In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Climate Finance must reach the Pacific faster: Green Climate Fund chief
2. PACIFIC — Caribbean backs Pacific stand on 1.5C, sovereignty and climate finance
3. PACIFIC — Pacific climate fund still US$320m short of target ahead of COP31
4. PACIFIC — Tuvalu calls for faster climate finance to protect Pacific communities
5. JAPAN — Minamata survivor calls on countries to act on mercury pollution
6. PACIFIC — Pacific health voices call for climate finance and action ahead of COP31
7. PACIFIC — Remember, we voted them into power: PIANGO chief
8. PACIFIC — Vanuatu PM Napat, New Caledonia president reaffirm bilateral cooperation
9. FIJI — U.S designates China-linked official in Fiji over alleged corruption
10. PACIFIC — Australia provides Fiji Police security screening equipment for Pre-COP31
11. SAMOA — Veteran Samoa Observer journalist laid to rest
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji, Japan deepen fisheries cooperation with focus on sustainable development
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji Airways lounge ranked 14th in global readers’ awards
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — ‘Funds for responding to Loss and Damage is not charity, it’s a matter of justice’
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific Pre-COP31 joint statement from WWF-Pacific, Wildlife Conservation Society and IUCN Oceania
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Climate Finance must reach the Pacific faster: Green Climate Fund chief
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Green Climate Fund Executive Director Mafalda Duarte has warned that climate finance must be delivered faster and at greater scale, saying Pacific communities cannot afford to wait years for resilience projects while facing existential climate threats.
Duarte told Pacific leaders at the Pacific Pre-COP31 plenary in Denarau that her visit to Tuvalu had demonstrated the reality of climate vulnerability in a way scientific reports could not.
“There is a very big difference between reading scientific reports, hearing stakeholders talk about climate change and actually experiencing firsthand being in the islands.
“I have been in many countries and places around the world that have been impacted by climate change, but I have never been in one where the existential risk was so alive,” she said.
Duarte said Tuvaluans and people in other vulnerable countries were living with the prospect of losing their homes and country within their lifetime.
“This prospect should not be considered acceptable anywhere for anyone,” she said.
She highlighted the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP), financed by the Green Climate Fund in 2016 and completed in 2024, which she said had provided a safe area during recent high tides.
Duarte said the project was now being replicated through two additional phases that would reclaim about 20 hectares of land, equivalent to about 20 percent of the island’s total area.
She said the project demonstrated that climate finance could protect communities before climate shocks became disasters.
“Climate finance works.
“It reaches people before a shock becomes a catastrophe. It protects the foundations of economies, food, water, health, education, energy and can unleash significant economic opportunities,” Duarte said.
Duarte said climate finance should not be viewed as aid or charity but as an investment in global security.
“Climate finance is not charity. It is an investment in shared human and economic security,” she said.
She said the scale of global spending showed that resources could be mobilised for climate resilience if countries made it a priority.
“If we can invest almost three trillion dollars globally in just one year in military spending and even more so in fossil fuel subsidies, we can certainly scale investments that are the only guarantee of energy, food and water security,” she said.
Duarte said climate finance institutions also needed to be capable of delivering funding at the scale and speed required.
“We need ambition, we need scale of investments and we also need institutions that can deliver at that scale in a timely manner,” she said.
She said the GCF was reforming its operations to improve delivery and highlighted increased investment in the Pacific.
“Just here in the Pacific, we doubled our investments in three years from US$500 million to US$1 billion, unlocking US$2.4 billion,” Duarte said.
She added that another US$300 million in Pacific financing was due to go before the GCF board later this month.
Duarte said the experience in Tuvalu should strengthen the case for greater climate investment and urged leaders not to ignore calls from Pacific communities for action.
“Let us allow ourselves to be inspired by what we saw in Tuvalu and not allow the call from the elder lady and the girl or even the students here today go unheard and unanswered,” she said.
The Pacific Pre-COP31 meeting concludes in Denarau today with leaders expected to sign the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, setting out regional priorities ahead of COP31 in Türkiye…..PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP31: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Caribbean backs Pacific stand on 1.5C, sovereignty and climate finance
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Antigua and Barbuda has backed the Pacific’s call to keep the 1.5C target within reach, protect the sovereignty of climate-vulnerable states and deliver climate finance at the scale needed to prevent communities from being forced from their homes.
Antigua and Barbuda Minister for Environment Michael Joseph told Pacific leaders at the Pre-COP31 plenary in Denarau that his visit to Tuvalu showed the close similarities between the climate threats facing Pacific and Caribbean island states.
“I saw vulnerable coastlines, homes and communities just metres from the sea and people determined to remain on their land, preserve their culture and a way of life, defend their right to economic development and shape the future they choose for themselves,” Joseph said.
Joseph said Antigua and Barbuda understood Tuvalu’s position that relocation was not the answer.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated Barbuda, making the island uninhabitable and displacing its population.
“One climatic event, a few hours, the entire island community became uninhabitable and its people displaced.
“So when the people of Tuvalu say relocation is not the answer, that they will remain, reclaim their land and defend their sovereignty, Antigua and Barbuda understands,” Joseph said.
Joseph said the issue went beyond physical infrastructure.
“This is about more than infrastructure. It’s about home, culture, ancestry, tradition, memory, identity and most important, a way of life,” he said.
He said young people were now demanding action from the leaders responsible for shaping climate policy.
“Even up to today, young people like 13-year-old Melelusi Sokotia, who gave a youthful and emotional plea in Tuvalu, is urging us, the global leaders, for protection.
“That future is now. We must listen and we must act,” Joseph said.
Joseph said his generation was no longer outside international climate negotiations demanding action.
“My generation is no longer standing outside these rooms asking for action. We are now sitting in them, carrying a responsibility for what happens next,” he said.
He identified three priorities from the Pre-COP31 discussions in Tuvalu.
First, he said the 1.5C target must remain within reach because it directly affects the ability of island communities to remain on their land.
“1.5 degrees is not just a number.
“For our islands, it means where the coastlines remain habitable, where the fresh water remains available, where the reefs and fisheries survive, and where the families can remain in communities they call home,” Joseph said.
He said climate action must also protect people, cultures, livelihoods, dignity and sovereignty.
Joseph said the third priority was finance, arguing that the era of small-scale adaptation projects was no longer sufficient.
“The time for piecemeal adaptation has passed.
“We need transformational investment in coastal protection, resilient infrastructure, water security, ecosystems, and national scale adaptation,” Joseph said.
He said Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDC) must be prioritised, with finance that is accessible, concessional and predictable.
“Finance must be accessible, concessional, predictable, and delivered at the speed and scale required,” Joseph said.
Joseph said the test of the Pacific Pre-COP31 meeting would be whether the concerns heard in Tuvalu translated into decisions at COP31 in Türkiye.
“The test of this pre-COP is whether the message we heard in Tuvalu travels with us to COP31 and changes what we do when we get there,” he said.
Antigua and Barbuda strongly endorsed the Taku Pakasoa Declaration, including its calls to keep 1.5C within reach, defend continuing statehood and sovereignty, and improve access to climate finance for SIDS and LDCs.
“As a Caribbean nation, we stand in solidarity with Tuvalu and with the wider Pacific.
“Different oceans, but the same determination. That our people will remain, our cultures will endure, and our islands will have a future,” Joseph said….PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP31/PRF: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Pacific climate fund still US$320m short of target ahead of COP31
By Sanjeshni Kumar
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PRF)—The Pacific’s newly operational regional climate fund is still US$320 million short of the minimum capitalisation it needs, with Pacific leaders urging international partners to turn pledges into actual funding before COP31.Climate Fund.
The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) has a minimum capitalisation target of US$500 million, Tonga’s Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua said at a pre-COP31 Turning Climate Finance into Community Resilience session in Nadi, Fiji.
The facility is designed to channel climate finance to smaller, community-led projects in Pacific countries, where larger international funds can struggle to meet local needs.
Fakafanua said the PRF had taken years to establish and had faced doubts over whether it could be created.
“Some even told us that this was not possible.
“And hurdle after hurdle we’ve overcome. And I’m happy to say it’s now in effect,” he said.
New funding commitments announced around the meeting include US$10 million from Fiji, US$2.3 million from Denmark and US$1.1 million from Solomon Islands.
The United Kingdom has pledged £10 million (US$11.19 million) towards the next phase of the facility, while the Netherlands has pledged €1 million (US$1.12 million).
Ireland has also indicated it intends to almost double the €3 million (US$3.35 million) it has already pledged.
But Fakafanua said the new commitments had not closed the funding gap.
“However, we still need US$320 million,” he said.
The Pacific wants the facility fully capitalised by COP31, making the remaining funding a key focus of its engagement with international partners ahead of the climate summit.
Fakafanua said Pacific countries had committed their own resources but could not meet the region’s climate financing needs alone.
“We cannot meet these challenges alone,” he said.
Fakafanua called on major emitters to provide multi-year public contributions, with clear amounts and payment schedules, saying pledges needed to become actual contributions to the facility.
“Pledges must become contributions to the facility, so that we can invest against the negative effects that are happening in the front lines today,” he said.
The PRF is intended to address what Pacific leaders see as a gap in existing climate and development finance, particularly for smaller investments.
“Where larger funds favour larger projects, we see the value of smaller community investments,” Fakafanua said.
He said the facility would allow funding to respond more directly to local circumstances and give communities greater control over the projects they need.
The urgency of that approach was underscored by the Leaders’ recent visit to Tuvalu, where he said the country’s limited land area and exposure to changing weather patterns demonstrated the vulnerability of Pacific island states.
“The Pacific is indeed in the front lines,” PM Fakafanua said.
He said Pacific countries were also confronting what he described as a “triple planetary crisis” involving climate change, biodiversity and pollution, alongside population pressures and economic instability.
“Where the responses fall short, we’ll find our own,” he said, describing the PRF as a Pacific response to those challenges.
He highlighted Tonga’s experience after the 15 January 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami as an example of the resilience of Pacific communities.
The disaster devastated communities and forced some people to relocate, but Fakafanua said Tongans began clearing the destruction and rebuilding almost immediately.
“They just got on with it. And out of the embers they rebuilt and they relocated.
“That to me is resilience,” said Fakafanua.
But he said resilience alone was not enough.
“That resilience should not come alone. It should be supported by family, by community, by the rest of the world,” he said.
Fakafanua said private investment could help expand the facility’s work, but should not replace public grant finance.
“Private investment can help expand this work,” he said. “However, it cannot replace the grant financing that is required for equity, for fairness, for justice.”
He warned that delays in providing finance were already having consequences for Pacific communities.
“Our communities cannot afford further delays,” he said. “I feel those delays equal water, damaging schools, flooding, and lives disrupted in disaster.”
Fakafanua used the image of a Pacific canoe to describe the funding challenge, saying the region had made its own commitment but needed partners to help move the facility forward.
“This paddle, if left alone with no partner, will lead us in a circle going nowhere.
“The ask from all of us leaders is to paddle with us. Balance the canoe,” he said.
The PRF is hosted by Tonga and is intended to be a Pacific-governed mechanism supporting priorities identified by communities themselves.
Fakafanua said the goal now was to turn existing pledges into contributions and secure the remaining US$320 million.
He said Pacific communities should not have to rely on their own resilience and generosity without matching international support.
“The resilience cannot depend on our determination alone.
“It must be met with shared commitment,” Fakafanua said.
With the fund now operational but still short of its minimum capitalisation, Fakafanua’s assessment was that the Pacific was close to its goal but had not yet reached it.
“We’re almost there, but we’re not quite,” he said…..PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31: PACNEWS/TUVALU GOVT PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Tuvalu calls for faster climate finance to protect Pacific communities
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS/TUVALU) —Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo has called for faster and more accessible climate and disaster financing for Pacific Island countries, warning that delays in funding can cost lives and undermine recovery.
Speaking at the “Right Money, Right Time – Fixing the Timing Gap in Pacific Climate Finance” side event at the Pacific Pre-COP31, Teo said Pacific countries needed financing that could be accessed quickly when disasters strike.
“Every minute lost without action is a minute lost from saving lives,” Teo said.
He highlighted Tuvalu’s efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness through regional mechanisms, including the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC), its participation in the PCRIC Foundation and the introduction of a micro-parametric insurance product for high-tide events.
Teo said timely access to finance was critical for Tuvalu, where communities and infrastructure face growing risks from coastal flooding, king tides, sea-level rise and drought.
“Pre-arranged financing ensures the right money at the right time, saving lives and stabilizing recovery efforts,” he said.
Teo called for greater investment in regional institutions and insurance mechanisms designed around the realities of atoll states.
He also stressed the need for financing to address both sudden disasters and slow-onset climate impacts.
At a separate Pre-COP31 side event, “Weaving Gender & Health into Pacific Climate Action”, Teo said climate change was increasingly affecting food security, health, safety and the wellbeing of women and families.
He said climate impacts in Tuvalu were being felt through saltwater intrusion into pulaka pits, changes to nearshore fisheries, disruption to maternal health services and increased risks of violence against women and girls following disasters.
“For Tuvalu, a pulaka pit is a health infrastructure, so is a living reef,” Teo said.
He called for the development of a Pacific SIDS Climate, Health and Gender Implementation and Financing Roadmap, building on the Pacific Pact on Gender and Climate Action and the Belém Gender and Health Action Plans.
Teo urged international partners and climate finance institutions to invest in gender-responsive health services, care systems, protection from violence and other essential services affected by climate change.
“We will not accept a climate finance architecture that ignores the critical climate-induced loss and damage impacting the safety, health and fundamental rights of women, our children, and the most vulnerable,” he said.
Teo said climate action in Tuvalu and across the Pacific must go beyond protecting land and infrastructure to protecting people, their health, dignity and way of life….PACNEWS
JAPAN – MERCURY POLLUTION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Minamata survivor calls on countries to act on mercury pollution
By PACNEWS Editor Makereta Komai in Minamata, Japan
MINAMATA, 08 OCTOBER 2026(PACNEWS)— Seventy years after one of Japan’s worst industrial pollution disasters, a survivor is calling on countries yet to join the Minamata Convention on Mercury to do so and help protect people and the environment.
More than 2,000 people died or suffered serious health problems after being exposed to methylmercury released into Minamata Bay in southern Japan in the 1950s and 1960s.
The mercury came from wastewater discharged by the Chisso Corporation chemical factory between 1932 and 1968.
The toxic mercury entered the sea and built up in fish and shellfish eaten by people living around Minamata Bay.
For families in Minamata, fish and seafood were an important part of everyday life.
But the same food that had fed families for generations would also take away their loved ones.
Sixty-five-year-old Rimiko Yoshinaga was only five when her father, Tsugiyoshi Oya, died in 1956 after suffering severe convulsions believed to have been caused by mercury poisoning.
He was 38 years old and worked for Chisso Corporation.
Her grandfather, Yasuta Oya, was also affected. He was bedridden for nine years before he died.
“My family lived by Minamata Bay and we loved fish and seafood. It sustained us all our lives,” Yoshinaga told Pacific and Caribbean journalists visiting Minamata as part of an Association for the Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC) fellowship.
“Little did I know as a five-year-old that the same fish and seafood would take away my father and grandfather.”
Yoshinaga said it took her four decades to build her courage to speak openly about what happened to her family.
“It’s taken me 40 years to speak out. I can say I am angry that Chisso needs to pay compensation,” she said.
“But it is a complex situation because my family kept quiet to receive some compensation. Chisso was an important company in Minamata. It provided jobs and supported many families.”
Chisso Corporation still exists today.
“If they make a profit, then they should compensate those who have lost their lives and the people of Minamata,” Yoshinaga said.
A message for the Pacific
Seventy years on, Yoshinaga still loves fish and seafood.
But she also wants the world to remember the lessons from Minamata.
She said big companies must take responsibility for pollution and act before communities are affected.
Yoshinaga believes the Minamata Convention on Mercury can help prevent another disaster like Minamata from happening elsewhere.
The global treaty was adopted in 2013 to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury.
“This year we are remembering 70 years of the Minamata tragedy,” Yoshinaga said.
“I call on all countries to commit to the Minamata Convention and implement the provisions of the global treaty.
“Big companies and corporations must take action to address pollution before it is too late.”
Her message is also important for the Pacific.
Eight Pacific countries are yet to become parties to the Minamata Convention – Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
The Convention requires countries to manage mercury and mercury waste and reduce the risks it poses to people and the environment.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is also working with Pacific countries through the Pacific Regional Mercury Action Plan 2026–2030.
The plan aims to help Pacific countries join and implement the Minamata Convention, remove products containing mercury, safely dispose of old mercury stockpiles and hazardous waste, and protect the Pacific’s marine resources and fisheries.
For Yoshinaga, the lesson from Minamata is simple.
Pollution can affect families for generations.
She hopes countries, including those in the Pacific, will learn from Minamata and take action before a similar tragedy happens again.
“Big companies like Chisso should be responsible and pay compensation.
“Minamata should never happen again anywhere in the world,” she said…. PACNEWS
PAC – PRECOP31/HEALTH: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Pacific health voices call for climate finance and action ahead of COP31
By Pita Ligaiula
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific health and climate officials are calling for urgent action, stronger climate finance and protection of the 1.5°C target as Pacific countries take their health concerns to the Pre-COP and COP31 discussions.
The officials say climate change is already affecting the health and wellbeing of Pacific communities through rising temperatures, sea levels, drought, flooding, extreme weather and changing disease patterns.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), which works with Pacific governments and partners on climate-related health risks, asked health and climate officials across the region to identify the single most important message they want heard ahead of Pre-COP and COP31.
For Tuvalu, the message is that climate change must be treated as a health emergency and climate finance as an investment in the survival of its people.
Tuvalu Director of Health Dr Nokise Simeona said the country had developed a Health National Adaptation Plan requiring an estimated AUD$12.9 million (US$8.98 million) over five years.
“For Tuvalu, climate change is a health emergency, and climate finance must therefore be treated as an investment in the survival and health of our people – not simply as environmental funding.
“We now need our development partners and climate-finance institutions to support us in moving from planning to implementation,” Simeona said.
Solomon Islands Deputy Secretary Technical at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Agnetha Vave Karamui, said the 1.5°C threshold remained critical for Pacific islands.
“We must hold the 1.5 degrees Celsius red line for our islands and people’s health, survival and dignity,” she said.
Karamui said COP31 must turn climate commitments into action and provide support to build resilience in vulnerable Pacific communities.
“COP31 must turn pledges into protection, ambition into action and our vulnerabilities into resilience now,” she said.
In the Marshall Islands, National Adaptation Plan Coordinator Bertine Lakjohn said consultations in remote atolls had shown how climate impacts were directly affecting families.
She recalled a young mother telling her that during droughts, her children became sick, while access to medication and other support was sometimes limited.
“It’s testimonies from our most vulnerable that inspire the why.
“The work we do here is always the most important for those outside of these conference rooms. Collective climate action and progress is imperative, in particular securing the finances to help and support our most vulnerable,” Lakjohn said.
Fiji Divisional Health Inspector for the Northern Division, Vakaruru Cavuilati, said climate change was increasingly becoming a health emergency.
“In Fiji, climate change is not only an environmental issue; it is a growing health emergency,” Cavuilati said.
He said rising temperatures, stronger storms, flooding and changing disease patterns were putting lives at risk and increasing pressure on health services.
“Although Pacific Island countries have contributed very little to global emissions, we urgently need reliable and accessible funding, technical support and stronger capacity to protect our people and health systems,” Cavuilati said.
Australia also says Pacific health concerns must remain central to the COP31 process.
Professor Madeleine Skellern, Director of the National Health, Sustainability and Climate Unit at the Australian Centre for Disease Control, said Pacific leaders had recognised climate change as a defining global health challenge.
“It is a privilege to hear from many Pacific leaders who recognise that climate change is the defining global health challenge of our time.
“Australia is committed to elevating these Pacific voices at Pre-COP and COP31 as part of its work as COP31 President of Negotiations,” Skellern said.
The messages come as Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu co-host the Pacific Pre-COP discussions ahead of COP31, with Pacific countries pressing for climate commitments that address the immediate health, social and economic impacts of climate change.
For the Pacific, the officials say, climate action is increasingly about protecting people, health systems and communities from impacts that are already being felt….PACNEWS
PAC – PRE COP31/NGOS: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Remember, we voted them into power: PIANGO chief
By Viliame Tawanakoro in Nadi
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) —Pacific civil society must have a stronger role in climate negotiations and in planning for disasters and community relocation, Emeline Siale Ilolahia, executive director of the Pacific Islands Association (PIANGO), said in remarks to leaders and negotiators.
“Civic space in a difficult environment is critical,” Ilolahia said, arguing that community organisations should help shape policy before negotiations and carry the resulting discussions back to villages, households, schools and churches.
Her appeal was grounded in what she described as the everyday organisational strength of Pacific communities, where families and neighbours coordinate attendance at funerals, weddings and other events, often paying their own way because showing up matters.
“We are the best organisers,” she said, describing how families divide responsibilities so members can attend events across their communities.
That capacity, she argued, is part of civil society’s contribution to public decision-making, not simply a resource to be tapped for small, short-term projects.
Ilolahia called for a shift away from treating local organisations primarily as implementers of small grants.
Such projects, she said, can have limited reach and may fail to serve people who cannot access a central venue.
A project based at a community hall, for example, may not be accessible to people with disabilities, she said, arguing that support needs to reach households and communities directly.
The remarks also linked climate policy to movement within families and communities.
Ilolahia said discussions about mobility were already taking place at household level in Pacific settings, with older people sometimes choosing to remain while younger relatives move.
She urged negotiators attending pre-COP meetings and COP to ensure discussions did not remain confined to conference rooms.
“Those that are represented in our rooms, come back, make sure that those conversations are happening in our house, dinner table, our classroom, even Sunday school,” she said.
Ilolahia added that she had been a Sunday school teacher and that climate discussions were relevant in those settings too.
She outlined two roles for civil society: participating in the thinking and evidence-gathering process, and being included in foresight and planning.
Community groups should have access to academic findings and be able to contribute traditional and Indigenous knowledge, she said.
“We can bring our traditional understanding and our traditional knowledge and indigenous to inform those things, because it makes sense to us,” Ilolahia said.
She also argued that communities with experience of fires, tsunamis and earthquakes could contribute to anticipating future risks.
“We are good at predicting. So give us that opportunity to do that,” she said.
Ilolahia framed the appeal as a demand for meaningful participation in decisions affecting Pacific communities, including the negotiations that shape climate policy.
Civil society, she said, should not be expected to withdraw from the process after taking part in pre-COP or COP discussions….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31/DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS/VANUTU GOVT PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Vanuatu PM Napat, New Caledonia president reaffirm bilateral cooperation
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS/VANUATU GOVT) — Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat and President of the Government of New Caledonia Milakulo Tukumuli have reaffirmed the importance of direct government-to-government dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
The two leaders held bilateral talks Wednesday, focusing on areas of mutual interest and ongoing regional cooperation.
The meeting followed recent social media commentary by New Caledonian lawmaker Nicolas Metzdorf, but the leaders chose to focus on the broader bilateral relationship and practical areas of cooperation.
Napat and Tukumuli stressed the need to maintain constructive dialogue at government level and ensure external commentary does not disrupt bilateral cooperation.
Their discussions covered trade, aviation connectivity, the submarine cable project, the Matthew and Hunter Islands, climate change and issues of mutual interest within the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
The leaders also stressed the need to translate discussions into practical outcomes that deliver tangible benefits for the people of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
The meeting reinforced their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral relations through continued engagement and cooperation….PACNEWS
FIJI – ANTI CORRUPTION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
U.S designates China-linked official in Fiji over alleged corruption
SUVA/WASHINGTON, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The United States has designated a Chinese official based in Fiji for what it describes as “significant corruption” involving alleged efforts to advance government, business and criminal interests linked to China.
The U.S Department of State said Zhao Fugang, Director of the Overseas Chinese Service Centre in Fiji, had been publicly designated under U.S law for his alleged involvement in corruption on behalf of China-based actors.
The designation means Zhao and his immediate family members are generally ineligible to enter the United States.
“Zhao abused his public position by paying bribes to Fijian citizens to advance China-based government, business, and criminal interests,” the U.S State Department said in a statement issued by spokesman Thomas “Tommy” Pigott.
The State Department said Zhao’s actions constituted significant corruption and had adversely affected U.S interests in Fiji.
The designation was announced on 07 October 2026 under Section 7031(c) of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programmes Appropriations Act, 2026.
The provision allows the U.S Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign officials and their immediate family members when there is credible information of their involvement in significant corruption or gross human rights violations.
The State Department did not provide details of the alleged bribes or identify the Fijian citizens allegedly involved.
It also did not specify the China-based government, businesses or criminal organisations Zhao allegedly acted for.
The U.S said the action formed part of its wider effort to target corruption and its links to organised crime and drug trafficking.
“The United States will hold accountable those who abuse power for personal gain,” the statement said.
The State Department said it would continue efforts to combat corruption that “fuels drug trafficking, enables transnational criminal organisations, and threatens U.S. interests around the world.”
The designation is an action by the US Government and does not constitute a criminal conviction in Fiji.
The statement did not indicate whether Fiji authorities had opened or were pursuing any investigation into the allegations against Zhao….PACNEWS
PAC – PREPCOP31/POLICE: PACNEWS/FIJI POLICE PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Australia provides Fiji Police security screening equipment for Pre-COP31
NADI, 8 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The Fiji Police Force has received specialised security screening equipment from Australia to strengthen security operations during the Pacific Pre-COP31 meeting on Denarau Island.
The equipment was provided by the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and includes metal detectors, handheld detectors and X-ray inspection systems.
DCCEEW Director Security and Accreditation Adrian Wood officiated at the handover and said the equipment would support Fiji Police in meeting its operational security requirements.
Wood said the assistance also included training for Fiji Police officers on the proper use and handling of the equipment.
Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu thanked the Australian Government for its continued support to Fiji’s law enforcement agencies through capacity and capability-building assistance.
He said the equipment would strengthen security operations as Fiji continues to host regional and international meetings.
“As Fiji continues to host regional and international meetings, this equipment will greatly assist our security operations,” Tudravu said.
Tudravu also thanked Wood for facilitating the training of Fiji Police officers in the use of the equipment.
The assistance comes as Fiji hosts the Pacific Pre-COP31 meeting, bringing together Pacific leaders and representatives ahead of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Türkiye….PACNEWS
SAMOA – OBITUARY: SAMOA OBSERVER/PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Veteran Samoa Observer journalist laid to rest
APIA, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (SAMOA OBSERVER/PACNEWS) —Veteran journalist Alan Immensely Ah Mu, known as Li’o Fa’avaivaiomanū, was laid to rest in Samoa after his body was returned from New Zealand for a family service honoring his life and connection to his people.
Ah Mu, 68, died peacefully at his home in New Zealand on 24 September 2026, surrounded by family.
His final journey in Samoa was marked by a police escort, as family members carried his coffin from the family residence, along the roads associated with the Ah Mu family, to Lotopa Cemetery, where he was buried. Family, relatives and friends gathered to farewell a man whose life connected Samoa and New Zealand.
Ah Mu spent a significant part of his 30-year journalism career as a senior reporter and writer for the Samoa Observer, where he became known for his reporting and writing.
He was remembered in tributes as a quiet, intelligent and gentle man who made a lasting impression on those around him.
“Such a wise and calm gentle man,” Si’alei van Toor wrote in a tribute.
His longtime friend Savea Alphonso Solia remembered Ah Mu from their teenage years in Wellington, describing his “quiet voice, cheeky smile & gentle nature.”
“I can truly say you didn’t have one mean bone in your body, a rare quality these days,” Solia wrote.
Cousin Elizabeth Dunn described him as having a “quiet, calm presence with intelligent, mischievous eyes” and said he “spoke quietly but with purpose.”
His sister Vala’auina Ah Mu wrote that her brother “moved through life softly, never needing to be the loudest voice in the room.”
“Your quietness was your strength,” she wrote, describing him as a calm presence who brought comfort, loyalty and love to his family.
Ah Mu was the beloved partner of Sui Tiafau Lavea and a much-loved father to Tipesa, Talitonu, Palepa and Vaifou. He was also deeply loved by extended family in Samoa and New Zealand.
His funeral service in New Zealand was held Sept. 29 at Cockburn Street Chapel in Kilbirnie, Wellington.
In Samoa, his final journey brought family and community together to farewell a journalist, father, partner and son of Samoa whose quiet presence and work in journalism will be remembered.
Meanwhile, the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) mourns the death of veteran journalist and media pioneer Li’o Fa’avaivaiomanū Alan Immensely Ah Mu.
JAWS described Ah Mu as a pillar of Samoa’s media industry and a trusted colleague and mentor to generations of Pacific journalists.
In a statement, the association said his contribution to journalism had left a lasting impact on the region’s media fraternity.
JAWS extended its deepest condolences and prayers to Ah Mu’s family, loved ones and colleagues during this time of loss….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – FISHERIES: PACNEWS/FIJI FISHERIES PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Fiji, Japan deepen fisheries cooperation with focus on sustainable development
SUVA, O8 OCTOBER 2026 (PACNEWS/FISHERIES)— Fiji and Japan are strengthening cooperation in sustainable fisheries development, with improved infrastructure, technical capacity and services for fishing communities high on the agenda.
The focus emerged during a courtesy visit by Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) Senior Vice President Shingo Ota and his delegation to Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries in Suva.
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Alitia Bainivalu welcomed the delegation and acknowledged Japan’s longstanding support to Fiji’s fisheries sector.
“We are particularly grateful for the assistance provided through the Fisheries Development Assistance for Pacific Island Nations Project, which continues to make an important contribution to our fisheries infrastructure and facilities, technical capacity, and the livelihoods of our fishing communities,” Bainivalu said.
The discussions followed the recent Fiji-Japan bilateral fisheries meeting and reviewed progress under the 2026 programme, Fiji’s priorities for 2027, a proposed five-year strategic plan and the condition of fisheries facilities.
The delegation also visited the Wainibokasi Fisheries Station, where Ministry officials briefed the Japanese team on the station’s operations, licensed fishers and challenges facing fishing communities.
A key issue raised was the need to upgrade the station’s jetty and deepen the entrance channel to improve access for fishing vessels.
The proposed improvements would allow fishing vessels to reach the station more easily, including during lower tides, and enable fishers to purchase ice and land their catch without waiting for high tide.
The Ministry said this would improve fishing efficiency and strengthen fish handling practices.
The visiting delegation was accompanied by Ministry Manager Procurement Freddy Ledua and Senior Technical Officer, Fleet and Technical Services Division, Tomasi Peckham.
The Wainibokasi visit provided an opportunity to identify operational needs and areas where further Japanese assistance could strengthen fisheries services.
Bainivalu said the latest engagement would build on the longstanding Fiji-Japan partnership.
“Vice President Ota, I am confident that today’s courtesy call will further strengthen the longstanding and valued relationship between Fiji and Japan,” she said.
She said continued dialogue between the two countries would help address regional fisheries priorities and support the sustainable development of Fiji’s fisheries sector.
The Ministry said cooperation with Japan remains focused on strengthening fisheries infrastructure, technical capacity and services that support fishing communities and the sustainable use of marine resources…..PACNEWS
FIJI – AIRLINE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 08 Oct 2026
Fiji Airways lounge ranked 14th in global readers’ awards
SUVA, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji Airways’ Premier Lounge at Nadi International Airport has been ranked No. 14 in the international airport lounges category of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
The recognition comes during Fiji Airways’ 75th anniversary year and was based on votes from Condé Nast Traveler readers in the United States.
More than 798,867 survey responses were received from readers rating travel experiences around the world.
Fiji Airways Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Paul Scurrah credited the recognition to the airline’s lounge team.
“To be chosen by travelers themselves makes this especially meaningful. These are the people we welcome and look after every day, and it’s wonderful to know the experience stays with them.
“I’m proud of our lounge team and everyone behind the scenes who makes our guests feel at home. In our 75th year, this is a lovely reminder that Fijian hospitality is what sets us apart.”
The Fiji Airways Premier Lounge at Nadi International Airport offers travellers a space before departure with service and Fijian touches.
The 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website and will also feature in its November issue…PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
‘Funds for responding to Loss and Damage is not charity, it’s a matter of justice’
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (SPREP)—-Pacific Political Champion for climate-induced Loss and Damage, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, has a clear message to world leaders gathering in Fiji to prepare for COP31 in Türkiye next month.
“Responding to loss and damage is not charity,” he said.
“The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which our region fought for, confirmed that States have binding obligations on climate change, and that breaching them has legal consequences. This is a matter of justice.”
Hu’akavameiliku was speaking on the margins of the ongoing pre-COP in Nadi where discussions about the impact of climate induced loss and damage have taken centre stage as part of the push for improved access to climate finance. It is one of four priorities being pushed in Fiji, the other three are keeping 1.5°C within reach, placing the Ocean at the heart of global climate action; and amplifying Pacific leadership and voices.
As the Pacific’s Political Champion for Loss and Damage, Hu‘akavameiliku is amplifying five key messages for world leaders at pre-COP: “Firstly, our losses go far beyond what can be measured in money, secondly recognition is not enough, our communities need action now; thirdly our losses, our solutions, Pacific voices must lead, fourthly one methodology cannot capture the full range of Pacific losses and and the fifth one is Ambitious climate action remains fundamental.”
According to Hu’akavameiliku, intensifying cyclones, floods, rising seas, drought increasingly drive unavoidable loss and damage.
“These extreme weather events take what no payout can return: ancestral land, the graves of our elders, and ways of life bound to place,” he said. “Yet these losses are undercounted. Non-economic losses are barely measured, data is scattered and capacity is stretched. What is not counted is rarely financed. That is why evidence is the foundation of our case for action and for finance.”
This is where the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) plays a key role. Over the years, SPREP with funding from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded Loss and Damage Capacity and Capability Project and IKI-funded Building Our Loss and Damage (BOLD) Response project, has supported the Pacific’s leadership on climate action, and on climate-induced loss and damage through dialogues, collecting evidence and implementing projects on the ground with countries and communities.
SPREP has conducted more than 25 Loss and Damage Dialogues at regional, national, state, island and community levels.
The dialogues brought together government, private sector, NGOs, CSOs, FBOs, youth groups, partners, donors, traditional leaders, outer islanders and more. From the Cook Islands Pa Enua to the outer islands of Chuuk state in the Federated States of Micronesia to the three atolls of Tokelau, SPREP prioritised the inclusion of communities, especially from the outer islands.
“These engagements with communities are not just performative,” said Tagaloa Cooper, SPREP Director Climate Change Resilience.
“We are seeing tangible benefits.”
In Solomon Islands, the dialogue outcomes are feeding into the development of a loss and damage policy. In the Cook Islands and Niue, pilot projects to address loss and damage are underway. In Tonga the findings and priorities from the outer islands fed directly into their application for funding from the Fund to Responding to Loss and Damage.
“The dialogues confirmed what we already know- loss and damage is experienced throughout the Pacific including complex non-economic losses and damages.”
One of the most significant outcomes of the dialogues was The Pacific Youth Apia Declaration on Loss and Damage. “Youth are the future and will live through an increasingly difficult climate. It is essential that we centre their perspectives and provide opportunities for empowerment and leadership,” Ms Cooper added.
Hu’akavameiliku and Cooper were amongst the speakers at the “Pacific Loss and Damage: Evidence to Action” side event on Wednesday.
Organised by the United Nations (UNDRR), SPREP, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Santiago Network Secretariat, the session connected evidence with financing readiness, investment decisions and practical support, while informing continued collaboration and future work.
Co-moderated by Nacanieli Speigth, of the Santiago Network Secretariat and Gabriele Emery, of UNDRR Sub Regional Office for the Pacific, other speakers were Caroline Fuentes Castellanos, Director Santiago Network Secretariat, Mathilde Laurans, Deputy Executive Director FRLD and Ms Alisi Rabukawaqa, Indigenous Knowledge Holder Fiji.
“The science is clear. Losses and Damages are inevitable, and they are already being felt and will continue under all emissions scenarios,” said Cooper.
“But we will keep pushing for every inch of action,”she said…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific Pre-COP31 joint statement from WWF-Pacific, Wildlife Conservation Society and IUCN Oceania
NADI, 08 OCTOBER 2026 (WWF PACIFIC/WCS/IUCN OCEANIA) —As Pacific leaders, governments, civil society, communities, development partners and other stakeholders gather in Nadi for the Pacific Pre-COP31, convened by the Governments of Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu, we recognise an important opportunity for our region to speak with clarity and purpose about the scale of the climate crisis and the action needed to secure a resilient future for Pacific peoples and ecosystems.
We acknowledge the leadership of the three host governments in bringing the region together for this important dialogue and in creating a space for Pacific countries and partners to exchange perspectives and strengthen regional priorities ahead of COP31.
Across our Blue Pacific Continent, climate change is not a distant threat. Rising sea levels, warming and acidifying oceans, increasingly severe extreme weather events, changing rainfall patterns, coastal erosion and ecosystem degradation are already affecting communities, economies, cultures, biodiversity and the natural resources upon which Pacific peoples depend.
As conservation organisations working across the Pacific, WWF-Pacific, Wildlife Conservation Society and IUCN Oceania recognise that the climate and biodiversity crises are deeply interconnected. Addressing one cannot come at the expense of the other. Effective climate action must protect and restore nature and the integrity of ecosystems, strengthen the resilience of nature and communities and recognise the knowledge, leadership and priorities of Pacific peoples.
The Pre-COP31 provides an opportunity to build on the region’s longstanding climate leadership, move from restating commitments to agreeing clear implementation pathways, and carry a strong and united Pacific voice towards COP31. We recognise the important roles of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), working within their respective regional mandates and alongside Pacific governments and partners, in supporting climate resilience, environmental stewardship, scientific and technical cooperation, and implementation across the region. As discussions take place in Fiji and Tuvalu, we encourage governments and partners to focus on the following priorities and the practical means to deliver them.
Keep 1.5°C at the centre of global climate ambition
For Pacific Island countries and communities, limiting global temperature rise remains fundamental to protecting lives, livelihoods, ecosystems and cultures.
Urgent and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to limit the magnitude and duration of temperature overshoot and keep the pathway back towards 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels firmly at the centre of international climate action. This requires credible, science-aligned and time-bound action this decade, with developed countries taking the lead.
The Pacific has consistently called for greater global ambition, including at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit in September, 2026. These calls must be matched by stronger implementation of commitments under the Paris Agreement, and the Global Stocktake including accelerated emissions reductions, a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, backed by increased renewable and locally appropriate energy systems, and energy efficiency, accessible finance, technology and capacity. It should also advance maritime decarbonisation and action to halt and reverse the loss and degradation of forests, coastal ecosystems providing important habitat and adaptation functions, and other critical ecosystems.
Make adaptation and resilience an urgent priority
For Pacific communities already experiencing climate impacts, enhanced climate adaptation is an immediate priority.
Healthy ecosystems are fundamental to Pacific resilience. Coral reefs, mangroves, forests, wetlands, seagrass ecosystems and watersheds provide coastal protection, support food and water security, sustain livelihoods and cultural practices, and provide habitat for biodiversity.
Greater investment is needed in adaptation approaches that recognise these connections and respond to the special circumstances of Pacific Island countries and communities. National adaptation planning and other commitments involving adaptation measures should increasingly integrate community-led ecosystem-based adaptation and high-integrity Nature-based Solutions, alongside other approaches necessary to strengthen community and ecosystem resilience.
Turning commitments into implementation will also require sustained investment in Pacific technical, institutional and human capacity. Regional cooperation and the support provided by SPC and SPREP, within their respective mandates and alongside other regional partners, will remain important in strengthening knowledge sharing, science and data, technical capacity and nationally led implementation across Pacific Island countries and territories.
Ensure climate finance reaches the Pacific and its communities
Ambition cannot become action without adequate, predictable and accessible finance.
While the scale and quality of global climate finance must increase significantly, equal attention must be given to how finance is accessed and where it ultimately reaches. Pacific Island countries, local organisations and communities continue to face significant barriers in accessing international climate finance despite being at the frontline of climate impacts. Better access to climate financing would allow Pacific communities, to scale and enhance their knowledge and solutions for climate resilience
Put Pacific peoples and locally led solutions at the centre
Communities are leaders, practitioners, innovators and knowledge holders who must have meaningful opportunities to shape decisions affecting their lands, waters, resources and futures. Climate action should recognise and strengthen this leadership, including through greater investment in locally led solutions and meaningful participation by Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and young people.
Connect climate, biodiversity, land and ocean action
For Pacific communities, climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean health and land degradation are not separate challenges. They are interconnected and require integrated responses.
Greater alignment between Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, 30×30 commitments, and other national environmental and development frameworks can reduce duplication, improve the use of limited resources and support more coherent implementation.
High-integrity Nature-based Solutions can provide an important pathway for translating this integration into action. When appropriately designed and implemented, they can contribute simultaneously to climate adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and community resilience.
For a region defined by the ocean, climate action must also recognise a healthy ocean as the fundamental to mitigation, adaptation, resilience, food security, livelihoods, culture and sustainable development. Ocean priorities should be integrated across CoP31 outcomes and finance processes, with the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue linked more directly to implementation. Pacific-led Blue Corridors, connected and effectively managed marine conservation making significant progress towards 30×30, as well as ambitious implementation of the BBNJ Agreement can provide practical pathways to strengthen the resilience of nature, protect ecological integrity and connectivity, migratory routes and critical habitats across national waters and the high seas. These efforts must be grounded in customary governance, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, the best available science, equity and effective management, not area coverage alone….PACNEWS
Media Contacts:
1. Milika Tabua, Communications Assistant, WCS, +679 8464482 | mtabua@wcs.org
2. Ravai Vafo’ou, Pacific Communications Coordinator, WWF-Pacific, +679 2382192 | rvafoou@wwfpacific.org
3. Epeli Nakautoga, Communications Manager, IUCN Oceania, +679 7772855 | epeli.nakautoga@iucn.org
