In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Australian Foreign Minister Wong says Ocean of Peace Alliance builds on Pacific Leaders’ vision for regional security
2. PACIFIC — All Pacific Islands Forum Members now linked to global undersea cable network
3. PACIFIC — Pacific islands alarmed by Trump-backed push for deep-sea mining
4. PACIFIC — ‘No time for slow progress’: Pacific climate warning
5. PACIFIC — Why the Trump v. Barbara ruling matters to FSM and the Pacific families
6. CNMI — Trump’s disaster declaration unleashes federal aid for Bavi-battered CNMI
7. TONGA — ‘Welcome Home’: Tonga government launches first national policy to support returnees
8. AUST — Australia War readiness probed for first time since World War II
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Manatua Consortium mobilises repair effort after Submarine Cable fault disrupts internet services
10. PACNEWS BIZ — El Niño warning puts Fiji water supply under pressure
11. PACNEWS BIZ — The Calmer Co secures Kava supply deal
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — U.S Pacific Command considers moving billions in planned infrastructure out of Micronesia
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Tonga strengthens its commitment to cultural diversity by ratifying the UNESCO 2005 Convention
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Breaking Barriers in Customs in the Pacific
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Australian Foreign Minister Wong says Ocean of Peace Alliance builds on Pacific Leaders’ vision for regional security
SUVA ,07 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the Australia-Fiji Ocean of Peace Alliance is built on Pacific leaders’ vision for a peaceful and secure region, with Canberra hoping to discuss the initiative with Pacific Islands Forum members during Friday’s ministerial meeting.
Responding to a question on whether the Ocean of Peace Alliance would feature in discussions at the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting, Wong said the initiative stems directly from Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s vision for the Pacific.
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“And you might recall he spoke about it in a number of speeches publicly. Leaders, PIF leaders, Pacific Island Forum leaders, then adopted it,” Wong told journalists in Suva.
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She said Australia chose to develop its alliance with Fiji within that regional framework.
“And we have chosen to work within that framework for the alliance between Australia and Fiji.”
Wong described the alliance as a reflection of the close relationship between the two countries.
“These alliances are the greatest act of trust between two countries. They are the greatest act of trust.”
“And they speak to the trust and recognition of each other and that we matter to each other,” she said.
Wong said the agreement is intended to turn Pacific leaders’ vision into practical action.
“The purpose of the alliance is to give effect to and keep faith with and give expression to in a practical way what leaders have said.
“We want this region to be an ocean of peace.”
“We know we live in much more contested times and part of how we respond to that is to have Pacific Island Forum countries work together to maintain security and stability and that’s what this is about,” she said.
Wong said Australia hopes to brief Forum members on the alliance and its objectives during the meeting.
“I hope we have the opportunity to speak with members of the PIF about it so they are aware. I’m sure they already are, but we can talk through with them our vision and our commitments,” she said…. PACNEWS
PAC – SUBMARINE CABLE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
All Pacific Islands Forum Members now linked to global undersea cable network
SUVA/CANBERRA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — Every Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) member is now connected to the global undersea telecommunications cable network for the first time, marking a major milestone in regional digital connectivity backed by Australia’s investment in Pacific infrastructure.
Australia said it has worked with Pacific governments and development partners to deliver more than 10,300 kilometres of new undersea telecommunications cables, ensuring all 18 Forum members now have access to global digital networks.
Since 2018, Australia has committed more than AUD$500 million (US$351 million) to undersea cable connectivity projects across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
The investment has supported cable projects in nine countries, including first international cable connections for Nauru, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Tarawa in Kiribati and Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Australia is also supporting second international cable connections in Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Solomon Islands to improve the reliability and resilience of regional telecommunications infrastructure.
The projects are being delivered in partnership with Japan, New Zealand, the United States and Taiwan, with the aim of improving connectivity for governments, businesses and communities while creating new opportunities for trade, investment and digital participation.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said universal access to digital infrastructure across the Pacific marks an important achievement for the region.
“For the first time, every Pacific Islands Forum member now has access to the digital infrastructure needed to participate fully in the modern economy, backed in with Australian support.
“A more connected Pacific is a more resilient Pacific. This infrastructure strengthens economic growth, supports essential services and will help underpin a more peaceful, stable and prosperous region,” she said.
Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy said improved digital connectivity would strengthen regional economic integration and expand opportunities for Pacific people.
“Faster, more affordable and more reliable digital services will help integrate our economies, making it easier for Pacific peoples and businesses to connect, and investment to flow across the region.
“With new connections comes greater opportunities, better information flows and knowledge sharing, supporting Pacific Island countries to fully participate in the global economy,” he said…. PACNEWS
PAC – DEEP SEA MINING: AFP PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Pacific islands alarmed by Trump-backed push for deep-sea mining
SAIPAN, 07 AUGUST 2026 (AFP) — Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Governor David Apatang said President Trump’s support for deep-sea mining has caused great unease across the tropical island chain of some 40,000 people.
The United States alarmed its tropical island territories earlier this year, detailing plans to carve up parts of the Pacific Ocean for mining exploration.
Mining companies see enormous wealth in mineral deposits scattered across the seabed, but the fledgling industry has for years been held back by environmental concerns.
An expanse of U.S maritime territory near American Samoa in the South Pacific could be auctioned as soon as November, according to official documents.
Separate tracts of ocean surrounding Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific are also under consideration.
“Some concerns include disruption to food security for the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, who rely on the ocean resources for their survival,” Apatang told AFP.
Washington initially proposed to explore a 140,000 square kilometre (50,000 square mile) block about 200 kilometres east of territory capital Saipan.
But Apatang said he was caught by surprise when the U.S announced in March that a similar-sized block to Saipan’s west could be leased as well.
“There have been no consultations with the people of the Northern Mariana Islands,” he said.
Deep-sea mining companies want to scour the ocean’s abyssal plains for mineral deposits and polymetallic nodules laden with nickel, copper and cobalt.
U.S President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2025 aimed at “unleashing” these seabed resources, stressing the demand in everything from renewable energy to military applications.
Critics fear deep-sea mining will cause irreversible damage, smothering marine life in plumes of waste and disrupting oceanic migrations with the thrum of heavy machinery.
The Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa all want at least a temporary ban on deep-sea mining in their territorial waters.
But the U.S territories — which rely on Washington for funding and defence — have little say on what Washington does outside their three mile (five kilometre) maritime boundary.
Guam passed laws this year banning deep-sea mining vessels from calling at its ports, potentially hampering the industry by cutting off a crucial source of fuel and supplies.
Apatang said the Northern Mariana Islands would “consider following suit”.
Plans for deep-sea mining exploration are most advanced for a vast sweep of ocean near American Samoa, a U.S territory nestled between New Zealand and Hawaii in the South Pacific.
The U.S Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is proposing to hold an auction in November, selling exploration licenses for a 125,000 square kilometre block.
The area borders the vast Rose Atoll marine sanctuary, where endangered species of Hawksbill turtle thrive on vibrant reefs.
Lawmaker Aumua Amata, who represents American Samoa in the US House of Representatives, said she worried deep-sea mining could disrupt fisheries providing the vast bulk of the territory’s export earnings.
“I represent our people and I am confident that a majority of American Samoans are opposed,” she told AFP.
The licenses cover preliminary surveys and sampling, with future decisions on commercial exploitation needing further bureau approval.
American Samoa-based environmental advocate Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka said it was impossible to put a “price tag” on the ocean.
“It’s not something you think: ‘How much money can you make off it?’.”
Former U.S diplomat Emily Wood has been working with the Guam governor’s office to better understand the risks of deep-sea mining.
She said leading mining company Impossible Metals had pledged to share one percent of profits with island communities.
“That’s nothing at all, compared to the potential damage they might cause” she told AFP.
Impossible Metals did not reply to a request for comment.
The company has previously stated it will not start mining until it is satisfied it is safe.
Pacific island nations are divided on whether deep-sea mining will deliver economic windfalls, or environmental catastrophe.
Nauru and the Cook Islands are among world leaders in seabed mining exploration, while the likes of Samoa, Fiji and Palau have called for a moratorium on the industry.
The U.S Bureau of Ocean Energy Management was approached for comment…. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
‘No time for slow progress’: Pacific climate warning
SUVA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN) — The Pacific can no longer afford slow progress on climate change, with Permanent Secretary for Environment Dr Sivendra Michael warning the region is running out of time as Fiji prepares to host the pre-COP31 meeting in October.
Michael said Pacific nations were joining forces to push for stronger outcomes at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.
“The Pacific is not in a position to wait for incremental progress,” he said.
“We are uniting, we are collaborating, and we are building partnerships required at scale.”
Michael said Fiji’s pre-COP meeting, to be held alongside a leaders’ event in Tuvalu, would ensure Pacific priorities were carried directly into the COP31 negotiations.
“We will walk hand in hand with Turkey and Australia to ensure the pre-COP in Fiji is not merely a Pacific gathering, but a bridge,” Michael said, referring to incoming COP31 president Murat Kurum of Türkiye and Australia, which holds the role of president of the negotiations under an agreement reached at COP30.
He warned the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was “on the edge of being breached”, with Pacific nations already facing stronger cyclones, saltwater intrusion into crops and sea levels rising faster than the global average.
Michael said COP31 would be called on to scale up national climate commitments, unlock more climate finance for vulnerable countries and formally recognise the ocean as a “climate ally”.
Fiji will host the pre-COP31 meeting from 05 to 8 October, ahead of the global climate summit in Türkiye…. PACNEWS
PAC – BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP/COURTS: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Why the Trump v. Barbara ruling matters to FSM and the Pacific families
WASHINGTON/ PONPHEI, 07 AUGUST 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — When the U.S Supreme Court handed down its decision in Trump v. Barbara on 30 June, it reverberated far beyond Washington, D.C.
While the case centred on one of America’s most closely watched constitutional debates—birthright citizenship—its implications reached across the Pacific Ocean, where thousands of citizens from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau have built lives in the United States under the Compacts of Free Association.
By a 6–3 vote, the high court upheld birthright citizenship, affirming that children born in the United States are recognised as U.S citizens under the Constitution. The decision ended months of uncertainty created by legal challenges seeking to narrow the long-established interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For many in the Pacific, the ruling was not simply another chapter in America’s political debate. It was a decision with real consequences for families whose lives span both sides of the Pacific.
Recognising its significance, the FSM Embassy issued a statement welcoming the court’s decision.
“The Federated States of Micronesia and the United States share an enduring relationship under the Compact of Free Association,” the embassy said. “Citizens of the FSM often live, work and study in the United States as permitted by the Compact.”
The embassy added that the court’s ruling means birthright citizenship “will continue under U.S law with no changes.”
The embassy’s optimistic statement was issued before U.S Rep Morgan Griffith of Virginia introduced a bill proposing the termination of birthright citizenship in U.S territories 01 January 2027.
If the controversial H.R. 9724 is enacted into law, children born to foreign nationals in Guam, the Northern Marianas, the U.S Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico would not automatically obtain U.S citizenship. The proposed amendment, according to the bill, would not affect children of foreign nationals “lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.”
Over the past several decades, COFA’s visa-free entry provision has given rise to thriving Pacific islander communities throughout Guam, Hawaiʻi, Arkansas, Oregon, Washington, California and numerous other states. Many of those communities now include second- and third-generation families.
Parents may have been born in Chuuk, Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Majuro or Koror, while their children were born in Honolulu, Tamuning, Springdale or Portland. Their lives are woven together by family ties, education, employment, military service and shared opportunities across the Pacific.
For those families, birthright citizenship is more than a constitutional principle. Under the Constitution, it guarantees legal certainty. “It provides for our children to be part of this great nation,” said Diano Raigumal, a retired Navy veteran from Yap who now lives in California. “But it’s not over yet. The bill still needs to pass in the Senate before it becomes law.”
But from the looks of things, he added, Congress is unlikely to pass legislation overturning birthright citizenship. For now, the Supreme Court’s decision continues to provide certainty regarding citizenship at birth, access to benefits and a clear legal status for future generations.
That is why the Supreme Court’s ruling has been closely followed by Pacific Island communities.
The decision also highlights the human side of COFA, which is often discussed in terms of defence agreements, financial assistance or strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. Increasingly, it has become part of broader geopolitical discussions as the United States strengthens its engagement throughout Oceania.
Yet for thousands of Pacific Islanders, the Compact is not defined primarily by diplomacy. It is about people. It is about students attending American universities, nurses working in U.S hospitals, construction workers helping build communities, entrepreneurs starting businesses and military service members defending the country many now call home.
Micronesians, in particular, have long served in the U.S Armed Forces, with one of the United States’ highest enlistment rates per capita. Many families have relatives who have fought alongside Americans in conflicts around the world while maintaining deep cultural and family ties to their home islands.
Against that backdrop, uncertainty over birthright citizenship carried understandable concern.
The Supreme Court’s decision restores confidence that one of the nation’s longest-standing constitutional protections remains intact.
For Pacific leaders, maintaining that relationship depends not only on defence cooperation or economic assistance but also on preserving trust between governments and the people whose lives are shaped by those agreements.
The embassy’s response reflected that broader perspective. Rather than framing the ruling as a political victory, it emphasised continuity, stability and the U.S.-FSM partnership.
While immigration and citizenship debates in the United States are certain to continue, the Supreme Court’s decision offers reassurance to thousands of Pacific Islanders living under the Compact.
For them, Trump v. Barbara is more than a landmark legal case. It is a reminder that the unique bond between the United States and the Pacific is measured not only by international agreements, but by the families whose futures are shared across an ocean…. PACNEWS
CNMI – DISASTER RESPONSE: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Trump’s disaster declaration unleashes federal aid for Bavi-battered CNMI
WASHINTON/SAIPAN, 07 AUGUST 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — U.S President Donald Trump has approved the major disaster declaration for the Northern Mariana Islands, paving the way for more federal disaster assistance to boost recovery efforts in areas battered by Super Typhoon Bavi last month.
The presidential declaration, which took effect on 03 August, unlocks the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s individual and public assistance programmes for Rota, which was directly hit by the Category 5 eye on 06 July.
“This decision brings essential resources to our island and strengthens our recovery efforts as we work to restore homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods,” Governor David Apatang said.
“Our community has faced immense challenges from both Sinlaku and Bavi, but with this critical partnership from the federal government and the tireless work of our local agencies, first responders, and volunteers, I am confident that our islands will recover stronger and more resilient than before,” the governor added.
Apatang issued an executive order on 31 July, declaring the CNMI under a state of significant emergency, authorising the government to mobilise available resources to continue repair and restoration work.
“While substantial progress has been made in repairing critical infrastructure and resuming economic activity on the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the three months since the landfall of Super Typhoon Sinlaku on 13-15April 2026, significant work in restoring power and rebuilding continues,” read the executive order.
Several Rota residents remain displaced, with widespread devastation to homes and property, while power and water restoration is far from complete.
According to the Commonwealth Utilities Commission, 81 percent of Saipan customers have their power restored, with work ongoing on several feeders. Total available generating capacity is 44.5 MW.
On Tinian, the CUC restored power to 93 percent of customers, with work continuing in remaining affected areas.
On Rota, crews continue restoration efforts, with approximately 99 percent of water customers restored and power repairs ongoing, CUC said.
Officials advised residents that FEMA’s individual assistance program offers help with temporary housing, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs such as personal property, transportation, and certain medical, dental, or childcare costs.
“FEMA assistance is not a replacement for insurance and is intended to help jump-start recovery for essential needs,” states FEMA’s statement…. PACNEWS
TONGA – DEPORTEES: PMN PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
‘Welcome Home’: Tonga government launches first national policy to support returnees
NUKU’ALOFA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (PMN) — For years, many Tongans returning home after being deported from countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the United States have faced the challenge of starting over with little support.
Now, the Tongan government has launched its first national policy designed to help returnees rebuild their lives while encouraging communities to welcome them home and not judge them.
The National Returnees Reintegration Policy and Strategic Plan of Action 2026-2030 was officially launched by Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala alongside Minister for Internal Affairs Fane Fituafe in Nuku’alofa last month.
The strategy sets out a national approach to helping returnees reconnect with their families, find housing and employment, access healthcare and reduce the risk of reoffending.
The move comes after more than 1400 Tongans returned home following deportation, according to Tonga Police figures. Many have faced challenges rebuilding their lives, including finding work, reconnecting with families and overcoming social stigma.
At the launch, the Crown Prince acknowledged many returnees face significant challenges when they arrive home, including social stigma, language and cultural barriers, unemployment and mental health struggles.
He urged Tongans to look beyond a person’s past.
“Tonga’s limited resources have made reintegration difficult. But I urge our communities to welcome returnees with compassion and recognise the valuable skills and resilience they can contribute to our nation.”
He encouraged Tongans to see returnees as people with skills, experience and potential rather than define them by their past.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the strategy is built around the vision of “Full Reintegration and Restoration of Returnees to Life,” reflecting “a national commitment to helping returnees successfully re-establish themselves within their families, communities, and Tongan society”.
The plan sets out eight priority areas including social and economic reintegration, health and wellbeing, community and church support, housing assistance, human rights, public safety, good governance and stronger regional partnerships.
A key part of the plan is changing how people talk about those coming home, replacing the label “deportee” with “returnee” to help reduce stigma and encourage acceptance.
Community organisations will play a major role in delivering the strategy. Among them is the Dare to Dream Foundation (Amanaki Lelei), which was established in 2019 by former returnees.
The organisation welcomes new arrivals at the airport, offers talanoa and counselling, and helps people settle back into life in Tonga through its Dare to Dream Reintegration Hub.
Dare to Dream secretary Katrina Fatiaki says the organisation has been involved in shaping the policy through the Tonga Returnees Support Programme Steering Committee, alongside government ministries, churches and other service providers.
She told PMN Tonga the strength of the new strategy was that it was created with the people it aims to support.
She said the vision of the policy was about giving people returning home the support they need to rebuild their lives.
“The beauty about this policy is that it was produced by returnees for returnees. The vision for this policy is full reintegration and restoration of returnees in life.”
Fatiaki said the policy was developed through the stories and experiences of returnees themselves, including the challenges they faced when coming back to Tonga.
She said many returnees arrive home facing fear, isolation and uncertainty, with some struggling to reconnect with families and communities.
“This policy was also created from the testimonies and stories of the returnees, which has informed the policy. And so, it’s more than just words. It has come from them. But now it’s putting to action this very policy.
“When you’re not meaningfully engaging the returnees… there is likely they may reoffend because the support system is not there. They’re not valued by the community, their families.”
Fatiaki said the goal was to ensure people returning to Tonga felt they still belonged.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility. And so, it’s about working together to be able to help them reintegrate so they feel valued. They feel that they’re coming back home and not see Tonga as a foreign country.”
Other partners include the Salvation Army Alcohol and Drug Addiction Centre, Ex-Con to Prisoners of Christ and Life Line Tonga, which provide addiction treatment, mental health support and emergency assistance.
The Salvation Army Alcohol & Drug Addiction Centre said the strategy represented “a landmark commitment to ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’ as we work together to support the full restoration and reintegration of returnees into Tongan society”.
The government’s National Drugs Taskforce has also committed funding through the Illicit Drugs Response Fund to strengthen reintegration services and help reduce drug-related harm and reoffending.
The policy was developed over almost two years through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Tonga Returnees Support Programme, working alongside government agencies, churches and civil society organisations.
Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia have also supported the initiative through funding and technical assistance, helping improve arrival services, community rehabilitation programmes and long-term reintegration planning.
New Zealand says it is backing Tonga’s efforts through the Coordination and Reintegration of Returnees Programme, which has helped strengthen support systems for people returning home.
The New Zealand High Commission in Nuku’alofa said the new policy provides a framework to help returnees rebuild their lives, reconnect with communities and restore a sense of belonging.
It said New Zealand, alongside Tonga and Australia, remained committed to building “stronger, safer, and more inclusive communities for all”.
The new strategy marks the first time Tonga has adopted a coordinated national approach to supporting returnees, with the aim of giving them a better chance to rebuild their lives and make a positive contribution to their communities…. PACNEWS
AUST – DEFENCE: AAP PACNEWS 2: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Australia War readiness probed for first time since World War II
DARWIN, 07 AUGUST 2026 (AAP) — Australia will examine how society can prepare for the impacts of war for the first time since World War II amid growing concern over escalating regional tensions.
A new defence parliamentary committee will probe how goods and services – such as fuel – can flow during a crisis.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced a $700 million (US$492 million) investment in long-range air-to-air missiles as Australia prepares to examine its civil defence readiness for the first time since World War II.
The federal inquiry will also look at how civil society including businesses and the private sector could contribute to the nation’s security.
Speaking on Thursday in Darwin at the end of military Exercise Pitch Black, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inquiry would investigate civil defence preparedness, which other nations already do.
“It’s been observed that really this is not something that we have done in Australia, probably since the Second World War,” he told reporters.
“It is simply a prudent means by which we think about the way in which our civilian economy, our private economy, would interact with the defence force in the event of any contingency.
“We want to look at what world’s best practice is, see how we can walk down this path better.”
Asked how likely a regional conflict within a decade will be, Marles said Australia was seeking to build deterrence to prevent any future conflict.
“I feel confident that, with the expenditure that we are providing to our own defence force, and the way that we are working with countries in our region and around the world … we are able to build deterrence, which provides for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence does not include politicians from the crossbench or minor parties.
It said it would consider whole-of-nation support for national defence, continuity of government, and the availability of essential goods and services during times of crisis or conflict.
Exercise Pitch Black is one of the world’s largest international air combat exercises, which includes aircraft and personnel from 21 nations.
Marles used the end of the combat exercise to announce the federal government would spend more than $700 million (US$492 million) to equip Australia’s air force with long-range air-to-air missiles…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PACIFIC – SUBMARINE CABLE: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 07 Aug 2026
Manatua Consortium mobilises repair effort after Submarine Cable fault disrupts internet services
APIA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS) — The Manatua Consortium is coordinating a regional response after a technical fault on the Manatua submarine cable disrupted internet services in parts of the Pacific, with repair work now dependent on securing a specialist cable repair vessel.
The fault occurred about 144 kilometres offshore from Samoa and has resulted in degraded internet services, particularly affecting users in Niue and the Cook Islands.
Initial diagnostic tests identified an electrical shunt near Repeater 2, an undersea component that maintains the strength of the optical signal along the 3,600-kilometre fibre-optic cable linking Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.
The Consortium said current assessments indicate the problem is related to the cable system’s submerged equipment and not external physical damage such as seismic activity or an anchor strike.
A permanent repair will require the mobilisation of a specialist submarine cable repair vessel, with Consortium partners working together to secure the vessel and technical crew needed to complete the repairs.
Telecommunications providers in Niue and the Cook Islands have activated contingency arrangements to maintain services. However, customers may experience reduced internet capacity, slower speeds and other service disruptions until repairs are completed.
The Consortium said the level of disruption may vary between providers and advised customers to contact their local telecommunications companies for updates on network performance.
The Manatua Cable was deployed in 2019 and is the first and only submarine internet cable providing a direct connection between Niue and the Cook Islands. The regional project was launched following the signing of an international treaty in April 2017 by the leaders of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Niue.
The Manatua Consortium comprises Office des Postes et Télécommunications of French Polynesia, Avaroa Cable Limited of the Cook Islands, Telecom Niue Limited and the Samoa Submarine Cable Company.
The Consortium said all four partners remain committed to restoring the cable safely and as quickly as possible, with further updates to be provided as technical assessments and repair arrangements progress.
Samoa Submarine Cable Company Chief Executive Pepe Christian Fruean said the repair effort reflects the same regional cooperation that established the cable.
“The Manatua cable represents an important connection between our four Pacific nations, and we are responding to this fault in the same spirit of cooperation in which the cable was established. Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia are working as one Consortium to secure the specialist vessel and technical support needed to restore the cable safely and as quickly as practicable for all our impacted users,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – WATER SUPPLY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 07 Aug 2026
El Niño warning puts Fiji water supply under pressure
SUVA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (FIJI SUN) — El Niño conditions and below-normal rainfall are putting Fiji’s water sources under pressure, with the country warned to prepare for drastic measures if dry conditions continue.
Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau said the Fiji Meteorological Service had advised that rainfall was likely to remain below normal through to the end of the year.
The driest period is expected between October and December.
“We as a nation have to be ready for drastic measures as the dry weather continues,” Tuisawau said.
The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) has activated dry-weather contingency plans across all three regions, although water supply is continuing across most of its systems nationwide.
Tuisawau said WAF teams were working daily to maintain supply as the dry weather continued.
WAF monitors 44 main operational water sources across the country.
Most are producing less water than their treatment plants need to operate at normal output on their own because of the dry conditions.
The affected systems are being supported through supplementary pumping, managed flows and other contingency measures.
Tuisawau said WAF was supplementing stressed water sources through additional pumping and temporary pump stations.
Works were also being carried out at pump sites to allow pumping to continue at low water levels.
Monitoring of water sources under stress has been increased to weekly.
WAF is also managing pressure and pumping schedules, accelerating repairs to leaks and burst mains and deploying water carting where needed.
Work is continuing on the rehabilitation of water intakes, development of additional sources and longer-term measures to improve drought resilience.
Some of the measures could affect the pressure and consistency of water reaching households.
Valve operations, pressure management and the rebalancing of flows between systems could result in lower water pressure or intermittent supply in some areas at certain times of the day.
“Where this occurs, I ask for the public’s understanding. These are deliberate and necessary steps that allow reservoirs and trunk mains to recover, and they are what enable WAF to keep water available to as many Fijians as possible, and for as long as possible, under the operating conditions this dry spell has created.”
WAF is also working with the Fiji Meteorological Service and other agencies so its response can be adjusted as conditions change.
Tuisawau said water continued to flow normally in most parts of Fiji but urged the public to conserve supplies before conditions worsened.
“Small, sensible changes now will help stretch available supply through the months ahead,” he said.
People have been asked to use water mainly for essential purposes and avoid washing vehicles, footpaths and driveways with running hoses.
The public has also been asked to avoid filling swimming pools and excessive garden watering, particularly during peak demand periods from 6am to 9am and 5pm to 8pm.
Households should repair leaking taps, toilets and pipes without delay.
Visible leaks, burst mains and suspected illegal connections on the WAF network should also be reported immediately.
Consumers can further reduce usage by taking shorter showers, turning taps off while brushing their teeth or washing dishes, using buckets instead of hoses and running washing machines only with full loads.
Hotels, resorts, commercial establishments, industries and institutions have also been asked to review their water consumption and introduce conservation measures.
These include detecting and repairing leaks, reusing water where appropriate and reducing lawn watering.
Tuisawau urged people to monitor WAF’s website and Facebook page for the latest information and to store water when advised.
The public should also monitor further advice from WAF, the Fiji Meteorological Service and the National Disaster Management Office as dry conditions continue.
Tuisawau has asked WAF to provide his office with regular updates on water source conditions and give advance public notice wherever changes to supply are expected.
“Every litre conserved today helps ensure that water remains available to households, businesses, schools, hospitals and communities throughout this dry period, said Tuisawau…. PACNEWS
AUST – KAVA INDUSTRY: THE CAIRNS POST PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 07 Aug 2026
The Calmer Co secures Kava supply deal
SYDNEY, 07 AUGUST 2026 (THE CAIRNS POST) — Australian health and wellness company The Calmer Co International has secured long-term access to premium noble kava sourced from Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu after executing a strategic supply deal with a leading Pacific-based supplier.
The agreement provides for the supplier to hold a reserved minimum monthly supply capacity of 10 tonnes of premium noble kava for The Calmer Co International, worth an indicative annual supply value of $8.65 million (US$6.08 million).
CCO said the reserved capacity did not constitute a minimum purchase obligation, with the company retaining “full discretion over order volumes and timing” under the terms of the deal.
This agreement complements CCO’s existing premium noble kava procurement in Fiji by expanding long-term sourcing with trusted regional suppliers in PNG and Vanuatu.
CCO said together these three Pacific origins provided greater procurement flexibility, enhanced supply resilience and access to premium noble kava to support growing global demand across its branded consumer products and wholesale botanical ingredients.
The deal also includes comprehensive quality management procedures, including agreed product specifications, sampling protocols, certificates of analysis, laboratory testing requirements, packaging and storage standards, and annual supplier performance reviews.
These measures are designed to ensure consistency, traceability and quality across CCO’s expanding Pacific sourcing network to support customer confidence across its branded consumer products and botanical ingredient sales.
This deal reflects an important step in CCO’s evolving, vertically integrated operating model across the Pacific kava value chain.
CCO has established diversified grower relationships through strategic procurement deals to scientific quality assurance via its GC-MS laboratory capability and advanced manufacturing through strategic partnerships.
The model has led to CCO’s premium branded consumer products and botanical ingredients being sold into global retail, food, beverage and ingredients markets, while focusing its capital and management on product innovation, brand-building and commercialisation.
The deal supports CCO’s manufacturing capability of ~5 tonnes of dried kava per week.
Additional manufacturing capability is expected to become available through the company’s recently announced binding strategic partnerships heads of agreement (HOA) with Fiji-based Kaiming Agro Processing’s subsidiary Pacific Culture and Heritage.
The company’s diversified sourcing strategy is further supported by regional industry developments which include:
*The Pacific Regional Kava Development Strategy (2024-2028) and the associated Pacific Regional Kava Standard Project; and
*Collaborative initiatives led by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Pacific Community to harmonise quality and production standards across Fiji, PNG, Vanuatu and other Pacific kava-producing nations.
CCO founder and CEO Zane Yoshida participated in the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Islands Standards Committee’s Technical Committee 3 on Kava Standards, held in Sydney in April.
The meeting was held in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and supported by Standards Australia and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Yoshida’s involvement reflects CCO’s involvement in regional efforts to develop quality and production standards for kava across the Pacific, complementing its sourcing and quality assurance capabilities.
Yoshida said the deal was an important strategic step in strengthening the company’s upstream supply chain while supporting its broader transformation strategy.
“Securing reliable, long-term access to premium noble kava is fundamental to our growth strategy,” he said.
“This agreement strengthens our sourcing capability across the Pacific, enhances supply chain resilience and provides greater confidence as we continue expanding our manufacturing capability and global commercial presence.
“Importantly, this agreement complements the strategic initiatives we have announced over recent months by strengthening the supply foundation required to support future value-added manufacturing.
“It reflects our disciplined approach to building an integrated Pacific kava business capable of delivering long-term value for shareholders while supporting sustainable industry growth throughout the region,” 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
U.S Pacific Command considers moving billions in Planned Infrastructure out of Micronesia
By Cleo Paskal
PONPHEI, 07 AUGUST 2026 (THE DIPLOMAT) — Negotiation failures are leading U.S Pacific Command (PACOM) to look for alternative locations for the US$2 billion Department of Defence investment in infrastructure in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
On 29 June 2026, Admiral Samuel Paparo, the PACOM commander, wrote to President Wesley Simina of FSM that the country’s demand for a “US$1.3 billion compensation package is unreasonable, unanchored to demonstrable costs, and divergent from the spirit of our partnership under the Compact of Free Association.” As a result, “U.S PACOM intends to move forward by assessing alternative locations across the region to meet the needs of Pacific defence.”
Yap state, made up over a hundred islands, is a core part of the Second Island Chain. The main island in Yap state, also called Yap, is just over 500 miles southwest of Guam. The strategic importance of the Yap group of islands was proven toward the end of World War II. After the United States took the region from Japan, one of Yap’s atolls, Ulithi, became the largest and busiest American naval base in the world.
FSM’s Compact of Free Association With the U.S
In the decades after the war, Yap joined with neighbouring island groups to form the independent country of Federated States of Micronesia. FSM then signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States that ties the two countries together in profound ways, including the citizens of FSM being allowed to live and work freely in the U.S.
Additionally, according to COFA, the “Government of the United States has full authority and responsibility for security and defence matters in or relating to the Federated States of Micronesia.” This goes far beyond usual U.S. defence agreements as it stipulates that this responsibility includes “the obligation to defend the Federated States of Micronesia and its people from attack or threats thereof as the United States and its citizens are defended.”
However, as seen by the latest negotiations, new U.S. defence site access is not guaranteed and requires agreement on terms. The word “free” in Compact of Free Association has real meaning.
As Howard Hills, former lead counsel and advisor for COFA negotiations under Presidents Ronald Reagan, Joseph Biden, and Donald Trump, explained: “Under COFA the U.S power to deny military forces of third nations access to the FSM, Palau and Republic of Marshall Islands is absolute and permanent. But to the extent U.S. authority and responsibility for mutual security and defence requires military use and operating rights, that is subject to mutual agreement by the governments concerned, in this case FSM.”
This is at least the second time recently there have been major problems in U.S defence negotiations with a COFA country. One reason that Washington pursued Yap airport improvements in the first place was that Department of Defence negotiations for increased access in Angaur, in the neighboring Second Island Chain country of Palau, fell apart.
There are at least three interconnected reasons this will keep happening unless efforts are made to course correct.
The Lure of Money
In part because locals see for themselves the comparatively lavish lifestyle of visiting U.S government officials – often staying the best hotels in town, and eating out every meal – and the relatively astronomical rates given to U.S consultants and contractors, there is often the perception in FSM that the U.S government is a bottomless piggy bank. This combines with reporting about the importance of Second Island Chain defences to give some the feeling they have the U.S over a barrel.
There is a pool of lawyers, negotiators, environmental experts, and others keen to fan this perception (and, incidentally, few of them seem to be around when Chinese projects are involved). Given human nature, some local leaders and landowners are drawn to hiring these representatives. In this case, Yap’s negotiators and leaders clearly overreached.
The US$1.3 billion demand comes out to over US$185,000 for each of the 7,000 or so resident of the island of Yap. And that amount, combined with the around US$1.4 billion appropriated in the NDAA for the Yap airport makes investments in, for example, the airport on the main island of Palau, cost effective.
The China Factor
Also, at least in the case of FSM, the United States is not necessarily negotiating bilaterally. As made clear in a series of letters written in 2022 and 2023 by then FSM President David Panuelo, the national government of FSM is heavily infiltrated by Chinese political warfare operations – meaning there are some leaders at the national level (at least) with an interest in seeing the negotiations fail.
As Paparo himself said before the Senate in April 2026, in the Pacific “information, influence, cognitive, and cyber operations achieve increasing strategic effects by shaping perceptions and disrupting decision-making.” This dynamic, combined with corruption, is known to be playing out in FSM.
Panuelo’s 09 March 2023 letter stated: “One of the reasons that China’s Political Warfare is successful in so many arenas is that we are bribed to be complicit and bribed to be silent. That’s a heavy word, but it is an accurate description regardless.… What else do you call it when an elected official receives a check for a public project that our National Treasury has no record of and no means of accounting for?”
This means when the United States is negotiating at the national level in FSM, it is likely China has friends in the room. However, there has been no recent public effort by the United States to help the people of FSM liberate themselves from this elite capture, even though it is also affecting U.S interests. It is possible to do so.
As a small example, in February, the U.S Department of State designated some key people in the other two COFA countries, Palau and Marshall Islands. The president of the Senate of Palau, for instance, was called out for “involvement in significant corruption on behalf of China-based actors.”
It’s a good start, with more needed. But not even that much has happened in FSM in spite of a former sitting president of the country calling out his own government for corruption.
As Hills said, “Between scheming PRC agents in the FSM and those who may advise that gouging the U.S. is clever negotiating, let’s hope cooler heads prevail in the national interest of both allies.”
Failure to Understand the Operating Environment
The failure to counter fantasist negotiators with facts or address pervasive Chinese influence is a subset of the more fundamental problem – a U.S failure to understand local dynamics in FSM.
Yap’s demand for US$1.3 billion is unreasonable. However, the fact some on the Yap/FSM side thought they could get away with it – combined with the failure of the Angaur project and myriad other issues – indicates PACOM has a serious problem with understanding the dynamics on the ground in crucial components of the Second Island Chain. These are places where thousands of Americans died in WWII, including on Angaur and the neighboring Palauan island of Peleliu.
The population of Yap Island is around 7,000. Angaur’s is under 150. Yet PACOM’s “Micronesia whisperers” (including in Guam) seem to be missing out on developing relationships with, and listening to, locals who truly understand how things work.
It doesn’t help that there are no permanent U.S government officials in Yap – meaning no one locals can get to know and talk with on a day-to-day basis. Meanwhile, a Chinese state-owned company has set up shop, seemingly permanently.
Building trust and understanding can’t be done by flying in for a few days, staying in the best available hotels, doing meetings in offices, and relying on AI as well as hamfisted attempts to gain “intel.” On the ground in Yap now, most of the here-today-gone-tomorrow, U.S government officials are thought to be “spies” – a gift to Chinese cognitive warfare operators.
It is possible Paparo’s letter is a negotiating tactic designed to get things back on track. An 03 August letter from President Simina to Yap Governor Francis Itimai acknowledged the “possible setback” and leaves the door open to finding a way forward.
As Hills put it: “I read the FSM president’s letter to be an opening offer, not a final demand at all, importantly based on apparent initial agreement that the proposed military use and operating rights proposal will strengthen the mutual security and defence alliance.”
Regardless, the United States – and the people of Yap – shouldn’t be in this position. The inherent problems with the negotiations were publicly reported on over a year ago and have not been corrected.
PACOM’s failure to move forward on a project for which NDAA appropriated US$1.49 billion – work publicly announced by Hegseth – is possibly the result of not spending a tiny portion of that budget on getting to understand the information, influence, and cognitive environment in one of the United States’ closest allies. The same is true for the failed Angaur plan.
Thinking a change of location without a change of approach will solve things could cost the U.S – and a free and open Indo-Pacific – years it doesn’t have to waste…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Tonga strengthens its commitment to cultural diversity by ratifying the UNESCO 2005 Convention
PARIS/NUKU’ALOFA, 07 AUGUST 2026 (UNESCO) — Tonga has ratified the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, reaffirming its commitment to culture as a driver of sustainable development, social cohesion and inclusive economic growth.
On 07 July 2026, Tonga deposited its instrument of ratification with the Director-General of UNESCO. In accordance with Article 29 of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, it will enter into force on 07 October 2026.
By becoming a Party to the Convention, Tonga joins a global community of 162 States Parties committed to creating enabling environments in which artists, cultural professionals and creative enterprises can thrive. The Convention provides the only legally binding international framework dedicated to protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expression while supporting cultural governance, creative industries, international cooperation and the integration of culture into sustainable development.
For Pacific Small Island Developing States, where culture is deeply embedded in community life, traditional knowledge and identity, the Convention offers a valuable framework for strengthening cultural policies and unlocking the economic and social potential of the cultural and creative sectors.
Investing in Pacific creativity
The Pacific is home to one of the world’s richest reservoirs of cultural diversity, encompassing hundreds of Indigenous languages, unique artistic traditions, performing arts and rapidly evolving contemporary creative industries.
The State of Pacific Culture and Creative Industries Report 2024 highlight the region’s cultural and creative industries as a significant yet underutilised driver of sustainable development. While globally the sector contributes 3.1 percent of GDP and 6.2 percent of employment, Pacific Island countries continue to face structural barriers including limited cultural policy frameworks, fragmented data, small domestic cultural markets and geographic isolation. At the same time, the report underscores the enormous potential of investing in Pacific creativity to generate livelihoods, strengthen cultural resilience and diversify island economies.
Against this backdrop, Tonga’s ratification comes at a pivotal moment, strengthening the policy foundations needed to support artists, cultural practitioners and creative entrepreneurs.
Unlocking new opportunities for cultural policy, creativity and regional cooperation
Tonga’s ratification builds momentum for implementing the 2005 Convention across the Pacific. Together with Samoa and Niue, which ratified the Convention in 2015 and 2019 respectively, Tonga is helping to build a stronger regional foundation for international cooperation on cultural policy and creative economy development. It opens new opportunities for peer-learning, South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange, while supporting the integration of culture into national sustainable development agendas.
As the United Nations agency with the mandate for culture, UNESCO stands ready to support Tonga in implementing the Convention through policy advice, technical assistance and capacity development.
UNESCO expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga for its leadership and commitment in advancing culture as a pillar of sustainable development through the ratification of the 2005 Convention. This important milestone demonstrates Tonga’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment where cultural diversity can thrive and where artists, cultural professionals, creative entrepreneurs and cultural institutions can continue to contribute to the country’s social, cultural and economic development. UNESCO also pays tribute to Tonga’s vibrant cultural community, whose talent, innovation and stewardship of cultural traditions continue to enrich Tongan society and strengthen the Pacific’s diverse and resilient cultural landscape.
Tonga’s ratification represents not only a significant national milestone but also an important step towards a more connected, inclusive and culturally vibrant Pacific region. By investing in creativity, strengthening cultural governance and empowering cultural practitioners, the region is well positioned to harness the transformative power of culture for sustainable development, social inclusion and future generations…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Breaking Barriers in Customs in the Pacific
PORT MORESBY, 06 AUGUST 2026 (OCO SECRETARIAT) — Forty years of Pacific Customs cooperation and a new generation of women leading its next chapter. The story of Jacquline Story of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Customs shows what it takes to get there.
On an April morning in 2025, Jacqueline Saleu went to work at PNG Customs Service as usual. Later that day, she slipped quietly into a line of graduates at Papua New Guinea’s law school, an ordinary work outfit hidden beneath one of the blue gowns and was admitted to the National and Supreme Courts Bar. Her parents were in the crowd, they had come for her younger brother, whose science graduation was that same morning. They had no idea their only daughter was graduating too.
“Mom and dad were shocked,” she remembers.
Twenty years earlier, that moment would have been almost impossible to imagine. In 2005, Saleu failed Grade 12. Her path to the Bar did not begin in a lecture hall, it began on the streets of Goroka, in the Eastern Highlands, selling ice blocks and betelnut.
“I had a clear picture of where I wanted to end up, which is in the only law school in Papua New Guinea,’ she recalls. Her ice block sales raised K500 (US$113 million), enough to pay for upgrading English and History at the local adult matriculation school, lifting a C to a B and an A.
Studying by Orange Light
By 2008 she had her Higher School Certificate. A leap of faith into the Miss PNG Pageant brought unexpected exposure and a job as a Student Liaison Officer in Port Moresby, not the destination she had planned, but the stepping stone she needed.
“I did not know that leap would land me in a much-needed, broad exposure that would later serve as the next stepping stone to achieving my dream, which was law school,” she reflects.
In 2012, with workplace circumstances making formal study difficult alongside employment, she enrolled in a Diploma in Law regardless. She studied after hours, from 5pm to 3am. She never attended a lecture during working time. She sat exams in her lunch breaks. Only her roommate knew.
In her third year, with exams approaching and no leave available, she spent close to a week sleeping in the girls’ ablution blocks and the car park of 3 Mile Hospital, studying under the orange car park lights. A fellow student eventually heard what was happening and convinced his parents to take her in for the remaining week.
“Good food, a shower, security, and white lights unlike the orange hospital car park lights I had been using. Lord’s blessings, indeed,” she recalls.
Her lecturer, Alfred Minei, had noticed her absence and called her in. When she explained, he listened until she had finished crying, then pointed her to affordable accommodation near campus. She tracked the accommodation manager down in a car park at 7pm to secure the room.
“I guess my patience, or my desperation, showed,” she says. She graduated with her Diploma in Law. Her parents had no idea she had been studying. She had survived on K100, recycled through small loans to workmates spent on Sao biscuits, teabags and toiletries enough to pull through.
From the Intelligence Unit to the Customs Act
By 2014, PNG Customs Service had taken notice. Saleu joined as an International Liaison Officer in the Intelligence Unit, later moving into the Customs Modernisation Division. Between 2021 and 2023, she completed a Bachelor of Laws while managing a full-time career and two young children, followed by full-time legal training at the Legal Training Institute in Port Moresby in 2024.
“PNG Customs has a flexible work-study policy that gave me the career pathway to achieving a practising certificate today. I am permanently grateful for that,” she says.
Today, as Senior Research Officer in the Modernisation Division, her work sits at the intersection of national policy and international trade law. She is at the centre of PNG’s review of the Revised Kyoto Convention. the international framework that sets the standard for simplified and harmonised Customs procedures and the alignment of PNG’s domestic Customs Act to meet it. She is also watching what comes next:
“I also hope to see AI legislation and provisions to cater for this,” she says.
A Region Changing with Her
When Jacqueline sits down to review Papua New Guinea’s Customs Act, she is part of a quiet but significant shift taking place across the Pacific. Women in Customs are no longer just filling roles, they are leading agencies, shaping policy, and in some cases rewriting the very laws that govern trade and borders in their countries.
Four decades after the Pacific Customs Heads first came together, the Oceania Customs Organisation is advancing a new chapter in regional cooperation, one focused on empowering women to lead, influence decision-making, and contribute to the future of customs in the Pacific. Saleu graduated from the Pacific Women’s Professional Development Programme (PWPDP) in 2022, one of the early cohorts of an initiative of the Australian Border Force delivered in partnership with the OCO and RMIT University. Initiated in 2022, PWPDP focuses on building capacity, confidence and cooperation amongst women Customs leaders across the Pacific. In a profession that is still dominated by males, 21 percent of OCO member administrations are now headed by women.
Yet the numbers still tell a sobering story. Women make up just 36 percent of the Customs workforce globally and hold less than a quarter of management positions. It is the gap that programmes like the PWPDP and frameworks like the OCO’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Declaration seek to address. Signed by OCO members at the 27th Annual Conference in Guam in May 2025, the declaration commits Pacific Customs administrations to removing discrimination, building inclusive workplaces and embedding gender equality at every level of decision-making. It recognises that gender equality is not just the right thing to do, it makes Customs work better.
This year, Jacqueline was among 56 women from 16 countries who completed the PWPDP alumni programme in intelligence management, signing a joint commitment to advance women’s leadership in border security. For her, what the programme changed was more fundamental than skills.
“Prior to PWPDP, I was more hesitant, more reluctant. I had points but thought I might sound stupid or incompetent. PWPDP gave me a stronger voice, increased my confidence, cancelled the self-doubts,” she adds.
Who Would Have Thought
Jacqueline is the only daughter among four children. Growing up, she says, her father’s voice was constant.
“My dad always reminded me that if boys can do it, so can I. That has always been my banner. I didn’t have the grades after high school, but I had one thing — self-belief.”
The OCO’s GESI Declaration says much the same thing in the language of institutions, acknowledging that structural, social, cultural and economic barriers adversely impact the participation of women, and that dismantling them requires commitment at every level.
At her admission to the Bar, Jacqueline turned the question she had carried since Goroka back on itself:
“Who would have thought, a Grade 12 dropout, selling ice sticks on the streets, would one day connect with the world?”
Across the Pacific, more women in Customs are arriving at the same answer she did.
That they would.
And that they would do it together.
Jacqueline Saleu is Senior Research Officer in the Customs Modernisation Division of Papua New Guinea Customs Service. She participated in the Pacific Women in Pacific Development Programme (PWPDP) in 2022 and again this year, a joint initiative of the Australian Border Force (ABF), the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) and RMIT University. The OCO’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Declaration was signed by OCO member states at the 27th OCO Annual Conference in Guam in May 2025……PACNEWS
