In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific priorities take centre stage at Pre-COP31
2. PACIFIC — 1.5 to Stay Alive not a slogan, but a lifeline for the Pacific
3. PACIFIC — Pacific climate advocates set five red lines ahead of PreCOP31
4. PACIFIC — Australia urged to push wealthy nations to close climate finance gap at Pre-COP
5. PACIFIC — Pacific demands ‘tangible outcomes’ on climate finance: Kiribati’s Minister for Women,
6. PACIFIC — Fossil fuel phase-out, climate funds top pre-COP agenda
7. PACIFIC — The Pacific won’t settle for weak climate deal: PS outlines priorities
8. PACIFIC — Chinese climate cooperation helps advance Pacific climate action: Fijian scholar
9. PACIFIC — Fiji pushes for climate fund transition
10. UN— UN demands justice for Marshallese over nuclear testing legacy.
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Tuvalu must build an economy that can withstand external shocks: PM Teo
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Niue Government buys $2.2m Auckland home as ‘strategic asset’
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific women begin nine-month leadership fellowship
14. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — War of words over Matthew and Hunter
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific leaders challenge Australia’s fossil fuel expansion ahead of pre-COP31 talks in Fiji
16. PACNEWS DIGEST — As El Nino threats become reality, One Health unites Pacific countries across sectors to address health, environmental and climate threats
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Pacific priorities take centre stage at Pre-COP31
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Ministers and climate negotiators from more than 50 countries are gathering in Fiji and Tuvalu this week for the final major ministerial meeting before COP31, with Pacific leaders pushing for stronger action on climate finance, renewable energy and ocean protection.
The 2026 Pacific Pre-COP, co-hosted by Fiji and Australia from 05 to 08 October, will focus on keeping the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach, accelerating the clean energy transition, strengthening climate resilience and unlocking finance for vulnerable countries.
A special Leaders’ event is being held in Tuvalu from 05 to 06 October, bringing global decision-makers to one of the countries most exposed to rising seas and climate change.
Fiji Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya said the Pacific’s influence on global climate action extended beyond its size.
“Pre-COP will put Pacific priorities and solutions at the centre of global discussions and help turn commitments into practical action,” Tabuya said.
She said this included greater investment in blue economy solutions to protect the ocean and support Pacific island and coastal communities.
“Renewable energy strengthens resilience, reduces fuel costs and supports sustainable development across our region,” she said.
The meetings come as countries face increasingly severe climate impacts, including heatwaves, tropical storms and glacier loss.
Organisers say global climate action since the 2015 Paris Agreement has helped reduce projected warming from about 4°C to 2.6°C, while renewable energy has grown to more than a third of global electricity generation.
Renewables are also now among the fastest and cheapest forms of new electricity generation, with renewable capacity additions expected to double between 2025 and 2030 compared with the previous five-year period.
The Pre-COP discussions will seek to build on that momentum, with negotiations and bilateral meetings covering clean energy, climate finance, resilience and the economic opportunities associated with the renewable energy transition.
Tuvalu Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Dr Maina Vakafua Talia said hosting the Leaders’ event in Tuvalu would give decision-makers a direct view of the challenges facing vulnerable island states.
“The Leaders’ event will bring global decision-makers to the frontlines of climate change and will show both the impacts we face and the practical work underway to protect our communities,” Talia said.
“Tuvalu is a low-lying atoll nation, just an average of two metres above sea level. The decisions we make at Pre-COP and COP31 will be felt by our communities first.”
He said the outcomes from the Leaders’ event and Pre-COP needed to translate into stronger action.
“The outcomes from the Leaders’ event in Tuvalu and Pre-COP must help drive stronger ambition and action now,” he said.
Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy and COP31 President for negotiations Chris Bowen said the Pacific was at the frontline of the climate crisis.
“Our region is at the frontline of the climate crisis, where the effects of climate change are real and immediate,” Bowen said.
“Hosting Pre-COP in the Pacific is bringing the focus of the world to the impacts, opportunities and priorities in our region.”
Bowen said Australia would work with Türkiye, which will host COP31 in Antalya, to secure practical outcomes on energy security, economic development and climate resilience.
Türkiye’s Minister for Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum said Pre-COP was the last major opportunity to build momentum before the November summit.
“We want to remind world leaders that promises do not hold back the sea or shield homes from the fire. Only delivery can save us,” Kurum said.
He said the COP31 Presidency’s agenda included electrification, zero waste, resilient cities and oceans, backed by climate finance.
“We will spend this week knocking heads together to get everyone on board so that the world comes to Antalya ready to deliver results,” he said.
Alongside the ministerial discussions, Fiji is hosting the Vale ni Vanua Knowledge Exchange programme, featuring youth climate leadership, climate science and practical responses to climate impacts in areas including maternal health, oceans and agriculture.
The outcomes of the Pacific Pre-COP will feed into negotiations ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: SPREP PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
1.5 to Stay Alive not a slogan, but a lifeline for the Pacific
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)—What happens when you wake up one day and your receding coastal land has now disappeared? Or the king tide last week, the week before and last month has made the drinking water supply from the well salty, and root crops can’t grow as big as before.
For small islands states like the Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands and Tuvalu this is their reality, that will only get worse if we go over 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Pacific Climate Envoy, Kristina Stege, in her keynote address at the 1.5 to Stay Alive Forum hosted by the University of the South Pacific, highlighted “How even small increases in sea level rise leads to disproportionately large increases in coastal flooding for atoll nations like Tuvalu.”
“Thirty-centimetre sea level rise by 2050 under a low-emissions pathway could turn a 1-in-100-year coastal inundation event into a 1-in-10-year event. Tuvalu, Kiribati, my home country, the Marshall Islands, we are facing a shift from occasional disasters to recurrent and persistent national crisis.”
“Projections show that warming could lead to drastic declines in coastal fishery catches, translating to a food gap of 2 meals per week per family by 2050. We are talking about the decline of up to 65% of coastal fisheries catches in the most affected atolls under a medium warming scenario of 2.7C.”
It also means that risks and losses increase greatly compared with a world without that level of warming. Therefore every additional fraction of a degree makes those risks worse.
These are sobering assessments from the Pacific Community (SPC) further compounded by forecasts ahead.
“We’ve urged Pacific communities to remain alert as our climate forecasts for 3 – 16 October indicate that temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5°C above average in parts of Kiribati, the northern Cook Islands, and the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia,” said Salesa Nihmei, Director of Climate Science and Information of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
“The whole world is expected to get warmer this El Nino. Additionally, an increased risk of tropical cyclone development is forecast near the northern Marshall Islands and Northern Mariana Islands from 05–11 October. Communities are encouraged to monitor official weather updates and preparedness advisories.”
Findings from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) “Limiting Overshoot – Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return” report launched in September this year, threaten that overshoot of 1.5 is now unavoidable but can still be brought down.
“It’s the scenario that keeps us up at night, listening to the waves that were once a source of comfort and are now a source of fear.”
The good news is we can return. “1.5 is still within reach and overshoot could be temporary, but we need to urgently implement effective, proactive, and bold measures now to make that a reality. This is still the critical decade for action.”
As a prelude to Pre-COP in Nadi from 05-08 October, 20026, Stege challenged policymakers, academia, climate advocates and community leaders at the Forum to “course-correct, to reset the narrative on climate change and double-down on 1.5°C. Discussions like today’s are so important in setting this direction for collective action. The Pacific is leading with knowledge, experience and solutions needed to confront this existential challenge.”
She pointed to past Pacific victories as proof that ambition delivers. From securing 1.5°C in the Paris Agreement, the COP28 commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, to the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion led by university students from the Pacific.
“We have dreamed the impossible dream before. Not only have we dreamed it, but we made it reality.”
She said COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, “has to be a COP of action”, delivering deeper emissions cuts, accessible climate finance and stronger protection for the ocean.
“Because, for the Pacific, ‘1.5 to stay alive’ is not a slogan, it is a lifeline.”
The 1.5 to Stay Alive Forum was organised by the COP Universities Alliance and hosted by the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, on 02 October 2026….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Pacific climate advocates set five red lines ahead of PreCOP31
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific climate advocates have set out five red lines for governments to defend the 1.5°C target as ministers and negotiators gather in Fiji and Tuvalu for PreCOP31.
A visual action in Nadi has highlighted the demands contained in the annual Pacific Climate Justice Demands, developed through consultations involving a regional network of more than 290 organisations.
The five red lines call for:
* No false solutions – rejecting technologies, policies and financial mechanisms that allow emissions and extraction to continue while shifting risks and costs onto Pacific communities.
* A phase-out of fossil fuels – an immediate end to new oil, gas and coal exploration and extraction, a phase-out of existing production and consumption, and an end to fossil fuel subsidies.
*No new extraction – rejecting extraction projects imposed without genuine free, prior and informed consent, binding benefit-sharing and independent environmental assessments.
*Protection of the living planet – recognising Pacific peoples as rights-holders and defenders of the ocean, land and biodiversity they have stewarded for generations.
*No monetisation of non-economic loss and damage – ensuring responses recognise the difference between payment and reparation and do not reduce Pacific cultures, identities and grief to a monetary value.
350.Org Pacific Campaigner Jacynta Fa’amau said the region was facing the prospect of temporarily exceeding the 1.5°C threshold, but governments still had control over how long temperatures remained above it.
“We will breach 1.5 degrees in the next decade, that is the disturbing reality. Irreversible loss and damage will occur, and has been occurring over the past decades,” Fa’amau said.
“But how long we spend above that limit is still within the control of decision makers at PreCOP and COP31.”
She said the five red lines were intended to keep open a pathway back to the 1.5°C target and ensure Pacific voices were reflected in government commitments.
“Those most responsible for this crisis may have been able to ignore us when we weren’t in the room, but now the process has come to our shores and we will make sure they hear us,” she said.
Dr Rufino Varea, Director of the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), said the red lines represented the mandate Pacific civil society was taking into PreCOP31.
“These red lines are the mandate Pacific civil society is bringing into PreCOP31,” Varea said.
“The discussions in Nadi will help shape the priorities and political direction heading into COP31, so this is the moment to make clear what the Pacific expects to see carried forward.”
Varea said Pacific communities had spent decades outlining the impacts of climate change and were now looking for concrete political commitments.
“We need to see that reflected in the agenda, the political signals coming out of PreCOP, and ultimately in the decisions governments take at COP31,” he said.
“We will carry these red lines from Nadi to Türkiye, and they will remain our measure of whether the outcomes delivered respond to the scale and urgency of the crisis facing our region.”
The PreCOP31 discussions in Nadi are expected to help shape political priorities ahead of COP31 in Türkiye….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Australia urged to push wealthy nations to close climate finance gap at Pre-COP
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Australia has been urged to use its role as President of Negotiations at Pre-COP31 to push wealthy countries to close the shortfall in international climate finance and make major polluters contribute more to climate action.
The call has come from the Make Big Polluters Pay Alliance as Pre-COP31 gets underway in Fiji.
The alliance said climate-vulnerable countries were facing billions of dollars in losses from climate disasters despite international climate funds established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change remaining underfunded.
It cited estimates that Pacific countries have faced average annual climate disaster costs of AUD$1.3 billion(US$900 million) over the past decade, equivalent to 14.3 percent of their combined GDP.
The alliance also pointed to the recovery cost of flooding in Nepal, estimated at about US$5 billion, or 10 percent of the country’s GDP.
At the same time, it said fossil fuel companies continued to generate substantial revenues while contributing relatively little in corporate tax.
The alliance said Australian fossil fuel companies reported AUD$436 billion(US$303 billion) in income in 2023-24 while contributing about five percent of corporate income tax.
Julie-Anne Richards, Campaign Strategic Lead of the Make Big Polluters Pay Alliance, said Pre-COP31 was an opportunity for Australia to demonstrate leadership on climate finance.
“Leading negotiations at the world’s biggest climate conference is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Australia to show real leadership, by rallying countries to fill global climate funds and hold big polluting corporations to account for their climate damages,” Richards said.
She called on Australia to announce a stronger climate finance commitment and introduce a Climate Pollution Levy on coal and gas companies to help finance disaster recovery and adaptation.
Harjeet Singh, Global Convenor of the Fill the Fund campaign, said climate-vulnerable communities were bearing the costs of a crisis they had contributed little to creating.
“It is a stain on the world’s conscience that coal, oil and gas corporations make billions in profits while funds established to protect vulnerable communities are left desperately short,” Singh said.
He called on Australia and other wealthy countries to increase climate finance and make major polluters contribute to the costs of climate impacts.
Oxfam Australia Policy and Advocacy Lead Josie Lee said climate finance would be a key test of Australia’s leadership ahead of COP31.
She called on Australia to commit AUD$11 billion(US$7.64 million) in climate finance between 2025 and 2030, including dedicated funding for developing countries to prepare for, adapt to and recover from climate impacts.
Lee also backed the introduction of a Climate Pollution Levy, saying some fossil fuel companies were paying little or no company tax while generating significant profits.
Oxfam in the Pacific Executive Director Eunice Wotene said Pacific communities already had the knowledge and solutions needed to build climate resilience but lacked the resources to implement them.
“This is not charity; it is climate justice.
“We need wealthy countries to listen, act and deliver,” Wotene said.
ActionAid Australia Deputy Head of Policy and Campaigns Sophie Hardefeldt also called for Australia to commit AUD11 billion(US$7.64 million)in international climate finance over the next five years.
She said the costs of climate impacts were increasingly being borne by local communities, including women and communities on the climate frontlines.
The alliance is calling on Australia to use Pre-COP31 and the lead-up to COP31 to secure new climate finance commitments from wealthy countries and advance proposals for climate pollution levies on major fossil fuel producers…..PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Pacific demands ‘tangible outcomes’ on climate finance: Kiribati’s Minister for Women,
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Kiribati’s Minister for Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs, Ruth Cross Kwansing, says the Pacific will ask world leaders at Pre-COP31 in Nadi this week to back a change that would pay small island states back for climate projects after they are finished.
Kwansing said the Pacific wanted an ex-post reimbursement mechanism because “climate finance is difficult to access”.
She said the mechanism would be guided by a vulnerability index for small island developing states.
“That is a tangible and concrete outcome that we’re seeking and we really hope for your support,” she said on Sunday.
Her message to leaders was simple.
“We’re all here for action and we’re all here for tangible outcomes that actually reach our communities,” she said.
She thanked leaders for travelling “all that way” to the Pacific.
Kwansing said the region would be stronger if it spoke with one voice.
“When we approach this in a scattered approach as in every nation for themselves, it doesn’t work,” she said.
She said Kiribati’s Minister for Line and Phoenix Islands Development, Mikarite Temari, would represent the President in the leaders’ talks in Tuvalu. She will not travel there.
She also thanked the Fijian Government and Australia, the Pacific’s lead negotiator, for creating the space…PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
The Pacific won’t settle for weak climate deal: PS outlines priorities
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Fiji Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael says pre-COP31 will be a disappointment if the 36 ministers and leaders arriving in Nadi and Tuvalu this week return home without changing their minds on the Pacific’s climate fight.
Dr Michael told journalists on Saturday that the region had a chance to turn the world’s attention to small island states.
“If their mindset is still not going to change with everything they have seen, then yeah, for me that is the most upsetting thing,” he said.
He said many negotiators worked “out of context” because they were “so used to paper and the office”.
Pacific negotiators met in Nadi on Thursday and Friday to set their best case, worst case and red lines.
Dr Michael said the region would rather walk away than accept a weak outcome. No decision, he said, “is better than a weak decision”.
He said the just transition (JT) mechanism, which helps countries move away from fossil fuels, could not be separated from money.
“You can’t discuss JT mechanism without discussing finance,” he said.
He also pointed to Brazil, India and China. They are counted as developing countries, he said, but “have the capacity to contribute”.
Pre-COP31 runs until Thursday, ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from 09 to 20 November.
Sources list these leaders and ministers: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Cook Islands’ Mark Brown, Tonga’s Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua, Solomon Islands’ Matthew Wale, Vanuatu’s Jothan Napat, Mauritius’ President Dharambeer Gokhool, New Caledonia’s Roch Wamytan, Palau’s Steven Victor, Kiribati’s Ruth Cross Kwansing, Papua New Guinea’s John Kaupa and Azerbaijan’s Mukhtar Babayev….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: AAP PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Fossil fuel phase-out, climate funds top pre-COP agenda
CANBERRA/NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (AAP)—Banners will fly outside churches, cathedrals and temples across five states to urge Australia to step up support for Pacific nations and phase out fossil fuels.
Religious leaders from several faiths will launch the campaign on Tuesday to coincide with a pre-COP summit in Fiji, where governments will discuss priorities for November’s United Nations climate conference.
The group, along with representatives from climate and policy organisations, says Australia has an opportunity to lead the world on climate action at the event and cannot afford to squander it.
Pre-COP31 events in Fiji and Tuvalu expected to attract thousands of participants are designed to identify common ground on emissions reductions and climate finance while highlighting challenges facing Pacific nations.
Leaders from Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and other faiths will show their support at locations from Cairns to Perth on Tuesday, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change executive director Tejopala Rawls said.
The group would also issue an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he said, calling for Australia to support a global fossil fuel treaty and a planned phase-out of coal, oil and gas.
“Australian churches and faith communities have got very strong connections in the Pacific so there was a very strong desire to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Pacific and to try and reinforce what they’ve been saying on this issue,” he told AAP.
“What we’re doing is saying we need this to be on the agenda – Australia has a responsibility to lead.”
Australia had made significant progress cutting emissions domestically, Rawls said, but it and other nations needed to address fossil fuel exports to make a meaningful difference to global warming.
“The question of phasing out fossil fuels is one that can tend to polarise people,” he said.
“What we need is a plan that does that in a co-ordinated way internationally where nobody’s needs get left out and nobody gets left behind.”
Representatives from groups including Oxfam, Greenpeace, The Australia Institute and ActionAid will also attend the event in Nadi.
Make Big Polluters Pay campaign strategic lead Julie-Anne Richards said Australia should seize the opportunity to invest more in climate action.
“This pre-COP event is an opportunity to show leadership and encourage other countries to follow rather than talking about other countries taking action and waiting for them,” she said.
“We need to get out there, in front.”
Climate finance would be a major topic for discussion at the event, she said, with the United Nations’ loss and damage fund facing a shortfall and a Pacific climate fund yet to reach its US$500 million target.
Australia has committed $100 million (US$69 million) to the fund…. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: XINHUA PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Chinese climate cooperation helps advance Pacific climate action: Fijian scholar
SUVA, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (XINHUA)— China’s role in global climate governance is increasingly pivotal, and its practical and effective climate cooperation with Pacific island countries is helping advance climate action in the region, said Joseph Veramu, acting dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Law at Fiji National University.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Veramu said China’s efforts to promote technology transfer, fair climate finance and partnerships in renewable energy are helping bridge divides between developed and developing nations.
‘Chinese electric vehicles are increasingly visible across Fiji,” he said, citing solar installations, electric vehicle deployment, technical training and research exchanges as examples of practical cooperation.
“These initiatives have strengthened local energy access and reduced emissions,” Veramu said.
The scholar also noted that China has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and climate cooperation grounded in equity and shared development.
‘Even if their scales differ, the Pacific and China share common interests in adaptation, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods” he said.
Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia are partnering to deliver the official 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) Pre-COP ministerial meeting and Leaders’ event from Monday to Thursday.
These events will bring global climate decision-makers to the Pacific ahead of COP31 scheduled for November, providing an opportunity to build momentum for negotiations while highlighting a range of Pacific priorities, including climate finance, adaptation, and temperature goals.
Veramu described the meeting as deeply symbolic.
It places the Pacific Islands at the centre of global climate dialogue, ensuring that frontline nations speak directly to the world about the realities of rising seas, coastal loss, and community resilience, he said.
Veramu expected the upcoming event to provide an opportunity for the Pacific region and China to further cooperation in various areas.
“The region values China’s constructive engagement and welcomes continued collaboration that strengthens resilience, innovation, and shared prosperity across the Blue Pacific,” the scholar said…PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Fiji pushes for climate fund transition
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—A legal battle over diplomatic terminology is threatening Fiji’s access to vital climate funds, as wealthy nations weaponise outdated treaty language to keep their financial contributions voluntary.
Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael revealed that Pacific negotiators are fighting a critical text-amendment battle to transition the global Adaptation Fund away from old Kyoto Protocol rules to the Paris Agreement framework.
The crux of the issue lies in classification, according to Dr Michael.
The outdated Kyoto Protocol used rigid “Annex 1” and “Annex 2” categories, while the Paris Agreement clearly defines nations as either “developed” or “developing”.
Dr Michael reiterated initial misconceptions, clarifying that Fiji is strictly a non-Annex 1 developing nation, while Annex 2 comprises wealthy countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
By stalling the transition to the new terminology, certain developed nations are successfully exploiting a loophole that keeps their climate payouts entirely voluntary.
For vulnerable Pacific frontline states, this bureaucratic loophole means millions in promised climate aid to remain locked away.
“We need this transition to happen,” Dr Michael said during a briefing with local media in Nadi yesterday noting that the Pacific is drawing firm lines against voluntary structures.
The Pacific’s primary objective is the mobilisation of the Just Transition mechanism, designed to financially move countries away from fossil fuels.
However, Fiji’s chief negotiator warned that talking about a transition was impossible without securing concrete public finance and concessional grants over loans.
These critical negotiations will directly shape the upcoming Faka Tapa Soa Declaration that will be launched in Tuvalu during the pre-COP31 Summit.
Pacific leaders intend to use the declaration to enforce strict governance structures, ensuring small island developing states secure fair representation and mandatory, guaranteed funding…PACNEWS
MARSH – NUKE LEGACY: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 2: Mon 05 Oct 2026
UN demands justice for Marshallese over nuclear testing legacy.
GENEVA, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —The enduring radioactive legacy of US nuclear bomb testing in the Marshall Islands took centre stage at the Human Rights Council last Thursday.
Addressing the impact of 67 known tests conducted between 1946 and 1958, UN deputy rights chief Awa Dabo said that it lives on in the bodies of Marshallese people, in “lands poisoned and communities displaced” today.
Justice must be served for the people unable to return to the atolls – or coral islands – contaminated by the detonations, Dabo insisted.
She also highlighted the devastating health consequences of repeated nuclear testing, an issue highlighted this week at a high-level General Assembly meeting.
“Virtually every Marshallese family has been touched by the enduring health consequences of the nuclear testing, which include elevated rates of cancer,” she said.
Marshallese women and their family members carry painful memories of miscarriages, stillbirths and severe congenital conditions.
Today, communities affected by harmful nuclear radiation face social stigma and are called “poison people”, Dabo noted.
“Marshallese communities have the right to an effective remedy for the harm caused by the nuclear tests,” she stressed, in a call on U.S authorities to declassify information about data on radiation exposure and testing records…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
TUVALU – ECONOMY/EXTERNAL SHOCKS: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Tuvalu must build an economy that can withstand external shocks: PM Teo
FUNAFUTI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo says the Government must move beyond short-term assistance and build an economy that can withstand fuel price shocks, supply disruptions and the country’s dependence on imports.
Delivering his 48th Independence Anniversary address last week, Teo said global fuel price increases and disruptions to international supply chains had pushed up the cost of essential goods and services in Tuvalu.
The Government responded with a High Cost of Living Support Scheme, providing assistance to low-income households.
Teo said about 1,099 households and more than 5,858 beneficiaries received support, with payments reaching $290,000 (US$201,000) in June.
The Government has extended the scheme while pursuing longer-term measures to reduce fuel costs and protect consumers.
But Teo said financial assistance could not address the underlying economic vulnerabilities.
“Government recognises that the assistance alone is not enough, and it must continue building an economy that creates opportunities and is better able to withstand external shocks,” he said.
Teo said the Government had taken steps to create a clearer environment for investment, including Parliament’s passage of a new Foreign Direct Investment Act.
The Government has also developed Tuvalu’s first National Investment Policy and is working on new Fair Pricing and Consumer Protection legislation to strengthen safeguards for consumers.
Fisheries remain central to the economy, with the Government looking at ways to increase the value generated from the country’s fisheries resources.
The Government is also supporting climate-resilient agriculture, home gardening and poultry production to strengthen food security and reduce dependence on imported food.
Teo highlighted the first FENUA OLA export shipment, which left Tuvalu in June.
He said it was the country’s first export shipment since 2004.
“While modest in scale, its significance is much greater,” Teo said.
“It demonstrates that Tuvalu can produce, trade and create new opportunities for our people.”
The Government is also expanding labour-mobility opportunities and supporting tourism and accommodation through initiatives including the Fatama Homestay loan scheme.
However, Teo said three major structural challenges continued to constrain Tuvalu’s sustainable development.
The first was the country’s exposure to external economic shocks.
These include volatile fuel prices, heavy dependence on imported goods, fluctuating fisheries revenues and a narrow domestic revenue base.
Teo said the Government would continue providing targeted assistance where necessary while placing greater emphasis on sustainable long-term solutions.
The second challenge was maintaining infrastructure after it was built.
Teo highlighted the power outages experienced earlier this year as a warning that infrastructure investment must include long-term maintenance.
“The power outages experienced earlier this year is a stern reminder that constructing infrastructure is the easier part of development, ensuring their continuous functionality is the greater challenge,” he said.
Teo said planned maintenance and asset management systems for critical infrastructure must be established and properly implemented.
The third challenge was a shortage of human capacity, which he said continued to limit the pace of development.
The Government must therefore continue investing in scholarships, technical and professional training, workforce development and public service reform.
Teo said strengthening human capacity would be critical to ensuring Tuvalu could manage its development priorities and reduce its vulnerability to external shocks.
The economic agenda forms part of the Government’s broader effort to build a more resilient Tuvalu, alongside investment in climate adaptation, energy security, connectivity and human development….PACNEWS
NZ – GOVT ASSET: STUFF NZ PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Niue Government buys $2.2m Auckland home as ‘strategic asset’
AUCKLAND, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (STUFF NZ)—The Niue Government has bought a five-bedroom property in Auckland’s Māngere Bridge, describing the purchase as a “strategic asset” for the country.
Niue Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi announced the acquisition in Parliament last week, according to several media reports, which said the Government had paid $2.2m (US$1.23 million) for the property at 43 Ridgemount Rise.
Tagelagi told his Parliament the purchase represented “a significant investment for the future” and provided “a strategic asset for Niue”.
It was not clear from his remarks exactly how the property would be used.
However, a staff member at Niue’s High Commission in Wellington told the NZ Herald the Auckland property would be used as a consulate to serve Niueans living in the city.
The Ray White listing for the property confirms it sold for $2.2m (US41.23 million) on 26 August.
The approximately 281sqm home sits on a 637sqm section and has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and an oversized double garage, as well as additional off-street parking.
The listing described the house as an “executive residence” with multiple living areas, including a dedicated movie room and two master suites.
It also features double glazing, modern insulation, heating systems, a gas fireplace and speaker systems throughout the home.
Photos from the listing show a modern two-storey home positioned at the base of Māngere Mountain, with open-plan living areas opening on to landscaped gardens.
The property had been marketed as suitable for intergenerational families, an au pair or long-term guests.
The purchase comes as most people of Niuean descent live outside the island itself, with a large population based in Auckland.
Niue’s diplomatic and consular services in New Zealand have traditionally been handled through its High Commission in Wellington.
The position of Niuean high commissioner reportedly had been vacant since 2023, while the Wellington residence had also been affected by structural and earthquake compliance issues.
The Niue Government has not publicly released detailed plans for the Māngere Bridge property.
Stuff has approached the Niue Government for further information about the purchase….PACNEWS
PAC – WOMEN LEADERSHIP: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 05 Oct 2026
Pacific women begin nine-month leadership fellowship
SYDNEY, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Twenty-one emerging women leaders from across the Pacific have begun a nine-month leadership programme aimed at strengthening their skills and expanding professional networks in agriculture, fisheries and food systems.
The 2026-27 Pacific and Papua New Guinea cohort of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Meryl Williams Fellowship brings together women from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.
The fellows will work with experienced mentors, take part in a collaborative leadership project and participate in professional development activities throughout the programme.
ACIAR says stronger leadership in agriculture, fisheries and food systems is increasingly important as Pacific countries respond to climate change, rising food and fuel costs and food insecurity.
The fellows were selected through a competitive, merit-based process.
Among the new fellows is Fiji Ministry of Fisheries officer Iva Meo, whose career has included fisheries research, aquaculture development and community engagement.
Meo joined the Ministry in 2012 and currently serves as Fisheries Officer for Aquaculture and Officer-in-Charge of the Caboni Research Station, overseeing technical and hatchery operations in Fiji’s Northern Division.
In 2025, she worked with the ACIAR-supported Research in Agribusiness Partnerships for Innovation and Development (RAPID) project to strengthen Fiji’s beekeeping and tilapia sectors through value-chain development and support for farmer organisations.
“The ACIAR project highlighted the importance of linking research, government, industry and farmers to create practical outcomes for aquaculture development,” Meo said.
“It reinforced the need for strong leadership and collaboration to support farmers in accessing resources and connecting with markets.”
Meo said the fellowship would help her develop the leadership skills needed to strengthen Fiji’s aquaculture sector and support climate-resilient food systems.
“My vision is to help create a stronger agribusiness platform for aquaculture farmers and investors, from access to quality fingerlings through to local and export markets,” she said.
“There is significant potential to expand aquaculture in ways that support food security and livelihoods.”
Three fellows from Kiribati’s Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development are part of the cohort — Tekataake Oromita, Karoti Toto Kabwebwenibeia and Kauanga Rimai.
Rimai, an Agricultural Officer with the Information, Training and Extension Section of the Agriculture and Livestock Division, said the fellowship would help strengthen her leadership skills and contribute to more resilient food systems.
“Farmers in Kiribati work in a difficult environment, with limited land, poor soil conditions, scarce freshwater resources and the increasing impacts of climate change,” Rimai said.
She said farmers, particularly those on outer islands, also faced difficulties accessing planting materials, technical support, markets and transportation.
“Addressing these challenges requires more than simply increasing production. We need to strengthen the entire food system and ensure that women and communities are meaningfully included in shaping solutions,” she said.
Rimai said leadership was about taking responsibility, speaking up and creating opportunities for others.
“As a woman working in agriculture, I believe leadership means being a role model for other women and showing that women can contribute meaningfully to decision-making, technical work and agricultural development,” she said.
The PNG cohort includes ACIAR Assistant Manager Rachelle Morehari, who works to connect agricultural research partnerships with national development priorities and local communities.
“The strength of the Pacific lies in the knowledge and experience within our communities and institutions,” Morehari said.
“Leadership is about creating the connections that allow that knowledge to come together and influence the decisions we make.”
The PNG fellows also include Michelle Pius of the PNG Biosecurity Authority, Rose Sabub of the National Agriculture and Research Institute, Tindora Matainaho of the National Fisheries Authority, Tabitha Manjobi and Samaria Mambere of the Cocoa Board of PNG, Marylin Apa of the Biosecurity Authority and Iga Anamo of the Fresh Produce Development Agency.
Other fellows are Mere Valu and Deepika Goundar from Fiji, Sera Dau of the Pacific Community, Tetalo Siona of Fiji National University, Mary Vakeke of Solomon Islands National University, Sharydia Tusa-Maua from Samoa, Asena Faanunu and Fatai Hoponoa from Tonga, and Marietta William from Tuvalu.
The fellowship began with a professional development workshop and will continue for nine months.
Each fellow will be paired with an experienced mentor and participate in a collaborative project designed to strengthen leadership capabilities while building professional connections with agricultural researchers and women working across Australia and the Pacific…..PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
War of words over Matthew and Hunter
By Nic Maclellan
NEW YORK, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—A speech before the United Nations mentioning Vanuatu’s claims of sovereignty over Umaenupne (Matthew) and Umaeneag (Hunter) islands has sparked a bitter war of words in neighbouring New Caledonia, after a leading anti-independence politician
Addressing the UN General Assembly on 28 September, Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Oda Tevi briefly mentioned that his nation had lodged an application with the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, seeking recognition of its sovereignty over Matthew and Hunter.
The UN speech sparked an angry response from Nicolas Metzdorf, one of two New Caledonian deputies in the French National Assembly, who issued a sarcastic and racist open letter to Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat. Metzdorf’s polemic is part of a wider campaign by far-Right parties in France and New Caledonia to undercut any negotiated solution to the long running dispute over sovereignty of the two uninhabited islands.
ICJ arbitration
France and Vanuatu have long claimed sovereignty over the two uninhabited volcanic islands, located east of New Caledonia and southeast of Vanuatu. However, Tevi stated that “these islands are an integral part of Vanuatu’s territory, grounded in customary governance, longstanding historical connection, indigenous ownership and seen as a part of our duty as ancestral custodians to protect and preserve.”
Vanuatu’s position has been endorsed by the national councils of chiefs in both island nations – Vanuatu’s Malvatumauri and New Caledonia’s Sénat Coutumier (Kanak Customary Senate) – as well as the New Caledonian independence coalition Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS). The support of New Caledonian customary and political leaders for Vanuatu’s sovereignty claim was codified in the 2009 Keamu Accord.
The decision to launch an ICJ case in late August came after the Vanuatu government walked away from bilateral negotiations with France, over the sovereignty claim and the disputed maritime boundary with the neighbouring French Pacific colony of New Caledonia. However, France does not accept the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction over disputes with other states, and the French government is yet to announce whether it will participate in the arbitration over Matthew and Hunter.
Addressing the UNGA, Ambassador Oda Tevi sought to encourage the French State to participate in the ICJ arbitration.
“We recognise France as a steadfast champion of the international rules-based order and, under the leadership of President Macron, a strong supporter of international judicial institutions” Tevi said.
“France has stood alongside Vanuatu in advancing global climate action, including through its support for our initiative before the International Court of Justice. We greatly value this partnership and France’s leadership on issues of international importance. It is in that same spirit of mutual respect and commitment to international law that we respectfully invite France to consent to the jurisdiction of the Court.”
It’s notable that when he addressed the UN General Assembly on 22 September, French President Emmanuel Macron personally endorsed the work of the ICJ, noting that “it is also because there can be no peace without justice that France continues to provide both political and operational support to international mechanisms for justice, investigation and evidence-gathering – in particular fact-finding missions – and that we continue, and will continue, to support the International Court of Justice and its central role.”
Despite President Macron’s words of praise for the ICJ and international law, the French government is under pressure from far-Right parties in both France and New Caledonia to reject Vanuatu’s claim of sovereignty.
Polemics in New Caledonia
With just five months before the next French presidential election – when Macron completes his second term in office – the far-Right are mobilising to ensure the French government rejects the jurisdiction of the ICJ in the Matthew and Hunter case.
Metzdorf, leader of the conservative anti-independence party Générations NC, is a leading member of the Loyalist bloc and a fierce partisan of French colonialism in New Caledonia.
Writing to Prime Minister Jotham Napat of the “Condominium of the New Hebrides” on 1 October, with carbon copies to Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, Metzdorf’s sarcastic polemic reflected the bitter opposition to Melanesian identity that is a feature of the New Caledonian Right.
Referring to Vanuatu as the New Hebrides is a calculated insult designed to remind ni-Vanuatu of the period of joint British-French rule, during the condominium between 1906 until 1980.
It is a standard trope of the colonial Right that Vanuatu’s independence in 1980 led to poverty and economic disarray, and Metzdorf wrote: “You are clearly seeking to extend to these isolated rocks the exemplary model of success that has characterised the New Hebrides ever since it changed its administering power. Who could doubt your eagerness to share with these islands and their populations of shearwaters, terns and whitethroats your economic dynamism, your social model, your education system and the power of the vatu?”
Successive French governments have sought to maintain the claim to the Exclusive Economic Zone around Matthew and Hunter. Metzdorf went further, issuing a map that posed a revised maritime boundary between New Caledonia and Vanuatu, incorporating Vanuatu’s southern islands Tanna, Erromango, Aneityum and Futuna into New Caledonia by means of a “land lease for an indefinite period.”
Metzdorf said that if those islands joined the French colony, the offer would include free schooling and health care and “we would also be delighted to offer the residents of these islands French nationality and a European passport.”
FLNKS condemns “racial hatred”
In a statement, the New Caledonian independence coalition Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) condemned Metzdorf’s “supremacism and racial hatred” and called for an apology to the government and people of Vanuatu.
“In a condescending tone, steeped in neo-colonial paternalism and contemptuous irony, the deputy for New Caledonia’s first constituency – who often sets himself up as the spokesperson of the French Republic – has once again taken it upon himself to insult a people and a nation. He seems to forget that our ancestors had been criss-crossing the Pacific for millennia long before his forebears arrived to settle permanently amongst us in Melanesia.”
FLNKS President Christian Tein called on the French Government and French National Assembly to disavow Metzdorf’s polemic: “Racist, xenophobic and childish remarks directed at our sister nation in Melanesia must no longer be tolerated. Addressing a letter to the Prime Minister of the ‘New Hebrides Condominium’ constitutes a diplomatic offence too gross to be ignored.
“The FLNKS strongly condemns the remarks made by deputy Metzdorf and solemnly calls upon his group leader in the National Assembly, as well as the President of the French Republic, to take disciplinary action against him and to offer France’s apologies to the Prime Minister and the people of Vanuatu.”
The war of words over Matthew and Hunter will likely continue in coming months until the French presidential elections. But will President Macron have the courage to back up his words on the importance of the ICJ and accept its jurisdiction in this case, or stay silent and highlight France’s ongoing colonial role in the region?….PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific leaders challenge Australia’s fossil fuel expansion ahead of pre-COP31 talks in Fiji
By Romy Stephens, Lice Movono
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (ABC PACIFIC)—As she sits crossed legged on the floor inside a large tent, 66-year-old Marica Malumuca describes the place she’s called home for the past five years.
“When it rains heavily it feels like we’re living in a balloon, because we can see the parts of the tent bulging where it’s filling up,” she said.
Malumuca’s village, Nabavatu, was declared unsafe in 2021 after two cyclones cracked the ground beneath it, and she was moved to a temporary settlement in Savadrua.
There are 37 tents at the temporary site; some can fit three people and others accommodate up to seven.Malumuca’s son, Sami Veloko, moved home from the city to look after her as they wait for Nabavatu to be rebuilt.
“Those people who stay in these tents, they used to stay in a good house, a cement house, a wooden house, of a high quality,” he said.
“You cannot believe, even they themselves cannot believe, that they stay in this kind of tent.”
Small island states are already being disproportionately affected by displacement as climate change drives more extreme weather.
The United Nations warned the impacts of tropical cyclones have become more severe due to rising sea levels and an increase in heavy precipitation.
Over half of Pacific Island countries’ infrastructure is located in coastal areas that at risk from rising seas, which happens as higher temperatures melt glaciers and ice sheets.
As world leaders prepare to descend on Veloko’s home country for high-level climate talks he has a message for them.
“We are getting the effect of climate change and we are the vulnerable people, the Pacific people,” he said.
“Because of what they have contributed to carbon dioxide, the industrialisation that they have developed in their countries, we are getting the worst of it.”
Climate diplomacy at the heart of security strategy
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join global leaders at the pre-COP event which will feature preparatory talks ahead of next month’s United Nations COP31 climate summit.
Australia has led the charge for the lead-up talks to be held in the Pacific and is spending millions of dollars on the event as part of its broader regional security strategy to become the “partner of choice” for the Pacific islands.
The Albanese government has vigorously pursued a series of bilateral security deals with Pacific nations since coming to office including Vanuatu, Fiji, Tuvalu, Nauru and Papua New Guinea, with almost all of them including commitments to act on climate change.
According to the Lowy Institute, Australia remains the Pacific’s largest bilateral donor and biggest development partner, having spent almost $19 billion (US$13,21 billion) of a committed $20.6 billion (US$14.33 billion).
Wes Morgan is a research associate with the Institute for Climate Risk and Response at UNSW who lived and worked in the Pacific for over a decade and said the federal government understands that to become the Pacific’s partner of choice it must act on the region’s key security threat.
“That is why there has been the inclusion of commitments on climate change in these bilateral security arrangements, but more broadly why Australia is working with Pacific Island countries to drive global action on climate change,” he said.
“That’s why Australia had its hand up to host the UN climate talks with the Pacific.”
But Dr Morgan said Australia remaining one of the world’s largest fossil fuel exporters “flies in the face of the narrative Australia’s pursuing with Pacific Island countries”.
“Australia’s biggest contribution to the climate crisis is the export of coal and gas, so the emissions associated with Australia’s exports of coal and gas more than doubled the emissions from Australia’s entire domestic economy,” he said.
“Continuing to open new gas fields [and] continuing to expand coal mines is a slap in the face for Pacific governments that are looking for Australia to work with them on what they see as an existential threat.”
Calls for Australia to stop fossil fuel expansion
The Pacific climate talks come days after the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission approved the expansion of a major coal mine in the Hunter Valley, which will now go to the Commonwealth for approval.
The plans will allow Hunter Valley Operations to extract an estimated 430 million tonnes of coal, which environmentalists warn will lock in devastating climate impacts.
The decision is set to loom over pre-COP, with some Pacific leaders repeatedly calling for Australia to stop expanding fossil fuels.
Australia was one of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) leaders that endorsed the Boe Declaration on Regional Security in 2018, which names climate change as the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of Pacific peoples and commits to limit global warming to 1.5C.
But Vanuatu’s Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu said Australia was not doing enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions during last month’s PIF, just a day after Australia’s Resources Minister Madeline King opened a new gas project in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin.
“Australia is a major producer of fossil fuels. We all know fossil fuels are the primary driver of the climate crisis,” he said.
“The very least a country like Australia should be doing is stopping future expansion, and it’s not doing that.”
Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Feleti Teo has warned planned fossil fuel expansions in countries like Australia represent a “death sentence” for his nation.
Future of the Pacific-Australia relationship
Canberra has long sought to position itself as a regional leader amid concerns over China’s presence in the region.
A defence and security briefing published earlier this year said while China’s activities in the Pacific are a “concern” for Australian security strategy, Beijing’s security ties with Pacific nations are minimal compared to their expanding trade and development activities.
The Pacific has also largely rebuffed efforts from China for security and policing cooperation, and a Free Trade Area.
Admiral Chris Barrie from the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group acknowledged the Australian government’s contradictory actions on climate change could impact trust, but he expects Pacific island states to still view the country as their key partner.
“Australia exports coal to countries all around the globe, and we are contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. We are contributing to what these islands are experiencing, and that’s a conundrum for them,” he said.
“Where else are they going to go is a big question, and I don’t think it is China. I’m sure they don’t see China in the same way as they see us.
“And also they don’t share much with those Indigenous communities in China. They share more with our Indigenous communities, so there are lots of reasons why they’ve always been looking at us and hoping for better”.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he expected large fossil fuel exporters to naturally reduce their supply as the world transitioned to clean energy.
He said the best way Australia could help the Pacific is by supporting the adoption of renewable energy.
“They have a wealth of [fossil fuels], they want to grow their economy, they’ve got to look after the people and while there’s a need out there they will continue to supply,” Rabuka said.
“They would not be supplying these things if there was no demand. The demand is there because there’s no alternative.
“Helping us finding alternatives, particularly for small island nations, it will be renewable energy using the natural resources that we have.”
The Albanese government has been criticised for failing to attract a large number of world leaders to pre-COP, but Mr Rabuka was positive about the expected turnout.
“Even if leaders do not come their delegations are equipped to participate in the talks and to take back what they see during their tours of the various places where they will be visiting,” he said…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
As El Nino threats become reality, One Health unites Pacific countries across sectors to address health, environmental and climate threats
NADI, 05 OCTOBER 2026 (WHO PACIFIC) —As a range of diverse health threats become increasingly interconnected, Pacific countries and areas are strengthening their ability to prevent, detect, and respond before an emergency strikes.
The challenges facing Pacific communities do not stop at the boundaries of a single sector. Preventing the next health crisis begins with understanding the connections between people, animals and the environment.
Across the region, Pacific countries and areas (PICs) are adopting an integrated approach known as “One Health” to prevent and mitigate health threats at the interface of humans, animals, plants and the environment. At the second Pacific One Health Workshop in Fiji, government representatives from the Pacific along with regional and international partners, reviewed progress made since the first workshop held in 2024. Representatives from the human health, animal health and environment sectors shared experiences and lessons learned, and identified practical actions for scaling One Health implementation across the Pacific.
Why One Health matters for the Pacific
One Health aims to safeguard public and animal health, ensure food and nutrition security, and protect the health of ecosystems that underpin human well-being.
The approach is particularly urgent for the Pacific, where fragile ecosystems, heavy community reliance on natural resources, and high exposure to climate change, natural hazards and disease outbreaks — are amplifying health vulnerabilities across the region.
Zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, including dengue, chikungunya and leptospirosis, remain widespread in several PICs, with environmental change, habitat disruption and shifting weather patterns identified as key drivers of disease emergence. Meanwhile, drought and rising temperatures caused by an ongoing El Niño is increasing the risk of diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition.
The workshop in Nadi highlighted the need for a joint plan of action to improve coordination at national, regional and global levels. Countries discussed progress toward developing coordination mechanisms, strategies, action plans and partnerships, and identified remaining gaps, needs and opportunities for future collaboration.
Sharing experiences and strengthening partnerships
Throughout the three-day workshop, government representatives and partners exchanged experiences on strengthening One Health governance, surveillance, risk assessment, pandemic preparedness, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, environmental integration and climate-related health risks.
Participants identified priorities for strengthening multisectoral coordination and improving preparedness and response capacities across the Pacific region.
The importance of a whole-of-society approach to One Health that involves governments, regional organisations, development partners, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, academia, women, youth and civil society was seen as vital to advance the approach.
Building on 2024, looking to the future
The workshop reviewed progress and One Health related achievements made since 2024; examined key regional issues including health security, climate change, and zoonotic diseases; promoted knowledge exchange, networking and partnerships among stakeholders; and developed recommendations and priority actions to scale up implementation and strengthen coordination across sectors and the region.
Outcomes from the workshop are expected to contribute to stronger regional and national coordination, increased awareness, and continued investment in integrated approaches to health, food security and environmental sustainability across the Pacific.
The workshop was supported through funding from the Pandemic Fund, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea’s Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
It was jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
The workshop is part of ongoing work of a quadripartite partnership among FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH to advance and operationalise the One Health approach at the human-animal-environment interface. The approach was endorsed in April 2026 by governments from around the world in Lyon, France, as an essential pillar to strengthen security within countries and across regions. It draws on the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and previous global health crises that demonstrated the linkages between human, animal and environmental health.
Working collaboratively with governments and partners, the Quadripartite supports countries in preventing, predicting, detecting and responding to health threats while promoting sustainable and resilient ecosystems and communities….PACNEWS
