In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — “We are doing more than most” — GCF on adaptation finance
2. PACIFIC — Winston Peters backs NZ citizenship test for Super and voting as Pacific impact unclear
3. PACIFIC — China reaffirms seabed minerals support as U.S prepares to station scientist in Rarotonga
4. SOL — Sogavare backs Wale’s sine die motion
5. FIJI — Polling day ‘could become campaign day’
6. HAWAII — Hurricane warning issued for westernmost Hawaiian Islands
7. TONGA — Supreme Court orders PM’s Office to allow Tonga Chronicle, 88.1 FM journalists into press conferences
8. FIJI — Fiji reports on increased influenza activity across Fiji
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji to screen passengers before flights from November
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Manuari: ‘First come, first serve’ is a flaw in current mining law
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Two years on from riots, New Caledonian president visits France amid debt crisis
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Vanuatu’s bid to settle France’s claim to Matthew and Hunter
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Is an empty seat a silent seat? What Palau told us about Pacific unity
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Australia-Solomons treaty close: reports
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — From Sewing Skills to Business Confidence: Loviness Builds New Opportunities in Gizo
PACIFIC – CLIMATE ADAPTATION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
“We are doing more than most” — GCF on adaptation finance
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — The Green Climate Fund (GCF) says half of its climate finance is directed to adaptation, but Executive Director Mafalda Duarte acknowledges the funding remains far below what Pacific Island countries need as climate impacts intensify.
In an interview with PACNEWS in Palau last week, Duarte said the GCF was doing more on adaptation than most global climate finance institutions.
“We are actually doing more than most,” Duarte said.
She highlighted the GCF’s 50-50 allocation between adaptation and mitigation, saying the Fund currently has about US$20 billion invested.
“The board at some point, back in some years, really provided this clear guidance that we needed to do 50 percent adaptation,” she said.
Duarte said this meant more than US$10 billion of GCF investment was going towards resilience and adaptation.
“It’s not enough,” she told PACNEWS.
Duarte said the GCF supported the global call to triple adaptation finance because the needs of developing countries were continuing to grow.
“We know that, in fact, we are quite aligned with the call to triple global adaptation finance because we see the needs and we see the needs increasing,” she said.
However, Duarte said the GCF’s allocation demonstrated that targeted decisions on climate finance could shift resources towards adaptation.
“We are actually a positive story in terms of this financial system,” she said.
She said more than 60 percent of the GCF’s adaptation financing was directed to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and African countries.
Duarte highlighted the gap faced by SIDS, which she said normally receive less than two percent of global adaptation finance flows.
Within the GCF, however, SIDS receive about 11 percent of its financing. “So, it’s quite significant,” Duarte said.
She said the difference showed the impact that clear political and institutional targets could have on the distribution of climate finance.
“This just shows the importance, which has been a call from SIDS as well,” she said.
Duarte said decisions by the GCF Board to set specific allocation targets had helped drive the Fund’s investment priorities.
“When certain decisions are made of X percent allocated to specific goals or certain parameters, that drives the institutions to accomplish such goals,” she said.
“And this is exactly what is happening with us.”
For Pacific Island countries, adaptation remains a major priority as rising sea levels, extreme weather, changing rainfall patterns and other climate impacts threaten infrastructure, food security, water supplies and livelihoods.
Duarte said the GCF would continue to increase its focus on adaptation as global demand for resilience finance grows…. PACNEWS
PAC – POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Winston Peters backs NZ citizenship test for Super and voting as Pacific impact unclear
WELLINGTON, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — New Zealand First leader Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters says people should have to become New Zealand citizens to access superannuation and vote.
His comments comes as the party takes a harder line on who should qualify for key rights and entitlements ahead of the general election.
NZ First formally announced on 6 September that, if elected, only New Zealand citizens would be eligible for NZ Super from 2029.
But in an interview on Pacific Mornings, Peters could not say how many Pacific people living in Aotearoa as permanent residents could be affected.
Asked by host William Terite how many Pacific people the policy would impact, Peters replied: “No, I don’t.”
Ministry of Social Development (MSD) data shows 30,426 people who identified as Pacific people were receiving NZ Super in the June 2026 quarter.
The ministry said this made up 3.5 per cent of NZ Super recipients where ethnicity was recorded.
But MSD says it does not have data showing how many people receiving NZ Super would be affected by NZ First’s proposed citizenship requirement.
The policy would apply to permanent residents who are not New Zealand citizens, a group that includes people from across the Pacific who may have lived, worked and paid taxes in Aotearoa for many years.
Peters defended the policy, saying people in Pacific countries would understand the idea.
“The only people who are surprised by this are New Zealanders who think that this was the case already,” he said.
When asked about people who may not want to give up citizenship of their Pacific country, Peters said dual citizenship could be an option.
“In the case of Fiji, they will be able to keep their New Zealand citizenship but they’ll have perhaps a dual citizenship. That’s up to Fiji to decide.”
Peters has previously defended the proposal by pointing to dual citizenship arrangements in Pacific countries.
“The great thing about the Pacific countries is they’re allowed to have dual citizenship. They’ll have no difficulty in doing this at all,” he said in July.
Fiji does allow dual citizenship under its Citizenship Act. Its Ministry of Immigration says a person can be “both a Fijian citizen and a citizen of another country”, although the rules of the other country also need to be checked.
Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also says former Fijian citizens, who have become naturalised citizens of another country, can apply to regain Fijian citizenship.
Peters said the NZ First policy was not about cutting costs if permanent residents chose to become citizens.
“We’re not talking about making savings here because if they all sign up to be New Zealanders citizens, there won’t be any savings,” he said. “All we’re saying is that you need to sign up to New Zealand.”
But June Ranson, an immigration expert and Woburn International chief executive, the proposal goes too far.
She says many migrants who arrive in New Zealand later in life are highly skilled, pay taxes and KiwiSaver, and should receive something in retirement.
“No, I don’t like the idea of the citizenship,” Ranson told Newstalk ZB. “You’ve got a lot of people who are working for New Zealand companies because they’re highly skilled.”
Ranson said the bigger issue was how to distinguish between migrants who have worked and contributed in Aotearoa and those who have not.
“There’s nobody anything definitive to distinguish the difference between those that have been legitimately working in this country and deserve that as opposed to those that haven’t. That’s where there needs to be a change.”
The issue is likely to be closely watched by Pacific communities as parties prepare for the election, with many Pacific families having strong links to both Aotearoa and their home countries.
Peters also defended NZ First’s position on the cost of superannuation, saying the number of people arriving in New Zealand had increased significantly over the past two decades.
“But the reality is, we have brought 650,000 in the last 20 years.”
He then said the cost of superannuation involving immigrants had risen from $500 million (US$293.96 million) to $1 billion (US$587.92 million) over the past decade.
The interview comes as New Zealand First continues to campaign on policies aimed at tightening the rules around citizenship, voting, and access to government entitlements.
The debate is likely to come down to a practical question for Pacific communities: what happens to people who have built their lives in Aotearoa, worked and paid taxes here, but have kept their citizenship of their Pacific homeland?
For now, Peters’ answer is clear. They would need to become New Zealand citizens…. PACNEWS
PAC – SEABED MINERALS: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
China reaffirms seabed minerals support as U.S prepares to station scientist in Rarotonga
RAROTONGA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS) — As the United States steps up its engagement, China has reaffirmed its support for the Cook Islands’ seabed mineral exploration through continued custom training programmes and ocean research surveys.
China reaffirmed its commitment, highlighting ongoing training programmes, as the United States prepares to base a scientist in-country to work with the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA).
Last month, Dr Erik Noble, the assistant secretary of Oceans and Atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced that a U.S Embassy Science Fellow would be based in the Cook Islands, strengthening the scientific relationship between the two countries, building on information gathered during the expedition of the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer
The U.S scientist Dr Nicole Bartlett of NOAA – an Embassy Science Fellow (ESF) will be based in Rarotonga, starting this November, to provide “technical scientific expertise” as the nation continues its deep-sea mineral exploration phase, the U.S Embassy in New Zealand had earlier confirmed.
China’s ambassador to the Cook Islands, Dr Wang Xiaolong in a recent visit, was asked whether China would also consider stationing a scientist in the Cook Islands.
Dr Wang told Cook Islands News, “I understand the basing of a U.S scientist is largely for capacity building purposes, and we have been doing capacity building exercises together with these Cook Islands sites as well for some time.
He said China is currently running a custom-designed training programme for 20 Cook Islanders, aimed at building local capacity and in-house expertise for seabed mineral exploration and development.
“We’ve put together this custom-designed training programme for them to help them build up the capacity and to develop in-house, in-situ expertise so that you could have the best knowledge to help you make the best plans to ensure the best processes to maximise benefits for Cook Islands once you decide to take the step on exploration and development of those resources,” Dr Wang added.
Around October last year, Dr Wang said China had the first voyage of the scientific survey ship, Chinese ocean research vessel, RV Da Yang Hao, “which helped to collect data doing the preliminary and foundational survey for seabed conditions, the environment, as well as those data in relation to seabed minerals.”
He said the idea is to support the efforts of the Cook Islands Government to explore and develop those resources to support the long-term sustainable development of the Cook Islands as a nation.
“Of course we would want to do it in a way that would be agreed with the Cook Islands on one side, to serve Cook Islands’ priorities, and at the same time in that process ensure that we’ll adequately protect the environment so that the process would be sustainable, not only in the economic sense, but also in terms of the environmental soundness.”
Dr Wang added that they are working on another voyage, another survey ship with the Cook Government and relevant authorities, “hopefully that will take place within the course of this year.”
The Cook Islands is increasingly drawing international interest for its seabed minerals, with both China and the U.S stepping up engagement through capacity building and scientific cooperation.
The United States and New Zealand, and the Cook Islands recently announced the co-funded NZ$101 million (US$59.33 million) project for Penrhyn port where U.S Deputy Secretary of State Landau stated that the project builds on the Critical Minerals Framework signed earlier this year.
U.S Ambassador to the Cook Islands Jared Novelly, in an interview with Cook Islands News, was asked whether the United States welcomes China’s involvement in Cook Islands seabed minerals exploration.
Novelly stressed that it was up to the Cook Islands to decide which partners to work with for the benefit of its people.
“It’s not my purview or job to say,” the Ambassador said, when asked if China’s advisory role in seabed mining should be welcomed in a similar way to the U.S approach.
“I think that any partners, the Cook Islands owes it to their people to work with any partners.”
However, he noted the importance of sharing experiences from elsewhere in the Pacific, cautioning that there can be pitfalls when working with certain partners
“The only thing I could say is that I would probably share information from what’s happened in some of the other Pacific Islands. And I would be remiss by not reminding them of some of the pitfalls that working with certain partners has.
“And I think as long as you can be sure to protect yourself, then speaking with other partners makes all the sense in the world…. PACNEWS
SOL – PARLIAMENT: ISLAND SUN PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Sogavare backs Wale’s sine die motion
HONIARA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLAND SUN) — Solomon Islands Leader of Opposition Manasseh Sogavare has supported Prime Minister Matthew Wale’s motion for Parliament to adjourn sine die, saying the Government needs time to work on important policy and legislative matters.
Sogavare made the remarks in Parliament while contributing to the motion moved by Prime Minister Wale.
He also referred to the resolution moved by Minister of Finance Rexon Ramofafia, saying the Government must now use the available time to work on the national budget.
“This was a resolution, a motion by the Minister of Finance, and so he must work on that to get that budget through,” Sogavare said.
Sogavare said Parliament had provided four months for the Government to complete its work on the budget.
“We know that the motion is very clear. So, we’re seeing it go past December of this year, and we’re still working on the budget.
“The Parliament has given us this provision for four months, and we’re still completing the budget,” he said.
Sogavare also raised concerns about major Government policy announcements, including the proposed introduction of free education in 2027.
He said there needs to be greater clarity about how such policies will be funded and implemented.
“People basically say that in 2027 we’re going to make school free.
“But from now until when the budget is coming out, we really need to be open as well,” he said.
He said the Opposition has been asking questions about the policy but are yet to receive clear answers from the Government.
“This side of the House are asking a lot of questions about how will this thing really look like?
“There is no really clear response from the Government as to how this thing will look like.”
He warns that Government needs to ensure people understood the implications of major policy decisions.
“There are about 800,000 people out there who probably do not understand.
“We don’t want to have a revolt in our hands come 2027, when schools will probably come to a grinding halt because of getting the needed resources to continue to fund this,” he said.
Sogavare also called for more time and consultation on the Mineral Resources Bill.
He said the Bill contains major proposed changes that require wider consultation with the people before Parliament considers it.
“We feel that we need a lot of consultations with the people,” he said.
Sogavare said the Legislative Committee’s recommendations should be considered seriously, including the possibility of withdrawing the current Bill and introducing a new one.
“The right thing to do is to withdraw the Bill in its entirety and then work on the serious amendments that the Bills Legislative Committee is recommending,” he said.
He said a new 2026 Bill could then be introduced to incorporate the new policy directions and allow for further consultation.
“We need that time to do that,” Sogavare said.
He also urged the Government and Opposition to maintain healthy debate in Parliament, saying parliamentary scrutiny is important in developing sound policies.
“The Government is in the business of coming up with a policy.
“We scrutinise and, in the end result, we come up with a policy that is well polished and something that can work for the country,” he said.
Sogavare thanked Prime Minister Wale for moving the sine die motion and said the spirit of working together should continue.
“I have no problem if you need time to come and talk about it, so I support this motion of sine die moved by Prime Minister Matthew Wale,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Polling day ‘could become campaign day’
SUVA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Polling day could become another campaign day if political parties are allowed to provide voters with free transport, food or refreshments under the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2026.
Centre for Democracy and Dialogue (CDD) chief executive Nilesh Lal described Clause 26 as one of the most problematic provisions in the Bill and recommended it be deleted.
Clause 26 would amend Section 114 of the Electoral Act to allow political parties, candidates or their representatives to provide free transportation to and from polling venues, as well as food and refreshments, provided they do not influence or attempt to influence a person’s vote.
Lal said accessibility to polling stations was not an issue that justified the proposal, with existing provisions requiring voters to be assigned to polling stations within reasonable walking distance of their residences.
“The Supervisor of Elections had previously indicated that efforts were made to establish polling stations within 500 metres of voters’ residences,” he said.
He said more than 2000 polling stations operated on election day and polling venues met or exceeded international accessibility standards.
Lal said free transport and food could create opportunities for undue influence, as influence could arise through gratitude, social obligation or interaction with party workers.
He said where transport assistance was genuinely required, it should be provided by election authorities rather than political parties.
“The underlying democratic principle is fairly straightforward. You need to keep material benefits separate from the act of voting,” he said…. PACNEWS
HAWAII – DISASTERS: AFP PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Hurricane warning issued for westernmost Hawaiian Islands
HONOLULU, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (AFP) — A hurricane warning has been issued for the westernmost Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Niihau as Category 3 Hurricane Lowell approached the U.S Pacific island chain, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) says.
The core of Lowell was expected to pass just west of Niihau on Monday night or early Tuesday, the centre said in its latest bulletin released.
“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the NHC said.
The centre warned that the combination of a storm surge and tide could flood normally dry areas near the coast in Kauai and Niihau, and a flash flood warning was issued for Kauai on Monday (local time).
A tropical storm warning was also issued for the island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located.
The storm was expected to dump 15-25cm of rain on Kauai, with 10-20cm of rain forecast for Oahu and the Big Island.
The storm was about 570km southwest of Honolulu and moving in north-northeasterly direction, the centre said.
Lowell, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 185kph, was expected to gradually weaken on Tuesday (local time) and then turn toward the northwest early Wednesday (local time) after passing the Hawaiian Islands.
The storm briefly reached Category 5 strength earlier this week but has since weakened to a Category 3.
Hawaii is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Lala, which grazed the southern part of the Big Island last month, bringing destructive winds and flash floods.
Lowell is one of two storms in the Pacific Ocean right now, where a near-record strength El Nino climate episode warms the waters. Tropical Storm Marie, about 1126km southwest of San Diego, was moving west away from land.
El Nino is the warming phase of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It comes along every two to seven years.
ENSO promotes hurricane formation in the tropical Pacific while decreasing their likelihood in the Atlantic.
Climate change increases El Nino’s global weather impacts…. PACNEWS
TONGA – MEDIA: KANIVA TONGA PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Supreme Court orders PM’s Office to allow Tonga Chronicle, 88.1 FM journalists into press conferences
NUKU’ALOFA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (KANIVA TONGA) — Tonga’s Supreme Court has issued urgent interim orders restraining the Prime Minister and his officers from refusing journalists from the Tonga Chronicle (Kalonikali Tonga) and 88.1 FM Letio ‘a e Kakai (People’s Radio Tonga) admission to Government press conferences.
Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop KC issued the orders on 4 September 2026 following an urgent ex parte application by ‘Etuate Lavulavu, Chief Executive Officer of the Tonga Chronicle and 88.1 FM, a station operated by Takiama Companies Limited.
The Prime Minister of Tonga is named as the first defendant/respondent and the Kingdom of Tonga as the second defendant/respondent in the civil proceedings, CV 45 of 2026.
According to the two-page order, Lavulavu sought urgent interim orders without notice to the respondents.
The application was supported by an affidavit sworn by Lavulavu on 3 September 2026, together with an affidavit from Amanda Amiafolau Loamanu (née Vaipulu) sworn on 2 September.
The Chief Justice said he was satisfied the matter was urgent because a Prime Minister’s Office press conference was to be held imminently.
The Court issued the orders after Lavulavu also gave an undertaking as to damages.
The first and central order restrains the Prime Minister, his officers, servants and agents from refusing Lavulavu and journalists and staff from the two media organisations admission to:
“Any press conference held by or on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office or the Government of Tonga”
They must be admitted on the same terms and conditions applied to journalists from other news organisations, according to the order on page one.
The Supreme Court went further by ordering that Lavulavu and journalists and staff from the Tonga Chronicle and 88.1 FM be admitted to the St George Government Building under the same terms and conditions applying to other members of the public and news media.
The order requires Lavulavu to immediately serve the respondents with a sealed copy of the interim order, together with the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim.
However, the orders are interim rather than a final determination of the dispute.
The Prime Minister and the Kingdom of Tonga have been given liberty to apply to the Court to have the orders set aside or varied.
The case is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on 11 September 2026, with costs reserved. The orders were signed by Lord Chief Justice Bishop in Nukuʻalofa on 4 September.
The interim orders represent an immediate court intervention concerning access by journalists to Government press conferences and the St George Government Building.
However, the document does not set out the full circumstances that led to the alleged refusal of access, nor does it contain the Government’s response to Lavulavu’s allegations…. PACNEWS
FIJI – HEALTH: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 3: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Fiji reports on increased influenza activity across Fiji
SUVA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) — Fiji is reporting a marked rise in influenza-like illnesses and acute respiratory infections in the past three weeks, with laboratory testing confirming increased positivity for seasonal influenza, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services said.
“An increase in influenza like illnesses (ILI) and acute respiratory infections (ARI) is currently being observed across Fiji,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Recent surveillance data collected through the Early Warning Alert and Response Surveillance system show the rise, while testing at the National Public Health Laboratory confirms increased seasonal influenza activity.
The rise has occurred earlier in the year than the influenza wave Fiji experienced in the same period last year, the Ministry said, mirroring early-season increases in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere in the Pacific.
“Fiji’s current influenza trends are consistent with the wider regional and global picture,” the Ministry said, with elevated influenza activity also being reported across parts of the Southern Hemisphere and Asia.
The Ministry has enhanced influenza surveillance and laboratory testing through the Fiji Centre for Disease Control and the National Public Health Laboratory to track circulating strains.
It has also alerted all Divisional and Sub Divisional Health Teams to monitor respiratory infection trends and reinforce infection prevention measures in health facilities, while continuing to monitor the regional and global respiratory illness situation alongside in-country notifications.
Influenza is caused by viruses, with many strains changing year to year. Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle and body aches, headache, fatigue, runny nose, sneezing, vomiting and diarrhoea, which is more common in children.
The Ministry said influenza is not the same as the common cold and can lead to serious disease such as pneumonia, especially in babies, people over age 60, pregnant women, people with non-communicable diseases, the obese and those who smoke.
Most people recover in about seven to 10 days, but some may develop illness requiring hospitalisation.
People are advised to cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing while ill, wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, avoid crowds where possible and stay home if sick.
People who are sick should use a face mask in public, while anyone wanting extra precaution may wear a mask covering the mouth and nose in crowded or enclosed public places and when visiting health facilities.
The Ministry advised people to seek medical care immediately for difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or heaviness in the chest, inability to stay awake or confusion, or any other symptom of concern such as severe vomiting.
For children with cold and flu symptoms, the Ministry advised keeping them hydrated, encouraging rest and dressing them lightly during fever.
It said dehydration can be very serious in babies, especially those under three months old, and advised going immediately to the nearest health centre or doctor if dehydration is suspected.
Signs of dehydration may include no tears when crying, dry lips, a sunken soft spot on the head, decreased activity and urinating less than three to four times in 24 hours. Breastfed babies should be breastfed more frequently than usual, the Ministry said. Medical care should be sought immediately if a child has a fever greater than 38°C for more than two days, a fever of 40°C or higher for any amount of time, a fever of 38°C or higher while under three months old, a fever that does not improve after Panadol, unusual drowsiness or lethargy, refuses to eat or drink, or is wheezing or short of breath…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – AIRPORT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Fiji to screen passengers before flights from November
SUVA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji will begin using two new passenger-screening systems from 2 November, allowing the Ministry of Immigration to identify persons of interest before they board flights to the country.
Immigration permanent secretary Aliki Salusalu said the ministry was working on the Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems, which would be operational in two months.
API is an electronic system used by governments to collect personal and passport details from travellers before a flight departs, while PNR is a digital record of a passenger’s booking details and itinerary.
“So, any person of interest that has, an example, a red flag from any other country, we will be able to request the airline, please, this person need to be offloaded,” Salusalu said.
“In that way we are moving our border outward and also keep our country safe from people or others that have other agendas to come to Fiji.
“So, at the moment we’ve got capacity-building development for immigration officers and immigration induction training.”
Salusalu said information could be received up to 72 hours before a passenger boarded a plane.
He said Fiji’s border management system was also being strengthened through document forensic equipment donated by Australia under the Vuvale partnership, which has been operating in Nadi.
“In the last few weeks, we have detected some of the fraudulent documents, travel documents. So, we threw it under the microscope and there we see that it was tempered with, especially the cover page or the bio page, and has given us the confidence to say you’ll be refused entry, because of the fraudulent document.”
He said immigration and border officers had also undertaken five weeks of induction training supported and fully funded by Australia…. PACNEWS
SOL – MINING LAW: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Manuari: ‘First come, first serve’ is a flaw in current mining law
HONIARA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — Solomon Islands Minister for Mines and Energy Derrick Manu’ari says the “first come, first serve” approach under the current mining legislation is a recognised flaw that needs to be addressed through legislative reform.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Minister Manu’ari clarified that the current Mines and Minerals Act is outdated and does not adequately reflect the Government’s commitment to strengthening the role of customary landowners in decisions concerning mineral development on their land.
“We acknowledge that the issue that has arisen illustrates the flaws and weaknesses in the current laws, including the first come, first serve process,” he said.
Minister Manu’ari said this is precisely why the proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals legislation need to be brought before Parliament as soon as possible.
He said the new legislation is intended to give greater weight to the views and interests of landowners in determining who should be allowed to invest in their customary land, while creating opportunities for meaningful partnerships between investors and landowners.
The Minister also clarified the current legal position under the Mines and Minerals Act (Cap. 42), saying a review of the legislation indicates that there is no express provision requiring the Minerals Board to defer consideration of a Prospecting Licence (PL) application pending completion of customary land recording.
He said under the current law a landowner objection does not automatically cancel or prevent consideration of a PL application.
“The Act establishes a two-stage process. The Board may first assess whether a PL application is acceptable.
“If acceptable, the Minister issues a Letter of Intent (LOI) subject to the applicant acquiring surface access rights,” he said.
“It is following the LOI that section 21 requires identification of the affected landowners or landholding groups and negotiations for surface access.”
Minister Manu’ari said the Government must be clear about what the existing law provides while also recognising the need to fix weaknesses within that law.
He stressed that customary landowners and the wider public must be properly informed about the legal process and should not be misled by inaccurate interpretations of the current legislation.
“People and landowners must not be ill-informed. We have a responsibility to explain clearly what the current law provides and, importantly, why reform is necessary.”
The Minister said the proposed amendments are therefore critical to strengthening the mining regulatory framework and ensuring that customary landowners have a stronger voice and greater opportunity to benefit from mineral development occurring on their land…. PACNEWS
NEW|CALE – DEBT CRISIS: ABC PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 08 Sep 2026
Two years on from riots, New Caledonian president visits France amid debt crisis
NOUMEA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ABC) — Gaetan Babout moved to New Caledonia 14 years ago, seeking a quieter life in the South Pacific territory that shares his mother tongue.
But when deadly riots sparked by proposed voting reforms engulfed Nouméa in 2024, Babout, who is from France originally, found himself on the front line of a battle over independence from France that had been simmering for decades.
Two years on, he is still dealing with the repercussions.
“2024 and last year were really, really hard,” he said.
“The economy has totally crashed.”
His tour company lost 50 to 70 per cent of its business when tourism ground to a halt after clashes between Kanak protesters and French security forces caused more than $3 billion (US$2.16 billion) in damage across the territory.
President of New Caledonia’s chamber of commerce David Guyenne said about 12,000 people had fled the territory since 2024, an exodus that left crucial gaps in health care and essential services.
His own shopping centre was among the many businesses lost after it was burned down on the second day of the riots.
He is still waiting for insurance to fund a rebuild, two-and-a-half years on.
“It’s a very painful process. I personally lost 95 per cent of my businesses,” he said.
His experience reflects a broader crisis — one that newly elected President Milakulo Tukumuli highlighted in his first speech to New Caledonia’s Congress in August, when he warned the territory’s finances were on the “brink of total collapse”.
He said if nothing was done to salvage the territory’s ailing pension scheme, more than 40,000 New Caledonians could find themselves “pensionless within a few months”.
The healthcare system also had a cumulative debt of $578 million (US$417.08 million), he said.
“New Caledonia will not pass 2027 without fresh financial support from the French state,” he said.
Last week, Tukumuli was in Paris to secure more funding assistance to rescue the territory’s financially embattled pension and health schemes.
Loans arranged through the French Development Agency to support New Caledonia’s recovery already stand at about $1.2 billion (US$865.93 million).
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu agreed to provide a further $600 million (US$432.93 million) to $900 million (US$649.4 million), plus an extra $96 million (US$69.26 million) to conclude New Caledonia’s 2026 financial year and balance its 2027 budget.
Lecornu said most of the new assistance would be in the form of grants.
New Caledonia’s Congress president Virginie Ruffenach, who was part of Tukumuli’s delegation, said the figure met about 90 per cent of the delegation’s $870 million (US$627.69 million) plea.
But the money still requires approval by the French parliament.
And it’s unclear exactly how much would be disbursed in loans rather than grants.
Tukumuli earlier stressed that more loans for the French Pacific territory were “untenable”.
“Between 2020 and 2026, we have borrowed 1.5 billion euros [US$1.74 billion],” he said.
The new assistance also comes on the condition New Caledonia would undertake “urgent reforms” to reduce spending.
Ruffenach said New Caledonia had already passed a significant number of reforms resulting in savings of almost $600 million (US$432.88 million).
Guyenne said additional reforms would likely involve austerity measures and were necessary, even if they meant higher taxes for people and businesses.
“I think New Caledonia is bankrupt and if we didn’t have the financial help of France then the whole social system would collapse,” he said.
Although the 2024 crisis was centred on the capital city Nouméa, two years on the fallout has spread throughout the territory.
This year, domestic carrier Air Calédonie announced it would relocate all flight operations from an airport in Nouméa, to a larger facility 50 kilometres away in La Tontouta.
The move effectively doubled the travel time for people travelling from the outer islands to the capital and sparked a protest movement throughout March that saw regional airports blockaded and flights grounded.
After weeks of flight cancellations, Air Calédonie filed for bankruptcy.
The blockades still continue intermittently, amid a stalemate over the essential flight route.
But 170 kilometres east of the mainland on the island of Lifou, locals say their community has been relatively insulated from the territory’s economic trouble.
That’s despite being essentially cut off from the mainland during the flight blockade and only accessible by a five-hour ferry.
“Life in Lifou is better than Nouméa. There’s no pollution, we have fields to work in and the sea provides us with fish to eat,” Andréa Gaze from the local Mou community said.
“We don’t need much — we have our wealth right here on the island, from the sea and the land.”
Much like Nouméa, Lifou’s tourism industry took a major hit following the pandemic and the 2024 unrest.
But its fortunes appear to be turning, due in part to a new 50-room hotel and the 144,000 cruise passengers who visited the island’s shores last year.
Among the newly employed staff at the hotel is Sadia Citre, originally from nearby Maré Island, part of the Loyalty Islands group.
She said the recovery of tourism in Lifou and a focus on lifestyles guided by Indigenous knowledge and crop cultivation has positioned the community as self-reliant.
“It’s really an opportunity for me to continue living on the islands, especially compared to Nouméa, with its big city noise and everything,” she said.
“It’s actually a real chance for us.”
There isn’t as much optimism on the mainland, where visitation numbers remain well below pre-riot levels.
Recent figures show 58,000 international tourists stayed in New Caledonia in 2025, compared with 125,000 in 2023 — the lowest number recorded in 30 years.
For Nouméa tourism operators like Gaetan Babout, the economic outlook is deeply uncertain.
“It’s very difficult to have a vision of the future,” he said…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Vanuatu’s bid to settle France’s claim to Matthew and Hunter
Vanuatu wants The Hague to rule on a colonial-era dispute – but France decides if it even hears the case.
By Donald R Rothwell
PORT VILA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE INTERPRETER) — A decades long Pacific Island territorial dispute with deep colonial roots may be on the brink of being resolved by the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
On 31 August, Vanuatu filed an application with the court seeking to commence legal proceedings against France with respect to a territorial dispute over Matthew and Hunter Islands (Umaenupne and Leka in the indigenous Vanuatu language), and the associated maritime boundary between France and Vanuatu in the Southwest Pacific. Whether Vanuatu’s case proceeds will rest with Paris as the court will need to first be satisfied it has jurisdiction to even hear Vanuatu’s claim. As France does not accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the court, and Vanuatu’s case has not been founded on any treaty obligation requiring peaceful settlement of a land and maritime boundary dispute by the court, France will ultimately decide whether the case as framed by Vanuatu will go forward.
The International Court rarely sees disputes come to it by this legal route.
Matthew and Hunter Islands are two uninhabited islands situated approximately 162 nautical miles southeast of Vanuatu and 241 nautical miles east of French New Caledonia. The islands have generally been considered to be part of France’s Pacific island territories by way of claims dating back to an 1853 annexation of New Caledonia; however, doubt has been cast over whether France actually perfected those claims or whether various forms of administrative control were exercised without showing a clear intent to possess Matthew and Hunter.
The lack of clarity over the status of the islands partly has its roots in a bespoke 1906 Anglo-French Condominium, under which joint control was exercised over the islands of the New Hebrides. Vanuatu’s independence in 1980 enlivened debates over the status of the islands, in which it has been argued that Vanuatu as the successor of the United Kingdom became entitled to any rights over the islands that had been acquired by London.
There has also been a strong claim that the indigenous people of Vanuatu have historically had a connection with the island, with visitation for cultural and spiritual purposes and fishing.
The islands are small at approximately 0.7 and 0.6 square kilometres, are physically isolated and uninhabited, and due to volcanic activity unsuited for permanent human habitation. Nevertheless, the geopolitical significance of the islands has grown as a result of developments in the law of the sea.
Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, islands generate the same maritime entitlements as continents. Countries that are solely comprised of islands or parts of islands can also claim the distinctive status of an “Archipelagic State” under the Convention. This gives a special legal entitlement to connect and enclose all of their islands and thereby exercise sovereignty over the islands and the interconnecting waters. Vanuatu is one of only 22 countries – along with Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands – that are entitled to this special status. New Caledonia is also an archipelago but as a French overseas territory it is not a recognised archipelagic State due to its lack of independence.
Vanuatu is seeking to resolve not only the territorial dispute over the islands, but also the related maritime boundary with France, which in itself can only be resolved once the island dispute is settled. This mixed land and maritime element of the dispute is critical as it takes it beyond Law of the Sea Convention forums that would otherwise be available for the resolution of the maritime dispute, such as that utilised by the Philippines in the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration.
How Vanuatu’s claim is responded to by France is difficult to predict. Formal bilateral negotiations had taken place in 2018 and 2019, with recent rounds in November 2025 and July 2026. However, it would appear that Port Vila ultimately came to the view that the negotiations had reached an end point and that formally requesting France to agree to allow the dispute to be decided in The Hague was the only way forward to break the impasse.
France is not legally required to accede to Vanuatu’s request, and this is a novel aspect of the dispute. The International Court rarely sees disputes come to it by this legal route. France will be mindful, however, that its status as a founding member of the United Nations and the International Court – and having already been involved in 16 contentious cases before the court – will place it under pressure to accede to Vanuatu’s request.
This is not France’s only island territorial dispute. The status of the French Overseas Territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean is contested between Comoros and France. France would be concerned about any precedent that may be set by how it responds to Vanuatu’s claims, and how that may be received in New Caledonia against the backdrop of the local independence movement. Vanuatu, however, would appear to be prepared for a French rebuff and has suggested that its fallback option would be to seek an Advisory Opinion from the International Court.
Whatever the legal process, Port Vila seems determined to raise the dispute over Matthew and Hunter in The Hague…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Opinion: Is an empty seat a silent seat? What Palau told us about Pacific unity
KOROR, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting closed in Koror last week with a raft of bilateral meetings, side events and financial commitments from donor partners including New Zealand, the United States and Australia.
The week culminated in the Leaders’ Retreat and a communiquē setting out what was agreed by our Pacific Leaders. However, the story most likely to outlast the communiquē is the one of empty chairs.
Five of the Forum’s 18 members, Fiji, Vanuatu, Sāmoa, Kiribati and New Caledonia, were represented in Palau without their head of government. A sixth, Solomon Islands, sent its Prime Minister, then watched him fly home within a day after a no-confidence motion was filed against his government. The motion was withdrawn on Sunday.
That left Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela to carry his country’s voice into the Troika press conference, and it left the region’s stated solidarity looking thinner than expected.
Forum Chair and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr told the media that “our unity is our solidarity as a region, and it is essential.”
Nobody in that room disagreed with him. Though many officials I spoke to were left wondering whether unity can be declared when so many of the family’s leaders are not at the table. Something Pacific and world media captured too.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters called the absences “seriously disappointing,” though he added that the delegations that did travel were strong ones, nonetheless.
Asked directly whether foreign interference had shaped who stayed home, Peters told reporters “you’d be defying gravity and logic if you said it wasn’t a big problem”, without naming a state or making a formal accusation.
Clearly, the China-Taiwan question smouldered beneath much of the tension. Palau, one of the Pacific’s few remaining diplomatic partners of Taipei, allowed Taiwan to participate as a development partner alongside China as a dialogue partner.
The decision angered Beijing, which warned “there would be consequences.” Whether that decision, or the broader contest of China and Taiwan, influenced leaders’ decisions not to attend will now be consigned to Pacific political history and conjecture.
Then there was Naoero, formerly Nauru. Item 29 of the communiquē registered deep concern over China’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, conducted without adequate notice, which overflew several Pacific members.
The communiquē called for at least 24 hours advance warning on future tests, and asked all states to act consistently with sovereignty, the Treaty of Rarotonga and the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration. But China is not mentioned, Naoero’s dissented from the paragraph, and Kiribati was absent from the Leaders’ Retreat where the decision was made.
That a Pacific state chose to stand apart on a question of nuclear-era security, in a region that has fought hard for the protections in the Treaty of Rarotonga, captures the complexity our Pacific leaders face. And what coming together asks Pacific nation states and their leaders to navigate.
Yet there was another side to the Palau meeting. On climate change, the region was far more united. Leaders renewed their commitment to keeping 1.5°C within reach and adopted the Palau Declaration for urgent and inclusive climate action.
In a region where climate change remains an existential concern, perhaps this is also what Pacific unity looks like: finding common ground on the issues that most directly affect our people, even when agreement becomes harder on questions of geopolitics and security.
Leaders also agreed to move forward with reforms to the region’s architecture, an acknowledgement that the Forum itself may need to change if it is to manage an increasingly complex Pacific.
Houenipwela, chairing the Forum’s foreign ministers meeting earlier in the year in Suva, offered a very sobering description of how Pacific unity actually functions under pressure. “This does not require members to hold the same position on every issue,” he said of the Pacific Way.
And if that is true, then the empty chairs in Palau and the single dissent on ballistic missiles, item 29, may not as the Minister alluded to be a Forum in crisis. They may simply be evidence of 18 sovereign states behaving like 18 sovereign states.
Further clarifying his thoughts he said, “it requires us to listen carefully to one another, respect national circumstances and perspectives, and continue working towards positions that genuinely reflect the collective interests of our Forum family.”
Absolute agreement, in Houenipwela’s mind, was not a prerequisite for unity nor a demonstration of the Pacific way. Is this the lens he offers for our understanding of when we meet and gather, what Pacific unity is, and that an empty seat is not also a silent seat
The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting was held in Koror, Palau, held from 30 August to 4 September…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Australia-Solomons treaty close: reports
KOROR, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UNICEF) — Thousands of children across the Pacific will benefit from a new European Union-UNICEF partnership supporting governments in building safer, stronger schools that are better prepared for climate-related disasters.
Across the Pacific, climate change is increasingly damaging schools and disrupting children’s education. Almost every year, cyclones, floods, rising sea levels – amongst other disasters – damage classrooms, water systems, and school facilities, particularly in remote communities. In many cases, schools are repaired only to be damaged again by the next disaster, leading to a costly cycle of damage and reconstruction.
The new €17 million (US$19.76 million) Pacific Climate Resilient Education Systems* (Pacific CRES) programme signed and launched at a side event of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, reflects the European Union’s (EU) long-term commitment to working alongside Pacific countries and UNICEF on shared climate and development priorities.
The new programme will upgrade existing school infrastructure, strengthen maintenance systems, as well as introduce practical solutions that help schools remain operational during and after disasters.
Improvements will include climate-resilient water and sanitation facilities, renewable energy systems, and enhanced connectivity – creating safer, more reliable learning environments for children.
The agreement signed by the Deputy Director-General for the Directorate-General for International Partnerships, Marjeta Jager, and UNICEF Pacific’s Deputy Representative, Roshni Basu, ** is not only an investment in school buildings. It is an investment in safety, continuity of learning, dignity, and opportunity for children and communities facing growing climate and disaster risks.
In addition to improving school infrastructure, the programme will support governments to plan and budget for the long-term maintenance of school facilities.
“Launched during this Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, and in the same year that the Pacific hosts pre-COP, the partnership reflects growing recognition that climate resilience must be built into the systems and services that children rely on every day,” said UNICEF Pacific’s Deputy Representative, Roshni Basu. “With the leadership of Pacific governments and in partnership with the European Union, this programme is investing in solutions that will protect learning for years to come, rather than relying on short-term fixes.”
Over the next five years, the programme is expected to directly benefit around 15,000 children through improved school facilities in Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, and Solomon Islands. It will support approximately 2,000 teachers and school administrators with training on disaster preparedness and school resilience. It will also engage around 25,000 community members in disaster risk reduction and school maintenance activities.
The programme will be implemented by Ministries of Education in partnership with UNICEF, National Disaster Management Offices, climate change authorities, as well as regional organisations across Fiji, FSM, Kiribati, and Solomon Islands…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
From Sewing Skills to Business Confidence: Loviness Builds New Opportunities in Gizo
HONIARA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UNDP) — For 63-year-old Loviness Sifoni, sewing has long been part of her life. She had the skills to make and tailor garments, built through years of practical experience and training. What she did not have was the confidence to see herself as a businesswoman.
“I knew I could sew, but I did not know how to confidently present myself as a businesswoman,” she says.
A mother of four, grandmother and retired public servant who served for 19 years, Loviness was more comfortable behind her sewing machine, waiting for customers to come to her.
That began to change when she took part in leadership, business management and market vendor development training through the Markets for Change (M4C) Project.
Finding Her Confidence
The training helped Loviness look beyond the technical side of sewing and think differently about running a business — from communicating with customers and promoting her products to managing money and planning for the future.
It also connected her with other women vendors, giving them opportunities to exchange experiences, learn from one another and build networks.
Today, Loviness operates LS Pattern Drafting & Sewing in Gizo and is becoming more confident in promoting her products and services, both in person and online.
She says the training has also changed how she approaches her finances. She is more conscious about planning, saving and managing her resources, while considering how she can invest in growing her business.
But Loviness does not want what she has learned to benefit only herself.
“I believe that knowledge should not stay with one person. When we learn something useful, we should be able to share it with others.”
She hopes to continue developing her pattern-drafting and sewing skills and eventually share that knowledge with other women who want to earn an income from their own abilities.
Creating Opportunities for Other Women
For Loviness, becoming more economically empowered is not simply about earning money. It is also about having the confidence to speak for herself, make decisions and pursue opportunities.
Her experience reflects the broader purpose of M4C: supporting women market vendors to strengthen their skills, confidence, networks and ability to participate in local economies.
This also complements Solomon Islands’ national priorities for women’s economic empowerment, including enterprise development, financial inclusion and skills development.
Loviness now plans to grow her sewing and tailoring business, reach more customers and make greater use of digital platforms to promote her work. She also wants to help other women who have practical skills but may not yet have the confidence or business knowledge to turn those skills into an income.
“If I have skills and knowledge that can help another woman, I am willing to share them.”
For Loviness, the change is perhaps best captured in her own words:
“I feel that I have been given a green light to move forward.”
That green light has given Loviness a renewed sense of what is possible — not only for her own business, but for the women she hopes to support along the way.
About Markets for Change
Markets for Change (M4C) is a regional initiative supporting the economic security and working conditions of women market vendors in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The initiative works to strengthen market infrastructure, vendor capacity and gender equality to support safer, more inclusive and sustainable marketplaces.
The Markets for Change project is implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP, with support from the Government of Australia…. PACNEWS
