In this bulletin:
1. VAN — Vanuatu takes maritime dispute with France to international arbitration
2. PACIFIC — Australia open to recruiting Pacific Islanders into military, Conroy says
3. PACIFIC — Pacific pushes for rotating seat on UN Security council
4.PACIFIC — U.S targets UN decolonisation, silence may signal acceptance
5. PACIFIC — Forum SG Waqa warns cybercrime is an established Pacific security threat
6. FIJI — Fiji develops climate priorities ahead of COP31
7. PNG — Rise in PNG MP deaths worries Wapunai
8. FIJI — Fiji diplomats undergo regional training in New Zealand
9. TAIWAN — Taiwan vows to remain Palau’s ‘most reliable partner’ at first Independence Day celebration in Taipei
10. COOKS — Court petitions likely to push Cook Islands parliament sitting into 2027
11. UN — UN marks 81 years of global cooperation
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Wealth gap, corruption threaten unity: Tom
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Strengthening national competent authorities to support Pacific seafood exports
14. PACNEWS BIZ — PM urges Samoa to be prepared for the impacts of El Nino
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific women are already doing the work. COP31 must back them
16. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific teams plan research on climate-related health risks
VAN – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Vanuatu takes maritime dispute with France to international arbitration
PORT VILA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Vanuatu has launched international arbitration proceedings against France over competing maritime claims involving reefs, atolls and small islands between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
The proceedings, brought under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), seek an independent ruling on the legal status of features including Umaenupne (Matthew), Umaeneg/Leka (Hunter), Walpole Island and other reefs and atolls.
Vanuatu argues that under international law, features unable to sustain human habitation or an economic life of their own, as well as low-tide elevations, cannot generate extensive maritime zones.
France claims the features entitle it to maritime zones that include rights over fisheries and seabed resources.
Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister and lead negotiator on maritime boundaries, sovereignty and decolonisation Johnny Koanapo said the dispute should be resolved through international law.
“Maritime rights must be determined by international law, not by the scale of claims over the ocean. We are asking an independent tribunal to clarify the law and provide a fair and lawful basis to resolve this dispute,” Koanapo said.
The arbitration is separate from Vanuatu’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), filed in August, seeking confirmation of its sovereignty over Umaenupne (Matthew) and Umaeneg/Leka (Hunter).
Koanapo said Vanuatu was committed to the international rules-based order and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
“Vanuatu stands for the international rules-based order and the peaceful settlement of disputes. We are using the legal processes available to us to assert our rights with dignity and to resolve unresolved colonial legacies,” he said.
The arbitration marks a further legal step by Vanuatu to challenge France’s maritime claims and seek clarification of the rights generated by the disputed features…. PACNEWS
PAC – DEFENCE/SECURITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Australia open to recruiting Pacific Islanders into military, Conroy says
CANBERRA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Australia is considering expanding military recruitment from Pacific Island countries beyond Papua New Guinea but says its initial focus will be on ensuring the pilot programme does not weaken the region’s own defence forces.
Australian Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy said countries including Fiji had expressed interest in the initiative, which will initially recruit 100 Papua New Guinean citizens into the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Pukpuk Mutual Defence Treaty.
In a radio interview with ABC, Conroy said Australia wanted to establish a workable recruitment model with PNG before considering expansion to other Pacific countries.
“We’ve flagged we’re interested in it. I think countries like Fiji have also expressed interest in it. But we want to start with PNG,” he said.
He said PNG was Australia’s first new alliance partner and had a large population and a government supportive of the initiative.
“If we get the model right for PNG that will make it a lot easier to recruit from other nations,” Conroy said.
He noted that recruiting military personnel from other countries was not unusual, pointing to the United Kingdom’s recruitment from Fiji and Solomon Islands, and the United States’ recruitment of personnel from some Micronesian states.
However, he said the proposed PNG programme would be a first for Australia because it would recruit directly from PNG rather than draw on people already living in Australia as permanent residents.
Conroy said the initial trial would target university graduates in Papua New Guinea who would join the ADF after completing a conversion course.
He acknowledged concerns that recruiting Pacific Islanders could reduce the personnel available to their home countries’ armed forces.
“We’re very focused on avoiding that.
“If we’re just robbing the Defence Force of PNG or the military force of Fiji, then that would actually not enhance Pacific security; it would probably diminish Pacific security,” he said.
Conroy said the programme was designed to provide employment opportunities for young people in countries where formal jobs could be limited, particularly in PNG, which has a population of more than 10 million.
The recruitment initiative forms part of broader efforts by Australia to strengthen its security partnerships across the Pacific.
Asked whether Australia’s defence arrangements were aimed at China, Conroy said the treaties were not directed at any single country but were intended to improve the security of participating nations.
He acknowledged that China, alongside other countries, was seeking to increase its influence in the Pacific.
“China, like many other nations, is seeking to increase its influence in the Pacific region,” he said.
Conroy said Australia’s agreements with PNG and Fiji, along with treaties involving Tuvalu, Nauru and Vanuatu, were intended to strengthen its partnerships and position Australia as a preferred partner for Pacific countries.
He said the priority was to establish a recruitment system that supported employment opportunities while protecting the defence capabilities of Pacific Island countries…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: TORRES NEW/PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Pacific pushes for rotating seat on UN Security Council
NEW YORK, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (TORRES NEWS/PACNEWS) — Pacific nations are building international support for a dedicated rotating seat for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on the United Nations Security Council, alongside calls to give greater weight to climate change as a security threat.
Seventy-three UN member states — more than one-third of the General Assembly — support stronger representation for SIDS on the 15-member Security Council, which comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.
The campaign argues that small island states, despite their limited contribution to global emissions, face serious security threats from climate change, natural disasters and the potential loss of their homelands.
Fiji is the only Pacific island country recorded as having sought a non-permanent Council seat, applying in 2011 before withdrawing its bid.
Singapore remains the only small island state from the UN’s Asia-Pacific regional group to have served on the Council. Australia, which is currently seeking a seat, and New Zealand belong to the Western Europe and Others group.
There are 39 UN-defined small island developing states with a combined population of about 65 million, alongside 18 UN associate members, or territories, with 8.5 million people. Together, they represent less than one percent of the world’s population.
Speaking for the L69 group of 42 countries, Saint Lucia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Menissa Rambally, said a rotating SIDS seat would improve the Council’s representativeness and accountability.
“The small island developing states ask only for a voice that comes to them in turn. These are not favours this assembly is being asked to grant,” Rambally said.
She said guaranteed representation was necessary for a Security Council that was more inclusive, transparent, effective and democratic.
Timor-Leste’s Permanent Representative, Dionisio Babo Soares, said SIDS perspectives on climate-related security, disasters and emerging challenges deserved greater attention.
The Federated States of Micronesia’s Permanent Representative, Jeem S. Lippwe, said climate change had become a paramount security issue for countries facing the physical loss of their homelands.
“A council that lacks adequate permanent representation for these vulnerable regions cannot effectively address the defining security challenges,” Lippwe said.
Maldives Permanent Representative Ali Naseer Mohamed said SIDS also brought experience in building coalitions and bridging differences.
“Who sits at the table shapes what the table actually sees,” he said.
Australia’s Permanent Representative, Briony Daley Whitworth, said her country had listened to calls for greater representation for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region, including options to strengthen SIDS representation.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima said improved representation for Africa should advance alongside greater representation for other developing regions and small island states.
Germany, speaking for the G4 group of Brazil, India, Japan and Germany, said the Council’s legitimacy depended on its representativeness and that SIDS deserved a stronger voice.
Jamaica, representing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said delays in Security Council reform were holding back the aspirations of SIDS for guaranteed representation.
San Marino and Spain also backed stronger representation for underrepresented regions and improved access to the Council for small and medium-sized states.
Italy, speaking for the Uniting for Consensus group, said support was growing for proposals that included a rotating SIDS seat.
Any change to the Security Council’s structure would require ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: THE GUAM DAILY POST PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
U.S targets UN decolonisation, silence may signal acceptance
HAGATNA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (THE GUAM DAILY POST) — The United States has called for an end to the United Nations committee that reviews Guam’s political status, and former Guam delegate to Congress Robert Underwood says island leaders who stay silent will be seen as agreeing.
Tammy Bruce, the deputy U.S permanent representative to the United Nations, made the call on 15 October while explaining why Washington voted against every decolonisation resolution before the Fourth Committee.
She said the Special Committee on Decolonisation, known as the C-24, has “outlived its original purpose” because more than 80 former colonies have joined the United Nations since the committee was created. She also faulted its “yearly junkets to resorts in the Caribbean and South Pacific.”
Bruce also addressed Guam directly.
She said the United States disagrees with criticism of the federal court ruling that blocked the island’s planned plebiscite on self-determination, and she reaffirmed the U.S right to conduct military activities.
The committee adopted its resolution on Guam the same day.
The session transcript records 150 votes in favor and two against.
Melvin Won Pat-Borja, executive director of Guam’s Commission on Decolonisation, told The Guam Daily Post that the United States and Israel cast the only votes against the resolution.
The governor’s office did not side with Washington in its responses to the Post on Friday.
Whether the committee’s procedures should improve is “a legitimate subject for discussion,” the office said
“Whether the people of Guam should lose that forum before achieving a genuine act of self-determination is another matter entirely.”
It added, “For Guam, that mission is not yet complete.”
Regarding the junket’s accusation, the office said the committee should be judged by whether it moves territories closer to self-determination, not by “how often its members travel.”
Asked about the U.S position on the court ruling on Guam’s plebiscite, the office told the Post: “Given the important nature of this specific topic and the high likelihood of future litigation, we have no comment to offer at this time.”
Underwood, who served as Guam’s delegate from 1993 to 2003 and now chairs the Pacific Centre for Island Security, spoke with the Post last week and said the statement shows the United States “is not interested in decolonisation.”
He was not surprised, he said, because Washington has been unresponsive to the committee for the past few years. What startled him was how openly it said so. As for the United Nations going along, he was doubtful.
“It would take the United Nations to disestablish that,” he said. “And I just don’t see that happening.”
His warning for Guam was blunter. He characterised the U.S position as a message that Guam’s international forum could be taken away.
“In case you believe that you have international standing to discuss your situation, we’re going to take that,” Underwood said.
“We’re voting to take that away from you at the United Nations.” He added, “So, if nobody in (an) elected office in Guam today or over the course of the next two weeks or three weeks says anything about it, then the United States government, Washington, D.C., will interpret that as acceding to it.”
Won Pat-Borja also said the U.S stance came as no surprise, and he tied it to the military.
In his view, Washington challenges the committee’s mandate because a change in Guam’s political status would change how the armed forces operate on the island.
He contrasted Guam with the freely associated states of Micronesia, where he said military plans are negotiated under compacts. “But in Guam, all they have to do is put out a public notice and allow some time for people to submit comments,” he said.
He rejected the junket label. The C-24’s Pacific seminar gives territories a rare opportunity to speak for themselves, he said, because administering powers handle their foreign affairs. “Why would we not take advantage of the one opportunity a year to be able to do so?” he asked.
The United States says it supports self-determination for Guam, Won Pat-Borja said, “but they also turn around and impose that it has to be done on their terms.”
He noted that Davis v. Guam, the case behind the court ruling on Guam’s plebiscite plan, was filed by a private citizen, not the federal government. Still, “Congress could authorize a vote,” he said.
Adi Martínez Román, co-director of Right to Democracy, an advocacy group focused on U.S territories, agreed with part of Bruce’s statement.
“It is true that the people in Non-Self-Governing Territories deserve better,” she said in a statement.
er co-director, Neil Weare, placed the blame on Washington. He said it is “ultimately the United States that has failed in its commitment to advance self-determination for the people in U.S territories under its rule.”
Won Pat-Borja also highlighted the statement from the Pacific Conference of Churches, based in Suva, Fiji. The group cited a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the Chagos Islands and rejected the argument that the decolonisation process is nonbinding.
“To call the foundation of the UN decolonization process ‘non-binding’ is to tell colonized peoples that their rights are optional,” the statement said.
What comes next for Guam’s decolonisation effort could depend on the outcome of the upcoming election. The governor chairs the island’s decolonisation commission by law, Won Pat-Borja said, and a new governor could keep the work going, change course or shelve it. His own tenure adds uncertainty. “I’m only here until December,” he said.
He added that he is still waiting for the final text of the Guam resolution, which he described as strong this year…. PACNEWS
PAC – CYBER SECURITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Forum SG Waqa warns cybercrime is an established Pacific security threat
LOS ANGELES, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Cybercrime, online scams and the illicit use of digital infrastructure have become established security threats across the Pacific, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa says.
Addressing the inaugural U.S Government-hosted Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers in Los Angeles, California, Waqa said the threats were compounded by the region’s vast ocean, dispersed populations, limited resources and growing digital connectivity.
He said Forum members were strengthening collective responses to transnational crime, including through the development of the Waqa Moana Concept to improve coordination among relevant law enforcement agencies.
Waqa said initiatives such as the conference were valuable in bringing together policymakers, operational leaders and regional institutions to address shared security challenges.
He said closer cooperation was needed in cyber resilience, electronic evidence, financial investigations, intelligence sharing and efforts to disrupt criminal networks operating across borders and jurisdictions.
The conference provides a platform for Pacific countries and the United States to strengthen law enforcement cooperation as criminal activity increasingly exploits digital systems and regional borders…. PACNEWS
FIJI – COP31: FIJI TV PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Fiji develops climate priorities ahead of COP31
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI TV) — Fiji is preparing its national negotiating positions for COP31, with Government ministries and key stakeholders working together to ensure the country’s climate priorities are represented at the global conference in Türkiye.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change convened its Technical Working Group meeting this week to develop Fiji’s positions across 14 thematic priority areas ahead of the negotiations in Antalya.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, says Fiji’s negotiating positions must reflect the real experiences of communities already facing the effects of climate change.
He stressed that negotiators have a responsibility to bring the concerns, challenges and expectations of these communities into international discussions and push for decisions that lead to practical action on the ground.
The meeting follows Fiji’s hosting of the Pacific-led pre-COP31, which brought representatives from close to 100 countries to the Pacific and placed regional climate priorities at the centre of discussions ahead of COP31.
Fiji’s focus now is to ensure that the pledges and commitments made during pre-COP31 are translated into meaningful action and delivery.
The country’s negotiating positions are being developed through collective input from Government ministries, stakeholders and Technical Working Group members to ensure they reflect the priorities and aspirations of the Fijian people.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will lead Fiji’s delegation to COP31 in its role as the country’s focal point for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)…. PACNEWS
PNG – MPS DEATH: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Rise in PNG MP deaths worries Wapunai
PORT MORESBY, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — Papua New Guinea shadow Health Minister and Ambunti-Dreikikier MP Johnson Wapunai has called for action regarding the rise in MP deaths over the last two parliamentary terms.
Wapunai said the high number of deaths of sitting MPs in less than 10 years, particularly this term, was alarming.
He urged the Parliament to take direct, systematic responsibility for the health and wellbeing of its elected leaders.
According to recent records, 21 MPs have died in office since October 2019, spanning across the 10th and 11th Parliaments.
The causes of death have ranged from sudden medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes to prolonged battles with cancer and other underlying illnesses.
Wapunai said that this staggering loss of leadership was a national crisis that demanded immediate administrative and structural intervention from the parliamentary body.
“The continuous loss of our leaders is a serious issue, yet no one is talking about it openly,” Wapunai said.
“The Parliament must step up and establish rigid health protocols, mandatory medical check-ups, and dedicated medical support systems for MPs,” he said.
“We cannot continue to lose leaders who carry the mandates of thousands of citizens without addressing the factors that affect their health.”
Wapunai said beyond the health and wellbeing of each elected representative, MPs needed help and support to manage and cope with the pressures and stresses of the job.
He added that leaders were being systematically worn down by overwhelming demands from constituents and seemingly non-stop demands on their time and resources which were outside their roles as legislators.
He said some of these constant expectations on MPs included funerals and haus krai expenses, bride-price contributions, individual airfares, personal travel requests, cash handouts for localised community obligations, and school fees…. PACNEWS
FIJI – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Fiji diplomats undergo regional training in New Zealand
SUVA/WELLINGTON, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Three Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade officers are taking part in a three-week diplomatic training programme in Wellington, aimed at strengthening professional skills and regional cooperation.
Daniel Savua, Nikhil Chand and Iliavi Bose are attending the Pacific Diplomatic Training Programme, running from 19 October to 6 November 2026.
The programme brings together early-career diplomats from 13 Pacific Island countries, alongside representatives from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Australia and New Zealand.
It is designed to strengthen diplomatic capacity through practical training in international law and treaty-making, multilateral negotiations, climate change and climate finance, regional security, trade policy, protocol, consular services and strategic communications.
Participants will also examine the Pacific regional architecture and Te Ao Māori perspectives on diplomacy.
Fiji’s participation reflects ongoing cooperation with New Zealand in developing the region’s diplomatic workforce and strengthening institutional ties.
The programme provides opportunities for participants to exchange knowledge, build professional networks and deepen relationships among Pacific foreign services.
It is delivered through the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Thematic Short Term Training Scholarships and supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Education New Zealand administers the programme in collaboration with Kāpuhipuhi Wellington Uni-Professional and Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade acknowledged the New Zealand Government and programme partners for their support for diplomatic capacity building across the Pacific…. PACNEWS
TAIWAN – DIPLOMACY: ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Taiwan vows to remain Palau’s ‘most reliable partner’ at first Independence Day celebration in Taipei
TAIPEI, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (ISLAND TIMES) — The Embassy of Palau in Taipei held the first official celebration of Palau Independence Day in Taiwan last Tuesday, bringing together Taiwanese partners from the health-care and education sectors, business leaders, students, and Palauan citizens living in Taiwan for an evening of speeches, dinner, and cultural performances.
The event marked Palau’s 32nd anniversary of independence and drew Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr and First Lady Whipps, along with Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim.
It followed another Independence Day celebration this month by the Palauan diaspora in Guam and marked the first time the embassy, Palauan students, and Taiwanese partners from government agencies and the private sector marked the anniversary in Taiwan.
Speaking at the event, Hsiao said Taiwan would continue to stand beside Palau.
“Taiwan will remain Palau’s most reliable partner. In turbulent waters, we will stand firmly with Palau like family, just as Palau has resolutely stood with Taiwan,” she said.
Hsiao described Palau as a staunch and vocal ally of Taiwan, saying the two countries’ partnership extended beyond words. “It paves roads, it builds vital infrastructure, and directly improves lives,” she said.
In his remarks, President Whipps highlighted Taiwan’s assistance to Palau and the close ties between the two nations in areas including health care, education, trade, and travel. “Our direct flights, our students, our investments, we create an unbreakable bundle,” he said.
Whipps also emphasised the mutual commitment underpinning the relationship. “We give each other strength, we protect each other’s sovereignty, and we lift each other up,” he said.
Taiwan and Palau established formal diplomatic relations in 1999. The Taipei celebration underscored the enduring partnership between the two Pacific allies, with both leaders framing their relationship as one built on shared values, practical cooperation, and mutual support…. PACNEWS
COOKS – POLITICS: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Court petitions likely to push Cook Islands parliament sitting into 2027
RAROTONGA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS) — With just over a week remaining for the month to end, no definite hearing dates have yet been set for the electoral petitions, while the court registry maintains that it will be next month.
The 2026 Cook Islands general election was held on 12 August. Prime Minister Mark Brown’s Cook Islands Party (CIP) secured a majority by securing 13 out of the 24 seats – and a historic fifth term in government.
The two out of the 13 CIP seats are now being challenged by petitions.
The petitions need to be heard, and the rulings given before parliament can sit. This now looks to happen in the new year, almost five months after the conclusion of the general elections.
Cook Islands’ clerk of parliament Tangata Vainerere said parliament could begin only after the petitions were dealt with by the courts.
“The petitions take priority and only when the rulings have been finalised, this office can issue a notice for the start of the parliamentary sessions. This process takes place within seven days after the petitions are finalised, which includes any further investigations until a ruling is made,” Vainerere said.
According to the Constitution Article 29(a), parliament shall meet not later than 90 days after the holding of a general election and at least once in every year thereafter, so that a period of 12 months shall not intervene between the last sitting of parliament in one session and the first sitting thereof in the next session.
Article 29(b) states parliament shall not meet after the holding of a general election until all election petitions filed in the High Court in respect of that election have been finally determined.
Three electoral petitions have been filed before the courts. According to the Electoral Act, the courts are not bound by time limitations for the petitions.
For the Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston electorate, which was won by the Cook Islands Party’s Albert Nicholas for the fourth consecutive term, the petition was filed by Teina Rongo of the Cook Islands United Party.
The petition against Nicholas for the RAPPA seat concerns alleged work carried out by his team in the constituency after the election date was announced.
In Matavera, former MP Vaitoti Tupa of the Democratic Party has petitioned the result after losing the seat to the Cook Islands United Party’s Taneao Ngamata.
In Pukapuka-Nassau, independent candidate Dr Kirianu “Dash” Nio filed a petition against the incumbent MP, CIP’s Tingika Elikana. Dr Nio had led in the preliminary count before narrowly losing to Elikana in the final tally.
The petitions for the Pukapuka-Nassau and Matavera seats concern the qualification of the electors.
Meanwhile, the CIP has confirmed the inclusion of Mauke MP Stephen Matapo, increasing its total seats to 14 in the 24-member parliament.
Matapo, previously affiliated with the Independence Movement in Mauke, joined CIP as its newest member last month. CIP has also received support from the five remaining independent MPs, giving it a supermajority of 19 seats in its fifth consecutive term…. PACNEWS
UN DIPLOMACY: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Mon 26 Oct 2026
UN marks 81 years of global cooperation
NEW YORK, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — The United Nations celebrates its 81st anniversary on Saturday, highlighting more than eight decades of work to advance peace, human rights and development around the world.
United Nations Day heralds the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. The global body officially came into being after the founding document was ratified by a majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council.
The day has been celebrated annually on 24 October since 1948.
The agenda has remained unchanged: settling disputes through diplomacy, combating poverty and hunger, promoting human rights and delivering lifesaving aid to people affected by conflict, disasters and displacement.
In his last message marking the day in charge of the UN, Secretary-General António Guterres said it stood for the idea that “humanity’s future depends on our ability to work together to advance peace, development and human rights.”
He highlighted the profound challenges facing the world today, including conflict, the climate crisis, rising inequalities and technological advances outpacing the ability to govern them.
“The United Nations is an essential part of the fabric of our world,” he said. “And it’s needed more than ever.”
As the Second World War raged, a remarkable international effort was already taking shape to help rebuild a shattered world.
Founded in November 1943, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) began its work before the United Nations itself had been constituted.
Faced with hunger, disease, mass displacement and devastation, it helped deliver the essentials of survival and offered hope to millions struggling to rebuild their lives.
Beyond emergency relief, UNRRA became a pioneering experiment in international cooperation…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PNG – ANTI CORRUPTION: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Wealth gap, corruption threaten unity: Tom
PORT MORESBY, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — The unequal distribution of resource wealth, corruption and neglect of resource-owning communities could threaten Papua New Guinea’s unity if not addressed, says Wabag MP Dr Lino Tom.
Using a medical analogy, Dr Tom compared the threat to PNG’s unity with an illness that could spread if its underlying cause was not treated.
“The indications of an amputation or dismemberment are when a limb is lifeless, useless, or is a threat to life.
“Those are the indications for dismemberment.
“This analogy should wake us up from the slumber of the threat this succession movement is trying to teach us.
“We should decentralise power, stop corruption, and share our resources equitably and fairly.
“That’s the underlying illness that’s killing this country,” he said.
He told Parliament during the debate on Bougainville’s political future that the grievances behind the conflict should serve as a warning to the rest of the country.
Dr Tom said the conflict stemmed from frustration over unfair resource distribution, the marginalisation of landowners and environmental destruction caused by mining activities.
“Landowners became frustrated from continuously being ignored, neglected by the people who sat in glass houses in Port Moresby,” he said.
Dr Tom said communities living in resource-rich areas continued to face poor living conditions while executives of companies operating in those areas announced profits worth hundreds of millions of kina.
“The landowners were left to deal with the environmental consequences of resource extraction while others benefited financially from their land,” he said.
“The future begins today, the future doesn’t begin in some distant future.”
Dr Tom called on resource-owning companies, government leaders and fund managers to assess whether people in resource areas were benefiting before announcing profits or making investments elsewhere.
“Before announcing hefty profits for landowner trustee companies, sit back and see if the people from these resource areas are doing okay,” he said.
Dr Tom said the country needed to address these grievances urgently to prevent other resource-owning communities from following Bougainville’s path.
“Failing to address these underlying problems could deepen calls for independence and put the country’s unity at risk,” he said.
“Before it spreads to the entire nation and people start crying for independence, we have to address these issues,” he said…. PACNEWS
PAC – FISHERIES: SPC PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 26 Oct 2026
Strengthening national competent authorities to support Pacific seafood exports
SUVA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (SPC) — National Competent Authorities play an important role in ensuring that fishery products meet the food safety and quality requirements of export markets.
A two-week training programme underway in Suva is helping officers from six Pacific countries strengthen their understanding of these requirements and how they apply in practice.
The National Competent Authority (CA) Officer Training Programme covers European Union (EU) requirements for fishery products, including EU and National standards and regulations, inspection and auditing, traceability, certification, and the responsibilities of national Competent Authorities.
For Pacific countries exporting, or looking to export, fishery products to the EU, meeting these requirements is an important part of ensuring products meet the necessary health and safety standards.
Under the EU regulatory framework, Competent Authorities are responsible for ensuring that the required systems are in place and working effectively across the seafood supply chain (from vessel to export).
This is to ensure that the fish and fishery products caught and/or produced, processed, heat-treated, frozen, packaged, stored and transported in accordance with the applicable EU/National requirements; originate from an approved establishment; have been handled hygienically under appropriate HACCP-based procedures and official controls; and comply with the applicable public health, microbiological and other relevant food safety requirements for entry into the European Union or any non-EU markets like the PRC.
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Market Access Specialist Ratu Jope Tamani, who is leading the training, said officers need to understand the requirements and how to apply them in their day-to-day work.
“Competent Authority officers have an important responsibility in that the right effective systems are in place, from fishing vessels and processing facilities through to traceability and certification. The training gives participants an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and better understand what is required of them,” said Tamani.
“Compliance for an NCA officer means ensuring that the right systems are in place, requirements are met, and every official control is supported by verified evidence,” he added.
Understanding the fish behind the regulations
Today’s session, led by Tamani, focused on the fish itself and why this knowledge is important in inspection work.
Through practical examples and group exercises, participants learned about commercially important tuna species found in the Pacific, including skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye and albacore. They also looked at fish anatomy and the signs that can help inspectors assess freshness and quality, including the eyes, gills, skin and flesh.
The session covered how handling, temperature control, processing and storage can affect fish quality and safety, as well as the importance of managing histamine risks in tuna.
“As fish inspectors, you need to understand the fish we are dealing with, not just the regulations. Being able to identify different species and recognise signs of freshness and quality helps you make better-informed decisions during inspection,” said Tamani.
“You cannot effectively regulate what you do not understand. NCA officers must understand the fish, the fishing operations, handling, processing, and supply chain before they can effectively verify compliance and enforce the regulations.”
The session highlighted how the condition of fish can be affected at different stages, from capture and handling on board vessels through to processing and export. This practical knowledge complements the regulatory understanding officers need to carry out their responsibilities.
For FFA Members, having officers who understand these requirements and can carry out effective inspections is important for protecting consumers and maintaining confidence in Pacific fishery products. It also supports countries working to meet the requirements of international markets.
For Iasep Tui, a Fisheries Officer with the Tuvalu Fisheries Authority, the training has provided useful knowledge for his work at home.
“This training has given me the knowledge and skills I need to do my job better in Tuvalu, particularly in identifying non-compliance during vessel inspections and desktop audits, and understanding EU requirements,” he said.
Connie Tuvui, an Audit Certification Officer with the National Fisheries Authority in Papua New Guinea, said the sessions had also helped her reflect on the challenges she faces in her work and how to address them.
“The training has helped me better understand what inspections and audits really involve, and the responsibilities that come with them. It has also highlighted some of the challenges I face in my country and what I need to do, with the support of my team, to improve the way we carry out our work,” she said.
Around 15 officers – nine women and six men – are participating in the first week of training. They represent Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji.
Other parts of the training cover the roles and responsibilities of Competent Authorities, the ethics and competencies expected of officers, EU regulations, auditing procedures, microbiology, food-borne illness, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), traceability and certification.
Participants will also visit fresh and frozen fish processing facilities and landing sites to see how the requirements covered in the classroom apply in practice.
The programme also covers the different purposes of health and catch certification. Health certification addresses applicable food safety and public health requirements, while catch certification relates to the legality of catches and efforts to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing…. PACNEWS
SAMOA – WEATHER WATCH/ELNINO: TALAMUA MEDIA PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 26 Oct 2026
PM urges Samoa to be prepared for the impacts of El Nino
APIA, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (TALAMUA MEDIA) — Samoa Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt is urging the country to be prepared for the worst as the impact of El Nino continues to threaten for a predicted 8 months.
Iin his ministerial speech in Parliament, he reiterated the importance of heeding the warnings and the danger posed by the ensuing El Nino phenomenon.
“We are seeing evidence of El Nino through drought, homes and bush fires and challenges to our people’s livelihood,” he said.
He said the Samoa Meteorology Division (SMD) has advised government agencies, village communities, businesses, and the public that the El Niño conditions continue across the tropical Pacific and are expected to persist over the coming months.
For Samoa, El Niño, commonly associated with below-normal rainfall, above-normal temperatures, prolonged dry periods, and an increased risk of drought have already killed root crops such as taro and banana trees especially in low lying and coastal areas.
These dry conditions have already placed pressure on water supplies, agriculture, public health, energy production, and the natural environment.
One of the Government’s action plans now in place includes providing ten water trucks each to cater for expected water shortage in Savaii and Upolu Islands.
He also outlined the plan to provide water tanks to all families and call for all Samoa to stand and work together to address the oncoming climate challenges.
Some of the district councils – Fono Faavae have already taken the first step by investing in water tanks.
All government agencies, businesses, communities, and households are encouraged to take precautionary measures, including conserving water, protecting crops and livestock, avoiding unnecessary burning during dry conditions, and safeguarding vulnerable people from heat-related illnesses.
The Samoa Meteorology Division states that El Niño influences tropical cyclone activity across the Southwest Pacific, and Samoa faces an elevated risk of tropical cyclone impacts during the 2026–2027 cyclone season.
Since the Ministry declared the El Niño conditions in the Pacific region in July, rainfall have shown a major decline trend.
Reports also noted that the majority of meteorological observation stations in July recorded normal to below-normal rainfall, followed by well-below-normal rainfall in August, making it one of the driest months on record in Samoa.
September rainfall ranged from normal to below normal. These monthly rainfall patterns clearly indicated impacts of the El Nino event.
The Meteorology Division continues to monitor oceanic and atmospheric conditions and assess the latest climate forecasts and the public is encouraged to prepare for the possibility of continued dry conditions and warmer-than-normal temperatures in the coming months.
“As Samoa approaches the 2026–2027 Tropical Cyclone Season starting in November, communities are also reminded to remain prepared for severe weather and tropical cyclones, regardless of prevailing El Niño conditions.
The Samoa Meteorology Division continues to monitor El Niño through Samoa’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) and provide updated climate outlooks, drought advisories, weather warnings, and tropical cyclone information as new guidance becomes available…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific women are already doing the work. COP31 must back them
Opinion by Feleti Teo, Lynda Tabuya, Alison Davidian
SUVA/FUNAFUTI, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (THE INTERPRETER) — The ocean is not a backdrop to Pacific life. It is the source of it. As the Tongan Fijian writer Epeli Hau’ofa wrote, the sea is “our pathway to each other and to everyone else” – it is the connective tissue of who we are rather than a boundary that isolates us.
For generations, communities across Tuvalu, Fiji and the wider Pacific have learned to read and understand the ocean’s moods, heeded its warnings, and passed this knowledge through traditions and methods that determine how we fish, plant and build.
What we are living through now is different. Rising seas, extreme weather and a warming ocean are changing the conditions that have shaped our knowledge and the way of living. We are not writing about a future threat – Pacific governments are governing in the middle of it. And it does not fall on everyone equally.
Climate change magnifies inequalities already present in the Pacific and can create new ones. Pacific women earn less, own less land, and have less access to credit and decision-making than men. They also carry much of the unpaid work that holds communities together – managing household water supplies and deciding how it is allocated, growing and preparing much of what their families eat, tending gardens, gleaning from reefs, caring for children and elders. When a cyclone hits or a harvest fails, those gaps widen. Women absorb more of each shock with fewer resources to fall back on and less say in how the response is shaped.
Community resilience is built through women’s everyday work. Across Tuvalu’s low-lying atolls, women contribute directly to food security – tending gardens, gleaning shellfish and more from reef flats, and using income from what they produce and sell to feed their families. Shell handicrafts and other traditional crafts are a further source of income, carrying knowledge and practice passed down through generations of women. As reefs and shorelines change, women stand to lose not only that income and food, but the knowledge and culture bound up in producing it.
When Tropical Cyclone Ana struck Fiji in 2021, a landslide displaced family in Nabavatu village. Women who earned income gathering and selling shellfish faced losing that livelihood as the community prepared to relocate inland and organised to help build new livelihoods.
After Tropical Cyclone Pam struck Tuvalu in 2015, damaged boats disrupted fishing, while women kept displaced families fed despite wrecked kitchens and water supplies.
Pacific women are already the response – community by community, disaster by disaster. Yet too much of their work remains under-recognised. What climate assessments fail to capture, climate finance does not reach. When women’s work goes unmeasured, it goes unfunded. When their knowledge is absent from plans, their needs are absent from the response.
The global commitments and goals are there: the Belém Gender Action Plan on gender-responsive climate action and the goal of scaling climate finance to US$1.3 trillion a year by 2035. What matters now is whether they change what happens on the ground – whether women’s realities are captured in the data, their knowledge shapes climate plans, and finance reaches the women doing the work.
The Pacific is already moving to turn those commitments into action. At Tuvalu’s initiative, Pacific Leaders recently endorsed a Pact on Gender and Climate Action committing the region to lead implementation of the Belém Gender Action Plan through stronger recognition and inclusion of women’s leadership, better climate data that reflects women’s realities and finance that reaches women and communities. The Pacific Resilience Facility– a Pacific-led financing mechanism now taking shape – offers the arrangements to get resources into the hands of women already leading resilience and adaptation on the ground. We know what more is needed: emissions must come down fast enough to keep 1.5°C within reach; the Belém Gender Action Plan must be backed with the resources needed for implementation; and the US$1.3 trillion goal must translate into climate finance that reaches women and communities.
This November, we will gather in Antalya, Türkiye for COP31, where Australia will serve as President of Negotiations. Earlier this month, the Pacific hosted the Pre-COP in Fiji, alongside a leaders’ event in Tuvalu, bringing the realities and priorities of small island developing states directly into the road to Antalya. Every fraction of a degree translates in turn into more of this unrecognised work: greater strain on household water supplies and food systems, more people to care for, more livelihoods disrupted. The temperature goal is not a separate issue from the gender one. It sets how much adaptation work Pacific women will be doing, and how often.
Pacific women cannot be expected to carry the losses of a crisis they did so little to create, shoulder the unpaid work of recovery, and then compete for a fraction of the finance intended for their communities. They are already adapting, rebuilding and leading. They do not need the world to chart their course. They need those with the greatest power – and the greatest responsibility – to do their part, so they can keep charting their own…. PACNEWS
Feleti Penitala Teo is Prime Minister of Tuvalu.
Lynda Tabuya is Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change, Fiji.
Alison Davidian is the UN Women Representative for the Fiji Multi-Country Office, supporting programmes and policy engagement across 14 Pacific Island countries.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific teams plan research on climate-related health risks
MELBOURNE, 26 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP) — Pacific Island countries are preparing assessments and community research to identify climate-related health risks through the Pacific Action to Enhance the Visibility of Evidence on Health and Climate Impacts (PAVE-Health) project.
Jointly led by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), through its Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC), and the University of Melbourne, the three-year initiative launched in October 2025 and is funded by an AUD$4.8 million (US$3.37 million) Climate Impact Award from the Wellcome Trust.
Held at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre from 19–23 October, Regional Workshop 2 brings together policymakers, researchers and technical experts from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands. Participants are planning the next phase of in-country training and research, combining scientific evidence with traditional knowledge and local environmental insights.
The workshop supports country teams to translate climate and health evidence into practical assessments and responses for vulnerable communities across the Pacific.
Shifting Gears to Direct In-Country Action
Regional Workshop 2 focuses on planning Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCAs) and community-based research in four communities in each partner country, using existing data and local knowledge to identify climate-related health risks.
“Our Pacific countries face profound, urgent, and common challenges: climate-sensitive health risks, evidence and data gaps, and constrained resources,” said Ms Filomena Nelson, Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, speaking on behalf of SPREP’s Director-General.
“But we also possess monumental strengths – skilled practitioners, committed institutions, and invaluable traditional knowledge. This workshop is about collective action. We must translate complex environmental data into practical policy tools that safeguard our most vulnerable populations.”
The work covers three interconnected packages. Work Package 1 (Capacity Building and Training) supports national training plans, with Kiribati and Samoa preparing Phase 1 inception workshops and FSM and Solomon Islands planning Phase 2 training. Work Package 2 (VCA and Community Evidence Generation) supports assessments and research in four communities per country, combining existing data with local investigations. Work Package 3 (Policy Translation and Deliverables) focuses on turning findings into policy briefs, case studies and frameworks for potential donors.
Dr Viliamu Iese of the University of Melbourne described the work as “untying the knots” that hinder progress by addressing shared barriers and strengthening partnerships across the project.
Bridging the Data-Policy Gap to Unlock Global Climate Finance
The PAVE-Health Landscape Review identified research gaps on climate change and non-communicable diseases, mental health and health infrastructure resilience. The project aims to strengthen the regional evidence base to inform policy and planning.
Professor Kathryn Bowen, Director of Melbourne Climate Futures at the University of Melbourne, said the workshop would help country teams develop clear, context-specific plans for assessments and community research, with support from the University and PCCC.
The evidence generated is intended to help Pacific countries demonstrate climate-related health risks to international funders and support efforts to access climate finance, including through the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Delegates also attended the Hon. Julia Gillard Climate CATCH Lab Oration at Melbourne Connect. Gillard, a former Australian Prime Minister and Chair of Wellcome, highlighted the need for collaboration across government, health, research and communities to address climate-related health challenges. She also acknowledged the Pacific partners and reflected on the pre-COP31 events held in Fiji and Tuvalu in October 2026.
On the workshop’s final day, country teams are expected to finalise their 2027 implementation timelines and progress national research ethics submissions. The project aims to strengthen country-led action on climate and health resilience across the Pacific…. PACNEWS
