find future at their home.”
“That is the United Nations Fiji believes in and that is the trust we must restore together,” he said…..PACNEWS
PACIFIC – PRE COP : TORRES NEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
‘Hear or voice, end fossil fuel expansion’: Torres Strait message to Australia’s Pre-COP
BRISBANE, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (TORRES NEWS)—Torres Strait Islander advocates have called on the Australian government to use next week’s Pre-COP meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu to showcase their voices as the country’s most climate-vulnerable citizens, and also end its double standard on fossil fuels.
Last edition the Torres News reported the federal government had no official role planned for its Torres Strait citizens at the global climate talks, despite being Pre-COP co-hosts and the lead negotiators at November’s COP31 in Turkiye.
Pacific leaders and some counterparts from around the world will meet at the Pre-COP to co-ordinate their negotiating strategy for COP31, and travel to Tuvalu to see the climate impacts first hand.
The Our Islands, Our Home campaign told the Torres News it was time for Australia to act for its citizens’ and the region’s interests.
“It is deeply disappointing that there appears to be no clear role for Torres Strait Islanders in these important Pacific and global climate discussions,” Kulkalgal Traditional Owner Kabay Tamu said.
“Australia has a responsibility not only to support us on climate change, but also to support our right to self-determination and stronger regional representation.”
Torres Strait 8 litigant Yessie Mosby from Masig said he was planning to travel to Fiji for the Pre-COP to advocate for the region.
“For too long the Australian Government has held back action on climate change, putting our island homes at risk and ignoring our rights as both First Nations and Melanesian peoples,” Mosby said.
“I will be advocating for Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) both at Pre-COP and COP31, our voices need to be part of the conversations that shape decisions affecting the future of our people and our homes.”
Their sentiments were echoed by Saibai Koedal woman Barbs Ibuai, from the Torres Strait-led Climate Collective Zenadth Kes (CCZK), who previously attend COP meetings in Brazil last year and Azerbaijan in 2024.
“We want Australia to show the Pacific what climate leadership looks like in practice,” she said.
“People are asking, ‘How can Canberra call itself a Pacific climate leader while continuing to expand fossil-fuel production?’
“Australia cannot present one climate story to the Pacific and pursue another at home.”
At the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Palau earlier this month, Tuvalu and Vanuatu’s climate ministers Maina Vakafua Talia and Ralph Regenvanu challenged Australia’s position, as a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report warned the 1.5C warming target would be overshot in the next five years.
“The very least a country like Australia should be doing is stopping future (fossil fuel) expansion, and it’s not doing that,” Regenvanu told journalists.
“You need to stop expansion, and you need to start transitioning away.”
While the PIFLM was underway, the federal government approved the extension of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance Saraji coal mine in Queensland – the 37th fossil fuel approval by Labor since it was elected in 2022 – and the first gas was pumped from the Beetaloo Basin fracking project in the Northern Territory.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at PIFLM that, “Pacific leaders have respect for the position that we’ve taken”.
“They also understand with the transition, because they’re dealing with it as well, that the transition can’t happen overnight, that it requires strategies and policies to be put in place,” he said.
The Greens said the federal government should platform Torres Strait Island lived experiences at Pre-COP and COP31 and stop fossil fuel extraction.
“Torres Strait Islanders are on the frontline of climate collapse,” Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge told Torres News .
“That experience, that knowledge must be front and centre at international conferences.
“Everyone across the Pacific has been clear that climate is the biggest threat to their future and Australia is supercharging the collapse.
“That is a story the Australian Government wants to censor, but there couldn’t be a more important time to listen to voices from the Torres Strait.”
Leaders from Thailand, the Maldives, Timor-Leste, and Pacific leaders were expected to attend the Pre-COP from 06 to 08 October….PACNEWS
COOKS – DIPLOMACY: PMN PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
U.S Ambassador rejects military base claims over Penrhyn wharf
WELLINGTON/RAROTONGA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—-The United States ambassador to the Cook Islands says Washington is not discussing a military base at Penrhyn/Tongareva.
Jared Novelly is pushing back on recent reporting about the planned wharf at the remote Tongareva atoll.
Novelly has just returned from Tongareva where he travelled with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to see the site of the planned wharf and meet the community.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings, Novelly said he had not discussed a military base with Brown during the visit.
“The security deals that we talk about are around illegal fisheries and narco-terrorism,” he said.
“You know, we briefly discussed that on our trip as well. But in no way are we talking about a military base here.”
Novelly was also asked about an earlier headline which said a US military presence at Penrhyn was being negotiated.
“I want to be clear that I have not acknowledged that whatsoever,” he said. “That was a headline. That was a quote that was taken out of context.”
He said if the Cook Islands asked the United States about a defence application for the port, the two countries could discuss it. But he said that was not the reason for the project.
The United States is putting US$50 million (NZ$88.27 million) into the planned wharf upgrade with New Zealand contributing NZ$17.5m (US$9.89 million). The project is now moving into its feasibility and planning phase.
The project was formally agreed during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau earlier this month.
Prime Minister Brown, New Zealand Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters and US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, signed the agreement.
Peters described the project as a “positive and hugely significant initiative” while Brown said the wharf would be “a lifeline for Tongareva” providing safer landings, better access to services, and stronger connections for the Pa Enua.
Penrhyn MP Vaine Wichman has also stressed the importance of making sure local people are involved in the project.
“I will make sure that our people will be involved, especially in the construction of the infrastructure,” she said.
Penrhyn Executive Officer Puna Vano, who is currently working with New Zealand Defence Force personnel on community projects, says the atoll has welcomed the outside support.
“Penrhyn is blessed,” Vano says.
He says he has been impressed by the way the NZDF personnel are approaching their work.
“They want to make sure that we get the best,” he says.
Novelly says seeing Tongareva first-hand has changed his understanding of what the project means for the people living there. “It is the lifeblood for that island.”
He said supplies such as sugar, rice and flour can take months to reach the remote atoll while fuel, food, medicines and other essential goods currently come ashore through ageing infrastructure.
Novelly said the wharf would also have a role in disaster recovery, fisheries monitoring and wider Pacific security.
“Illegal fishing is a major issue throughout the Pacific and in the Cook Islands EEZ,” he said. “And there are bad actors out there that are perpetuating that illegal fishing.”
He said the port could support work with Pacific partners and the U.S Coast Guard including efforts against illegal fishing and what he called “narco-terrorism”.
Novelly also rejected the idea that the US investment depends on the Cook Islands pursuing seabed mining.
He said planning for the port began before recent debate over deep sea mining and that the facility would have multiple uses.
“The discussion of this port and the need for this port predates my ascending to the ambassadorship or any of the recent discussions around seabed mining,” he told PMN.
Ambassador Novelly acknowledged that if the Cook Islands chose to pursue deep sea harvesting of polymetallic nodules, the U.S could potentially become a market for those resources.
But he said the port should not be viewed as being for one purpose alone.
Novelly said the project also reflected long-standing U.S ties with Tongareva, where American personnel built the original port and airfield during World War Two.
He said visiting the atoll had left a lasting impression. “The Pacific inspires me. It is a vast ocean, a gift from God.”
He said one young person on Tongareva told him he was the first American they had ever met.
Novelly said the encounter, along with the island’s memories of the US wartime presence, made the visit particularly meaningful.
“This trip touches me and every trip to the Pacific touches me,” Novelly said.
The project will now move into feasibility and planning, with the Cook Islands, New Zealand and United States to work together on the proposed wharf at Tongareva…..PACNEWS
FIJI – DIPLOMACY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Fiji Military backs civilian control
SUVA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2028 (FIJI SUN)—The Fiji military has backed recommended constitutional changes that would place its domestic operations under civilian authority.
The proposed shift is supported by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai and Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua.
The RFMF has accepted that its role in domestic operations should be subject to civilian control, as recommended by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) and reflected in public submissions.
The CRC’s report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, recommends that the Constitution make clear that the RFMF’s primary role is external defence.
It says the military should only act as an aid to civil power domestically when authorised by Parliament.
The recommendation reflects public submissions, including one from the RFMF, and addresses what the commission described as the “constitutional guardianship” loophole historically used to justify military intervention in political processes.
Section 131(2) of the 2013 Constitution currently states that the overall responsibility of the RFMF is to ensure at all times the security, defence and well-being of Fiji and all Fijians.
Major-General Kalouniwai said the proposed change would not weaken the military but would place it in its proper role.
“That’s under civilian leadership,” he said.
He said under the proposed arrangement, the RFMF would require authorisation from Parliament to operate domestically, which was not required under the current Constitution.
“If we want to go, we’ll just go. We’ll just talk with whoever we want to talk to, and we’ll just walk out.
“We’re going to civilian street and that’s the danger.”
Major-General Kalouniwai said requiring civilian authorisation would ensure the RFMF remained within its constitutional role.
“When we’re working with the police, when we’re doing any other thing that requires us to bear arms in the country, in the responsibility that we play, it has to have a ministerial consent. It has to go through Parliament.”
Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua said the CRC recommendations complemented the Government’s current work.
“Essentially what they are recommending is that the RFMF aligns itself properly under the democratic framework from which a nation like Fiji is governed and that has to be supported in all respect,” he said.
“I can assure our nation also that the RFMF is fully cognisant of and is supportive of that.”
The CRC also recommended establishing an independent Director of Military Prosecutions and a Military Court in the Constitution.
The court would be open to the public and staffed by military judges who are sitting High Court judges.
It would deal with major offences committed by military personnel and ensure they remain subject to the Constitution and protected by the Bill of Rights as accused persons.
The Cabinet Subcommittee will reconsider the CRC’s recommendations before tabling its own recommendations in Parliament, which begins debating the report on 28 September…PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DEFENCE: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Australia launched new Pacific defence training hub
NADI, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—Defence and security personnel across the Pacific can now access professional development and career planning through the new online Defence Training Hub – Pacific.
Launching the platform at BlackRock Camp in Fiji, Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil said the Hub was a practical example of regional collaboration and an investment in the people responsible for regional security.
“Above all, this new training Hub is an investment in people and the skills that will help keep our region safe and secure,” Khalil said.
The platform was developed with Pacific nations through discussions at the previous South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting. It brings together training offered by Australia, Pacific nations and partners in the Pacific Quadrilateral Defence Coordinating Group in one accessible course library.
More than 150 training modules are already available, covering maritime security, land-based security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The catalogue is expected to grow over the coming months.
A Learning Pathways tool allows personnel to see the training and experience required to move through different roles, from entry-level appointments to specialist and leadership positions. The feature is intended to give Pacific personnel greater visibility of, and ownership over, their professional development.
Khalil said bringing regional opportunities into one place would make it easier for personnel to access courses, build skills and plan their careers.
“By bringing training opportunities together on a single platform, we are building a more connected, capable and interoperable Pacific while strengthening the relationships that underpin our region’s security,” he said.
As the Hub develops, it is also expected to support information sharing about training activities, regional exercises and defence cooperation initiatives.
The broader aim is to strengthen links between Pacific defence and security organisations, improve interoperability and build the capabilities needed to respond collectively to shared security challenges….PACNEWS
VAN – CITIZENSHIP: OCCRP PACNEWS 3: Fri 25 Sep 2026
Vanuatu denies revoking Andrew Tate’s citizenship
PORT VILA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (OCCRP)—-The government of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has denied a media report that it had revoked the citizenship of online influencer and alleged rapist Andrew Tate.
The denial comes after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Monday that the self-described misogynist had been stripped of his Vanuatu passport, which OCCRP revealed last year had been granted in 2022 under the country’s citizenship-by-investment programme.
The chairman of Vanuatu’s citizenship commission, Charlie Maniel, told OCCRP the commission had never made a decision to revoke Tate’s citizenship.
In a statement forwarded to OCCRP by Maniel, the commission said Tate’s citizenship was not revoked because he had not been convicted of a crime. Vanuatu law allows for citizenship to be revoked if someone is sentenced to 10 years or more in prison, the statement said.
“The Commission was informed of [the charges against Tate]; however, it has not made a decision to revoke the grant of citizenship, as there is currently insufficient evidence to support such action based on the Citizenship Office’s records and the recent due diligence information received,” the statement said.
The statement said a review of Andrew Tate’s original citizenship application determined that it met all due diligence and verification checks.
OCCRP previously reported that Tate’s citizenship was granted as part of a scheme that fast-tracks passports in exchange for a minimum investment of US$130,000. It was granted around the time of his arrest by Romanian authorities on charges including rape and human trafficking. That case has since collapsed, although Romanian authorities have issued fresh indictments.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are currently being held in a Miami jail while they fight an extradition request from U.K authorities to face separate charges of rape, assault, and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Both brothers deny any wrongdoing….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FRANCE – ADB MEET: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 25 Sep 2026
500 Development Banks to meet in Thailand for the 2027 finance in Common Summit
PARIS, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ADB)– The sixth edition of the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) will be held at the United Nations Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand from 31 March to 02 April 2027.
It will bring together more than 500 public development banks and their stakeholders.
The summit will be co-hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with support from Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and other regional and global partners. Its theme is “Delivering Sustainable Growth for a More Resilient Future.”
The first FiCS summit to be held in Asia will convene leaders from public development banks that collectively manage about US$23 trillion in assets, giving them unmatched capacity to mobilise targeted investment and deliver tangible development results.
As a challenging global environment and tightening fiscal space make it harder for countries to finance urgent development needs, the Bangkok summit will place a strong emphasis on project origination, innovative transactions, and concrete networking and investment opportunities.
“History has placed a clear duty before us,” said ADB President Masato Kanda. “The international system is fragmenting, needs are rising, and delay carries a heavy price. In Bangkok, the world’s public development banks must marshal the full weight of their financial strength and resolve. The decisions we take there can shape the security and opportunity of billions of people for a generation.”
Finance in Common is the global forum for all public development banks, publicly mandated institutions that finance long-term economic and social priorities. Launched in 2020, the initiative coordinates investment, strengthens common practices, and gives these institutions a stronger voice in international economic debates. Its members invest about US$2.5 trillion a year, originating quality projects and leveraging private finance.
“Bringing the Finance in Common coalition to Asia for the first time marks a critical turning point. Public development banks have played and are still playing a critical role in the sustainable development of the region. Together, they form a unique global financial architecture, bridging international ambitions with real-world execution,” said Finance in Common Chairman Rémy Rioux.
“In Bangkok, our goal is clear: keep a long-term, collective and transformational perspective and deliver bankable, high-impact investments that drive sustainable growth where it matters most.”
The 2027 meeting follows gatherings in Paris in 2020, Rome in 2021, Abidjan in 2022, Cartagena in 2023, and Cape Town in 2025. More than 2,000 participants are expected, including public development bank executives, senior government officials, regulators, business leaders, institutional investors, civil society representatives, researchers, and international organisations. The program will include plenary discussions, working sessions, investment pitches, and meetings between financial institutions and prospective partners.
The Bangkok gathering aims to be a “Summit of Delivery,” connecting public and private financiers with investment opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. The summit will strengthen the role of public development banks as a system, advancing collective action and expanding financing for nature positive investments, building resilience to a changing climate, and clean energy.
The summit will also advance key issues addressed during ADB’s 2026 chairship of the Heads of Multilateral Development Banks and the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Priorities include mobilizing more private capital, sharing and co-financing projects with other investors, reducing duplication among institutions, and keeping long-term investment moving during economic crises…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Op-Measles is making a comeback. Will we end it for good?
By Dr Saia Mau Piukala
MANILA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—For many years, measles felt like a disease of the past across the Western Pacific region. Image: University of Iowa health care
FOR many years, measles felt like a disease of the past across the Western Pacific region.
This did not happen by chance.
It was the result of decades of political commitment, investment, and public health work that steadily pushed measles closer to elimination.
Health workers carried vaccines across mountains, rivers, crowded cities, and remote islands. Surveillance systems worked to detect outbreaks early. Countries collaborated to close gaps in vaccine coverage.
Globally, since 1974, vaccination has prevented an estimated 154 million deaths from a range of diseases. Measles vaccination alone accounts for around 94 million lives saved, including 12 million in the Western Pacific Region. It is the single most impactful vaccine intervention of the past 50 years.
But in recent years, amid vaccination challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with mounting antivaccine misinformation, measles outbreaks have been resurging, bringing back a disease we have long known how to prevent.
Behind every outbreak is a gap: a missed child, delayed action, weakened trust, or communities not reached through regular vaccination programmes. In the Western Pacific —home to 2.2 billion people, more than a quarter of the world’s population—an immunity gap in one country quickly becomes a regional risk.
This should concern all of us because measles is not only about one disease. It is one of the clearest signals of whether health systems are strong, consistent, and serving everyone.
Experts across the region agree that achieving measles elimination by 2030 is possible. Indeed, just last year WHO certified that both measles and rubella had been eliminated as a public health threat in all 21 Pacific island countries and areas.
We know what works: strong routine immunisation; watching closely for outbreaks and responding quickly when they happen; trusted health workers; and ongoing work with communities.
What is needed now is a renewal of political commitment, health policies grounded in science, and sustained resources – both financial and human.
Governments, international and national donors, and other partners must continue investing in immunisation as a key pillar of public health, even when outbreaks are not dominating headlines.
This is becoming more urgent in a fast-changing world.
Funding shortfalls lower vaccine supply, while hesitancy fuelled by false information reduces demand. Disasters, conflicts, rising energy costs and other uncertainties threaten vaccine supply chains. And rapid demographic shifts—from ageing to mobile populations—are changing immunisation requirements.
Governments are left to meet rising needs with limited resources. But immunisation is not just a cost. It’s a life-saving investment.
Immunisation does more than prevent diseases. It strengthens health systems, protects economies from costly outbreaks, and supports healthier societies. Every US dollar invested in immunisation generates up to US$54 in social and economic returns. But these benefits are not reaching everyone equally. In 2025, there were over 1.6 million zero-dose children in the Western Pacific – children who have not received even a first routine vaccine. They face the greatest risks.
Immunisation is also becoming increasingly important throughout people’s lives, not just in childhood. As populations age, health needs change.
The Region has the tools, expertise and experience needed to succeed.
Recently, the nine countries yet to achieve measles elimination in the Western Pacific came together with WHO and experts to discuss how to achieve this by 2030. The message from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Viet Nam is clear. Measles elimination is possible, but no country can achieve or sustain it alone.
Countries cannot rely only on emergency campaigns during outbreaks. There must be strong routine immunisation and surveillance systems that consistently reach every child and community, year after year.
In 2024 and 2025, nearly 20 million children were born in the Region each of those years. All of them need protection through routine vaccination. We cannot become complacent.
The Western Pacific has already shown what collective action can achieve. For more than 25 years, the Region has sustained its polio-free status through political commitment, regional solidarity, strong surveillance, and sustained investment in immunisation.
Countries now have an opportunity to build on that success and achieve another historic public health milestone: measles elimination under WHO’s Immunisation Agenda 2030.
But this will only happen if we act now. Governments must treat immunisation not as a short-term programme, but as a long-term investment in health security, stability, and future generations.
The goal of achieving measles elimination regionwide by 2030 is ambitious. But ambition has always defined public health progress in the Western Pacific.
Measles moves fast. Our Region must move faster…..PACNEWS
