In this bulletin:
1. NZ — New Zealand, Fiji renew Duavata Partnership with focus on Trade, Security and Climate
2. ACP — OACPS Ministers begin Brussels meeting with focus on Samoa Agreement
3. SOL — Solomon Islands PM Wale to welcome PNG’s Marape on official visit to Honiara
4. NZ — ‘Chaff’: Winston Peters rejects Pacific poll as NZ First eyes general election breakthrough
5. PNG — PNG Cabinet shake-up lacks substance, vision: O’Neill
6. GUAM — New bill makes another attempt to add Guam to the radiation pay programme
7. TAIWAN — Taiwan opposes PNG’s unilateral decision to close representative office
8. PACIFIC — Report: Pacific Island countries struggle to meet vaccination targets
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji PM Rabuka signals civil service ‘right-sizing’
10. PACNEWS BIZ — PNG business leaders’ question govt plan to increase workforce
11. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Tokelau and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement react to New Zealand fisheries action
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Does extreme rainfall trigger tribal violence in PNG?
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Solomon Islands strengthen Policy advocacy to advance Nature-based Climate Solutions
NZ – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
New Zealand, Fiji renew Duavata Partnership with focus on Trade, Security and Climate
AUCKLAND, 17 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — New Zealand and Fiji have renewed their Duavata Partnership for the next five years, committing to closer cooperation on democracy, economic growth, security, social development, and climate resilience under a refreshed framework covering 2026 to 2030.
Signed in Auckland on 16 July by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Fiji’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Sakiasi Ditoka, the agreement builds on the first Duavata Partnership, which ran from 2022 to 2025.
The partnership reaffirms the two countries’ commitment to strengthening their long-standing relationship, recognising their shared Pacific identity, growing economic links, and common interest in a safe, stable and resilient Blue Pacific region.
The renewed agreement identifies five priority areas for cooperation: partnership, democracy and values; economic resilience; peace and security; social well-being; and climate and disaster resilience.
Under the economic agenda, both governments reaffirmed their ambition to achieve NZ$2 billion (US$1.16 billion) in two-way trade by 2030, while expanding trade, investment, tourism, labour mobility and private sector cooperation.
On security, the two countries pledged to strengthen cooperation on maritime security, defence, policing, border management, cyber security, intelligence sharing and humanitarian assistance while supporting the Pacific as an Ocean of Peace.
The agreement also commits both governments to advancing gender equality, improving access to health, education and housing, supporting civil society, and expanding scholarship opportunities in areas of critical skills shortages.
Climate change remains a central pillar of the partnership, with both countries recognising it as “the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and well-being of Pacific people.” The agreement includes commitments to renewable energy, climate finance, disaster preparedness, biodiversity protection and climate resilience.
To implement the partnership, New Zealand and Fiji agreed to hold regular ministerial meetings, annual high-level consultations and coordinate long-term development assistance while remaining mutually accountable for delivering agreed outcomes…. PACNEWS
ACP – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
OACPS Ministers begin Brussels meeting with focus on Samoa Agreement
BRUSSELS, 17 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — The 121st Session of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Council of Ministers has opened in Brussels, with leaders shifting attention to implementing decisions adopted at the Malabo Summit, including the Samoa Agreement and strengthening the organisation’s financial sustainability.
OACPS Secretary-General Moussa Saleh Batraki welcomed ministers and recalled that the Council meets after the successful conclusion of the 11th OACPS Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
He noted that the organisation is entering the implementation phase of the decisions adopted by Heads of State and Government, with particular emphasis on institutional transformation, implementation of the Samoa Agreement and financial sustainability.
Council President and Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy K.M. Keita, reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the momentum generated by the Malabo Summit and called on Member States to continue providing the political leadership and ownership needed to implement the decisions of Heads of State and Government.
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening the organisation’s governance, financial sustainability and institutional effectiveness.
The Council also heard from Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Diaspora, Simeón Oyono Esono Angue, representing the Presidency of the 11th OACPS Summit of Heads of State and Government.
He tasked the Council with ensuring that decisions adopted at the Malabo Summit are translated into measurable actions by identifying clear indicators, designated responsibilities, implementation timelines, required resources and means for monitoring and annual reporting.
United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Navid Hanif, told ministers that the OACPS has consistently been a leading voice on financing for development and that its Member States helped place reform of the international financial architecture at the heart of the Sevilla Commitment.
He called on the OACPS to play a leading role in advancing implementation of the Sevilla Commitment by strengthening national financing systems, fostering regional solidarity and championing reform of the international financial architecture.
The Council also reviewed the report of the Committee of Ambassadors, which highlighted progress on reviewing the scale of assessed contributions, developing the Accreditation Manual for Ambassadors to the OACPS, preparations for implementing the Samoa Agreement and other institutional and governance reforms.
The meeting concluded with a side event hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini, where Member States reviewed progress on financial commitments. Participants received updates on existing pledges, with several Member States announcing additional contributions while others reaffirmed commitments to honour outstanding pledges during 2026…. PACNEWS
SOL – DIPLOMACY: SOL GOVT PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
Solomon Islands PM Wale to welcome PNG’s Marape on official visit to Honiara
HONIARA, 17 JULY 2026 (SOL GOVT) — Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale will welcome Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape to Honiara.
The visit highlights the close and enduring relationship between the two Melanesian nations.
Prime Minister Marape is in Honiara to attend the Seventh-day Adventist “Solomon Islands for Christ” programme.
In recognition of the significance of the programme and the visit, the Solomon Islands Government has accorded the trip official visit status.
On arrival, the Prime Minister Marape will be accorded a guard of honour at Honiara International Airport.
On Saturday, both Prime Ministers will attend a church service where they will address the congregation. In the evening, they will hold bilateral talks focused on strengthening cooperation and advancing shared priorities between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Prime Minister Marape will depart for Port Moresby on Sunday…. PACNEWS
NZ – ELECTION/POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
‘Chaff’: Winston Peters rejects Pacific poll as NZ First eyes general election breakthrough
AUCKLAND, 17 JULY 2026 (PMN) — New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has rejected a new PMN-HorizonResearch survey showing many Pacific voters believe his party does not understand their communities.
The Foreign Minister says the findings do not reflect support on the ground.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings ahead of New Zealand First’s campaign launch this weekend, Peters dismissed the poll as unreliable and predicted his party would again outperform expectations at the ballot box.
“I think that those polls are chaff because they’re so badly manufactured and with such few numbers
“They write you [off] and then for the last moment, it happened in 2023 way up till the election,” he said.
Senior National Party leaders, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, have been invited to appear on Pacific Mornings to respond to the PMN-HorizonResearch Pacific Issues Survey and discuss the issues raised by Pacific voters.
The invitations have not been accepted. PMN News continues to offer all major parties the opportunity to respond to the survey findings.
The survey found 59 percent of Pacific voters believe New Zealand First does not understand the needs of Pacific communities.
The figures were even higher for its coalition partners, with 72 percent saying National does not understand Pacific people well and 74 percent saying the same of ACT.
The survey also found the cost of living remains the biggest issue for Pacific voters, with almost nine in 10 saying it will influence how they vote.
Peters acknowledged the coalition has not done enough to ease household pressures but argued it inherited deep economic problems from the previous Labour government.
“The cost of living crisis was left with us by the [Labour] Party, and we haven’t done as well as we should have done on it, I agree with that.
“They left us with massive borrowing debt, high inflation. Every indicator you had was adverse and going downwards,’ he said.
Peters also sought to draw a clear line between New Zealand First and its coalition partners. He said his party never promised to solve the country’s biggest challenges within a single term.
“They kept on saying we can fix it in three years,” he said.
His comments come after political commentators told PMN the Pacific vote can no longer be taken for granted, with trust and delivery on key issues likely to shape this year’s election.
The PMN-Horizon Research polling also found Pacific voters want parties to earn their support by addressing the rising cost of living, improving health services and increasing access to affordable housing.
Peters, who ranked fourth in the survey’s preferred prime minister rankings on 10 percent, behind Labour leader Chris Hipkins on 36 percent and Prime Minister Luxon on 11 percent, said many voters have yet to make up their minds. The survey found 15 percent were still undecided.
New Zealand First launches its election campaign this weekend at the Manukau Pacific Centre in Auckland where Peters is expected to unveil new policy commitments and make the case that his party offers a distinct alternative to both Labour and its coalition partners.
“We’re going to announce a number of policies about where we’re going forward… that’ll turn this country around,” he told PMN.
“We don’t want Pepsi and Coke over and over again, Tweedledum and Tweedledum, year [in] and year out. They’ve got a choice this time.”
Peters also pointed to his record as Foreign Affairs Minister, saying New Zealand First has delivered strongly for the Pacific.
“The way we’ve done it in foreign aid and our assistance to the Pacific, we have been unparalleled in our success. So, give us a chance, you won’t regret it.”
New Zealanders go to the polls on 7 November 2026….PACNEWS
PNG – POLITICS: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
PNG Cabinet shake-up lacks substance, vision: O’Neill
PORT MORESBY, 17 JULY 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill says the much-publicised shake-up of Cabinet lacks substance and reforms that Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape gave as the reason for the changes.
O’Neill, a former prime minister, told The National that the changes were more about political survival than addressing an urgent need.
“It is more for political survival for Marape and Pangu (Pati) rather than being an opportunity to meet the many challenges the country is facing today,” he said.
“This was confirmed by Marape himself during question time (in Parliament) saying that these changes emanated from Pangu’s recent convention.
“So, in reality, like the Pangu convention itself, current changes lack vision and provides no hope for our people.
“Many of the changes do not make sense.
“It compromises governance and accountability, (and) is an attempt to promote Marape and Pangu election ambitions.”
Six new Cabinet ministers were sworn in by Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae at Government House on Tuesday.
They were Information and Communications Technology Minister Robert Naguri, Civil Aviation Minister Douglas Tomuriesa, Labour and Employment Minister Saki Soloma, Livestock Minister Agena Gamai, Education Minister Francis Siune and Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Minister John Kaupa.
The other changes are of new Health Minister Dr Billy Joseph, Defence Minister Elias Kapavore, Immigration Minister William Bando, Commerce and Industry Minister Wake Goi and Coffee and Transport Minister Miki Kaeok.
PNG Power Limited, which was under State Enterprises Minister William Duma, is now under Minister for Trade and International Relations, Richard Maru…. PACNEWS
GUAM – RADIATION PROGRAME: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
New bill makes another attempt to add Guam to the radiation pay programme
HAGATNA, 17 JULY 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Guam Delegate James Moylan announced plans to reintroduce the recurrent and always failing proposal to include Guam in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) programme.
“We are introducing the bipartisan Radiation Exposure Reauthorisation Act of 2026 to expand eligibility to reflect the realities of U.S atomic weapons testing,” Moylan said.
“It’s such an unfortunate situation where we have health concerns for our residents. We want to do what’s correct for the nation by taking care of its citizens,” he added.
Congressional candidate Mary C. Torres asked Moylan whether he had any strategy to get the bill sailing smoothly through Congress.
“Hope is important, but hope without a strategy risk becoming disappointment,” said Torres, who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 01 August primary.
Initially established in 1990, RECA aimed to compensate individuals exposed to radiation from U.S. nuclear tests. However, it has faced criticism for not including many communities that have a documented history of exposure to nuclear tests and radiological waste in its eligibility criteria for payments.
Plans to introduce the new bill coincide with the 81st anniversary of the United States’ first detonation of a nuclear bomb in New Mexico.
Moylan, joined by Reps. Dina Titus of Nevada, Wesley Bell of Missouri and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, announced the bill’s introduction at an online news briefing. They called on the U.S government to heed the human costs of nuclear tests that were carried out in the name of “national security.”
The new bill aims to correct these historical injustices by adding new states, counties and atomic cleanup veterans, increasing maximum compensation to US$150,000 and covering the medical expenses of parents who lost children due to radiation exposure.
The bill would allow the use of affidavits when applying for claims.
Moylan said this is a procedural shift designed to cut through bureaucratic red tape and make it easier for people, especially in rural and native communities, to submit claims when medical records are no longer available.
Cordova disclosed that medical records in New Mexico are retained for only 10 years and then destroyed—not archived.
“In the case of somebody who had cancer 10 years ago, it’s impossible to get records more than 10 years ago, and so the affidavits are going to be even more important,” she said.
The bill, Moylan said, would also extend the claim filing deadline by 15 years.
Vasquez believes this is the most impactful of all. Right now, New Mexico’s downwinders have a very narrow two-year window to claim their benefits. He said this sense of urgency to file a claim has opened the door to rampant fraud across New Mexico.
The bill also directs a study of the long-term health effects of radiation exposure from the atomic weapons programme, focusing not just on the people who were exposed but, on their descendants, “so we can see how these things pass from one generation to the next,” Titus said.
The new bill would also allow the U.S. attorney general and the U.S. president to add new classes of individuals to the list of those who are eligible for compensation, eliminating the agonisingly long wait for congressional action.
Moylan said the new bill, which he plans to introduce in the next few days, is designed to reflect the true, borderless footprint of nuclear testing.
Robert Celestial, president of the Guam-based Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors and a veteran of the Enewetak Atoll cleanup, spoke about the physical and generational toll of the Pacific tests and recalled the devastating scale of the testing.
“A total of 67 nuclear detonations were conducted from 1946 to 1962 and for decades, the nuclear fallout fell on my island and my people” Celestial said. “This was kept secret due to national security, while the people of Guam were exposed to ionizing radiation, unknowingly suffering and dying from cancer.”
In 2005, the National Research Council released a report, stating that “Guam did receive measurable fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific.”
The council recommended that people living on Guam during that period be compensated under RECA, “in a way similar to that of persons considered to be downwinders.”
Countless legislative attempts to include the territory in RECA downwinder benefits ultimately stalled. Celestial hopes the 2026 bill would finally bridge this divide.
“Last year, we were excluded because the committee did not understand that we, the people of Guam, are U.S. citizens,” Celestial said. “They too should be recognised, compensated, and included.”
PARS also wants the Northern Mariana Islands, a neighboring U.S. territory, to be recognised in the RECA bill as a downwinder community.
Torres said Moylan has failed to explain why Guam was excluded from the previous legislation.
“What specific strategy exists to move the current bill through a Republican-controlled Congress?” Torres asked.
She noted that no Republican co-sponsors or partners have been publicly identified to help build support in the House and the Senate.
“Every piece of legislation introduced in Congress should be accompanied by a plan. That means building bipartisan relationships before introduction, identifying realistic legislative vehicles, working closely with Senate partners, and communicating honestly and consistently with the people of Guam,” Torres said. “That is the approach I will bring to RECA, Supplemental Security Income, and every federal issue affecting our island.”
Torres asked how the new legislation would address its substantial fiscal impact and navigate procedural concerns that could impede its passage.
“Families who have already waited decades deserve more than another bill number,” Torres said. “They deserve a clear roadmap for success. They also deserve honesty. Anything less, as we are seeing today, is unacceptable,” he said…. PACNEWS
TAIWAN – DIPLOMACY: TAIWAN NEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
Taiwan opposes PNG’s unilateral decision to close representative office
TAIPEI/PORT MORESBY, 17 JULY 2026 (TAIWAN NEWS) —Taiwan ‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest after Papua New Guinea announced without prior notice that it would immediately close Taiwan’s representative office in the Pacific nation, saying the decision was made unilaterally and without consultation with Taipei.
The ministry said Taiwan does not accept the decision and that its representative office in Papua New Guinea would continue normal operations in accordance with relevant regulations while safeguarding Taiwan’s interests and providing necessary consular services.
The ministry added that it has contacted like-minded countries to seek international support and has convened an inter-agency response meeting to review bilateral cooperation and trade with Papua New Guinea, with appropriate measures under consideration to protect Taiwan’s overall interests and dignity.
China’s government said that Papua New Guinea has decided to close Taiwan’s office in the country, a move Beijing said it highly appreciated.
The Pacific has long been an area for diplomatic competition between China and Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory with no right to the trappings of a state. The democratically ruled island rejects China’s sovereignty claims.
Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the Papua New Guinea government’s decision to close the Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea was “highly appreciated” by China.
China’s embassy in Papua New Guinea said in a statement that the “right decision” to close Taiwan’s office would “further consolidate the political foundation for the development of China-PNG bilateral relations”.
Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only three Pacific Islands nations – Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands – but has maintained a de facto embassy in Papua New Guinea. It also has a similar office in Fiji.
Papua New Guinea had replaced its Taiwan trade mission with an economic office in 2023, citing financial challenges.
Only 12 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan….PACNEWS
PAC – HEALTH: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 17 Jul 2026
Report: Pacific island countries struggle to meet vaccination targets
GENEVA/MANILA, 17 JULY 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) —Despite their smaller populations, most Pacific countries are struggling to meet the 90-percent goal of vaccinating their children against deadly but preventable diseases, according to a joint World Health Organisation-UNICEF report released Wednesday.
Only Niue had 100 percent vaccination coverage based on the national immunisation schedule, followed by Tuvalu at 93 percent, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunisation Coverage.
Other high-performing Pacific countries include Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Tonga, but even these countries failed to meet or exceed the target for one or two vaccine types in 2025.
Tuvalu met or exceeded the 90 percent threshold for 13 types of vaccines, except for the final dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine (78 percent) for girls.
The Cook Islands had stellar numbers for 12 vaccine types in 2025, except for the final dose of the polio vaccine and the human papillomavirus vaccine. Tonga also missed the 90-percent goal on two vaccine types.
Palau met the 90-percent goal for 10 vaccine types but only had 75 percent coverage for the final dose of the measles vaccine. That means a large number of children in Palau were only partially inoculated against measles in 2025.
Kiribati managed to hit only four of its targets in 2025. The Marshall Islands, Nauru and Samoa met three vaccination targets.
Both the Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu met two targets but failed to meet the target for 12 types of vaccines.
At the lowest end of the spectrum were the Solomon Islands, which met only one target in 2025, and Papua New Guinea, which missed all targets.
The 90-percent goal is part of WHO’s Immunization Agenda 2030, a global strategy “to leave no one behind” by extending the benefits of vaccination to everyone, everywhere, at any age. It is designed to save over 50 million lives in the next decade.
Although Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa fall within the ambit of WHO’s Western Pacific Region, their immunisation numbers are not included in the report due to their status as U.S territories.
The dismal performance of several Pacific countries stands in sharper contrast to that of other countries within WHO’s Western Pacific Region.
The Philippines, China, Indonesia and Japan saw their vaccination numbers decline in 2025, leaving the region furthest below pre-Covid levels, according to the report.
This contrasts with the Americas and Southeast Asia, which have fully recovered and improved their performance.
The Southeast Asia region, comprising 10 countries, including North Korea, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand, is now considered the highest-performing region, according to the report.
Countries in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe saw gains last year, the report said, but their coverage remains below pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels.
In its overview for the Western Pacific, the report noted there were 28,000 more children in 2025 who have not received any vaccinations, also known as “zero-dose” children, compared to 2024.
This leaves 1.7 million children without vaccination, vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, and a further 360,000 with only partial protection, the report said.
Indonesia and the Philippines accounted for over half (62.7 percent) of all zero-dose children.
Based on the absolute number of zero-dose children, the top-rankers are Indonesia (657,000) and the Philippines (381,000).
Papua New Guinea ranks fourth, with 128,000 children who have not received a single vaccine, while the Solomon Islands ranks 13th, with 2,000 zero-dose children.
Other Pacific nations show proportionately smaller numbers of zero-dose children.
Fiji has fewer than 1,000, Vanuatu has fewer than 500, the Federated States of Micronesia has fewer than 200, and Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Niue all have fewer than 100 each……PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
FIJI – CIVIL SERVICE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 17 Jul 2026
Fiji PM Rabuka signals civil service ‘right-sizing’
SUVA, 17 JULY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji’s civil service could be downsized as the Government modernises the public sector, with technology and artificial intelligence expected to take over some government functions.
Speaking during scrutiny of the 2026–2027 Budget, Rabuka said the ongoing civil service review could recommend “rightsizing” the workforce to better align with the country’s needs and available resources.
Responding to Opposition Member of Parliament Jone Usamate’s question on the $400,000 (US$200,000) allocated for the review, Rabuka said the Government was responding to concerns raised by the Opposition while adapting to changes in public services around the world.
“We continue to listen to you and try to adjust the civil service to the budget and to the evolving nature of civil services around the world,” he said.
He adds the Public Service Institute is helping develop recommendations, including possible workforce reductions.
Rabuka added that the review is an ongoing process because technology is constantly changing how governments operate.
“We are bringing in technologies and some civil service functions will be reduced by machines and computers,” he said.
Opposition MP Premila Kumar also questioned why a review of civil service guidelines, funded with $50,625(US$25,312) this year, was taking so long.
Rabuka said the work was continuing through the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Institute.
Kumar also asked if Fiji would introduce policies on artificial intelligence (AI).
Minister for Finance Esrom Immanual said an AI policy was being developed as part of Government’s wider communications strategy.
Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu asked if Australia was still supporting the reforms.
Rabuka responded by confirming that Australia remains a partner in the programme.
Government MP Alvick Maharaj also posed a question if medical interns on fixed-term contracts could become permanent employees.
Rabuka said any changes to public service employment must comply with the constitution…. PACNEWS
PNG – WORKFORCE: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 17 Jul 2026
PNG business leaders’ question govt plan to increase workforce
PORT MORESBY, 17 JULY 2026(THE NATIONAL) — Business and industry leaders are questioning Papua New Guinea Government’s plan to increase the workforce while no new jobs are being created.
Lae Biscuit Company Group chairman Ian Chow called out the Government for its failure to support local manufacturers and businesses, thus, not helping in creating jobs.
“This is putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
“If the domestic economy is not thriving, then local businesses and manufacturers will not be employing anyone.
“All these educated youths still will have no jobs – just like most of the university graduate today.
“I am sorry but this is the reality we see every day.
“You cannot make jobs out of nothing.
“If economy is good and thriving the jobs are automatically created.
“Good government policies and management results in a robust economy which automatically creates jobs.”
In 2025, the PNG unemployment rate was at 2.57 percent, a decline of 0.05 percent from 2024, according to National Research Institute.
The institute highlighted that one of the common issues hindering economic development and contribute to law and order issues was youth unemployment.
Meanwhile, Chow said that the Government’s approach in supporting the economy sector was wrong as too much focus was given to the extractive sectors while it expects other sector to perform better on their own.
“Government only helps and focuses on extractive industries which is why 80 percent of exports are from extractive industries while the manufacturing sector is struggling with high cost of utilities and maintaining its workforce,” he said.
“If government was smart, they would have owned or be active partners in these businesses like the Middle East countries.
“Just taking royalties is for dumb people.
“Fiji has no resources but built a billion-dollar tourism industry.
“Fiji factories export more than PNG.
“Government is active in facilitating and promoting these industries.
“In PNG, all toktok and nothing good comes from hot air,” 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
Tokelau and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement react to New Zealand fisheries action
Analysis by Giff Johnson, RNZ Pacific Marshall Islands correspondent
MAJURO, 17 JULY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Tokelau – made up of three atolls with a total population of about 1500 people – benefited hugely from joining a Pacific tuna cartel in 2012.
The impact of being part of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) was so significant that revenue generated from its lucrative fishery quickly accounted for as much as 40 percent of the national budget for this non-self-governing territory of New Zealand.
But all that came to a halt early this year, when the PNA terminated Tokelau’s participation in PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) that manages the purse seine industry in Pacific waters, where over half the world’s tuna is caught.
Up until now, the termination of Tokelau’s participation with the eight-member PNA has been shrouded in mystery. New Zealand government officials have repeatedly stated that “Tokelau is seeking readmission to the PNA Vessel Day Scheme” and that New Zealand supports Tokelau’s efforts.
But documents obtained this week, including correspondence between Tokelau and PNA fisheries leaders, tell an entirely different story, with one former Tokelau leader citing New Zealand’s “interference” in Tokelau’s fisheries management that undermined Tokelau’s participation in the PNA.
In response to an inquiry, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said on Thursday: “There has been no material change to the management of Tokelau’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and offshore fisheries.
“While New Zealand remains responsible for Tokelau’s EEZ under international law, Tokelau has consistently managed the day-to-day operation of its offshore fisheries within the EEZ. This has not changed.”
Tokelauan and PNA fisheries officials tell a different story. They describe New Zealand action starting in 2024 to increasingly oversee Tokelau’s Fisheries Management Agency – action that Tokelau officials themselves pointed out to the PNA because it threatened the basis on which Tokelau, as a territory of New Zealand, had been accepted into the PNA in 2012.
All eight members of the PNA, established in 1982, are independent Pacific countries.
“Tokelau’s participation in the PNA arrangements had been premised on its ability to exercise a sufficient degree of operational autonomy over the management of fisheries within its Exclusive Economic Zone,” Dr Transform Aqorau, the founding CEO of the PNA Office in Majuro, said this week.
“This autonomy had enabled Tokelau to participate directly in the Vessel Day Scheme and related PNA arrangements, while also supporting its aspirations for greater economic independence,” he said.
“However, the position changed when New Zealand increased its oversight of Tokelau’s fisheries management and operations. Tokelau advised the PNA that this had materially constrained its ability to make independent decisions concerning its fisheries.”
PNA-related officials note that New Zealand officials have been lobbying PNA members to reinstate Tokelau since its membership was ended early this year.
But Dr Aqorau said, “the principal obstacle is not Tokelau itself”.
“Tokelau has been a valued and respected participant and has benefited significantly from its involvement in the VDS. The difficulty arises from New Zealand’s intervention in the management to Tokelau’s exclusive economic zone and the conditions it appears to have imposed on Tokelau’s administration and delegation.”
Kiribati Fisheries and Ocean Resources Minister Ribanataake Tiwau, who chaired the PNA in 2025, confirmed this in a November 2025 letter to PNA ministers from the eight island nation members.
“Tokelau’s participation with PNA was related to New Zealand having allowed Tokelau, at the time, increased autonomy in its fisheries management, with a view to Tokelau moving toward economic independence,” said Tiwau. “It seems now, however, that New Zealand has changed its policy approach from allowing Tokelau increased authority, back to its status as a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand.”
PNA leaders in late 2024 and again in 2025 gave Tokelau more time to try to resolve this issue with New Zealand in order for it to continue its status as a party to PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme.
“Despite our efforts, Tokelau has been unable to resolve these issues,” then-Tokelau Fisheries Minister Otinielu Tuumuli said in a 13 November 2025 letter to the PNA chairman Tiwau from Kiribati.
“New Zealand has recently increased its oversight of fisheries management and operations within the Tokelau EEZ. This development has further limited Tokelau’s ability to make independent decisions regarding its fisheries.
“This means that for Tokelau’s continued participation in the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS), New Zealand will require a level of access to the VDS, facilitated either directly by New Zealand officials or through a Tokelau employee,” the then-Tokelau fisheries minister said.
“I want to clarify, this is not how Tokelau has been operating to date – the Fisheries Management Agency and its advisors have worked to distance themselves from New Zealand officials’ interference.”
Following the letters from the Tokelau fisheries minister and the PNA chair, Kiribati’s fisheries minister Ribanataake Tiwau, a special meeting of the PNA on 27 November 2025 reached agreement to draft a termination letter for Tokelau’s participation in the PNA at the earliest opportunity. It happened earlier this year.
The then-fisheries minister of Tokelau, who retired from parliament earlier this year, said this situation with New Zealand had led to a wholesale turnover of staff at Tokelau’s Fisheries Management Agency at the end of 2025.
Feleti Tulafono, the long-time director of the Fisheries Management Agency, retired at the end of 2025 and the two fisheries advisors who had been involved with Tokelau since it took up membership in the PNA in 2012 also wrapped up their service to the agency, said Tuumuli.
Dr Aqorau said the issue of a country outside of the PNA group accessing internal information and data is a non-starter for all the parties.
“The PNA is an arrangement among Pacific Island resource owners and depends upon members being able to discuss commercially, politically and strategically sensitive matters in confidence,” he said.
“PNA countries will be extremely reluctant to reopen Tokelau’s participation if doing so provides New Zealand, whether directly or indirectly, with access to internal PNA information and decision-making.”
All of this is “regrettable,” Dr Aqorau said, “because Tokelau itself has contributed positively to the PNA and has derived considerable economic and institutional benefits from the VDS. The decision was therefore not intended as a punishment of Tokelau. Rather, it reflected the practical reality that Tokelau could no longer participate in the same autonomous manner in which it had operated previously.”
But the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade suggests the situation is a matter solely between Tokelau and the PNA. “We understand the Government of Tokelau is seeking readmission to the PNA Vessel Day Scheme as a priority,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson.
“New Zealand is fully supportive of Tokelau’s efforts to regain their full participation in the Scheme.” The spokesperson added that the New Zealand government “remains committed to its longstanding support of Tokelau’s participation in the PNA Vessel Day Scheme, which provides a significant source of income for Tokelau.”
Dr Aqorau commented on a statement from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Tokelau’s participation was “terminated” and that New Zealand stood ready to support Tokelau in reversing the decision.
“I would … say that this presents only part of the picture,” Dr Aqorau said.
“Tokelau’s participation was terminated because the conditions that had made its participation possible had fundamentally changed. Those changes resulted from New Zealand’s increased control over Tokelau’s fisheries management, not from any hostility by PNA members towards Tokelau.”
The former PNA Office CEO says he doubts PNA members will agree to Tokelau’s return unless New Zealand “restores genuine operational autonomy” to its fishery sector.
“The lobbying (by New Zealand officials) may continue, but the issue goes directly to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the VDS itself,” he said.
Tokelau has never publicly disclosed its VDS income, but with an allocation estimated at 1000 vessel days per year, available pricing indicates Tokelau earned at least US$8 million per year, New Zealand journalist Michael Field said in an article posted to The Pacific Newsroom on Facebook recently.
This amount was over 40 percent of its annual budget, Field said.
“For more than a decade, Tokelau used its tuna-rich waters to build a path toward economic independence,” Field wrote, adding it appeared “New Zealand has quietly reversed that course.”
“At stake is control of a vast Pacific fishery, millions in revenue, and uncomfortable questions about whether colonial habits ever really disappeared,” 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
Does extreme rainfall trigger tribal violence in PNG?
By Cian O’Regan
PORT MORESBY, 17 JULY 2026 (DEVPOLCY, ORG) — In May 2024, a landslide in Enga Province buried more than 2,000 people and displaced an estimated 1,680 others. Both Prime Minister James Marape and the Red Cross later attributed the collapse to weeks of intense rainfall that had saturated the slope. The survivors were forced to move into surrounding areas, and the tribal violence that followed was severe enough to restrict humanitarian access, deepening mistrust between local authorities and outside agencies.
That sequence, heavy rainfall, displacement, conflict over land, sits at the heart of my research. Extreme rainfall is usually discussed as a climate problem, but in Papua New Guinea it may also help trigger tribal violence by pushing people into disputed areas. My dissertation asks whether rainfall acts as an environmental stressor on tribal violence, and whether the relationship is visible in spatial and temporal data from across the country.
PNG, and particularly its highland provinces, is highly exposed to both climate shocks and conflict, but the link between the two is not straightforward. Much of the global literature on climate and violence focuses on broad cross-country patterns and tends to miss the specific social and political context of Pacific states. Tribal violence in PNG arises from land disputes, sorcery-accusation related violence (SARV, where natural disasters are blamed on alleged sorcerers and trigger attacks, most often against women) and electoral violence, and it has been made more lethal by the spread of high-powered firearms. The question is whether extreme rainfall sharpens those existing tensions by forcing migration into contested areas, rather than causing violence on its own.
The climate side of the story is becoming harder to ignore. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, the main driver of extreme rainfall and drought in PNG, are becoming less predictable, and high-emission scenarios project both more frequent and more intense rainfall in the region. Layered on top is a sociopolitical setting with more than 250 tribes and over 800 languages, customary land tenure covering most of the country, and limited state reach into remote highland districts. In that environment, even small disputes can escalate quickly.
To explore the link, I used province-level rainfall data from the Pacific Data Hub and violence data from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) and the Australian National University to examine trends across PNG from 1980 to 2024. A bivariate overlay and a province-level scatter plot showed Enga as the main outlier, with a weak but statistically significant relationship between rainfall and violence. Most other provinces showed no clear association. I then looked more closely at Enga at district level. There was no obvious clustering of incidents around the 2024 landslide site itself, but there was a concentration of violence near the Porgera gold mine, where land and royalty disputes are long running.
This multi-scale spatiotemporal analysis, combining national patterns with a district-level case study, has not previously been undertaken for PNG.
The findings suggest that extreme rainfall does not directly cause tribal violence, but works through specific local mechanisms, mainly displacement. When heavy rainfall produces landslides or prolonged flooding, families are forced to relocate, often into areas already contested by competing tribes. That movement injects additional pressure into environments already destabilised by land disputes, weak state presence and access to firearms. Violence in Enga was not a random response to rainfall; it clustered around existing flashpoints such as Porgera. Rainfall does not create conflict in PNG. It acts as an amplifier, pushing communities already under strain into open violence by turning a natural disaster into a dispute over land and resources.
That has implications for policy. PNG’s Sustainable Development Roadmap and most NGO programs treat climate adaptation and conflict prevention as separate tracks, and lean heavily on infrastructure upgrades, formal land registration and centralised early-warning systems. In a country where customary tenure dominates, state capacity is thin in the highlands and many communities are days from the nearest road, those approaches are economically and logistically unrealistic. They also tend to bypass the village-level institutions that actually mediate disputes in PNG.
A more workable response would build on what already exists. Churches reach almost every community in PNG and are widely trusted, often more than the state. A church-led community education program, focused on young men, on the link between climate shocks, displacement and violence, and on non-violent dispute resolution, is more likely to shift behaviour than a top-down policy framework. Pairing that with locally-led disaster preparedness, so that displacement is managed before it becomes a trigger, would address the mechanism the data points to rather than the symptoms.
The wider lesson is that climate and violence in PNG should not be treated as separate policy problems. They overlap. Extreme rainfall may not be the root cause of tribal violence, but it helps create the conditions in which violence becomes more likely. That is why the relationship deserves more attention from researchers and policymakers, and why responses need to start from the community level rather than the capital…. PACNEWS
Cian O’Regan is an undergraduate geography student at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Solomon Islands strengthen Policy advocacy to advance Nature-based Climate Solutions
HONIARA, 17 JULY 2026 (SPREP) — Government officials, provincial representatives, civil society organisations and development partners are gathered in Honiara this week for a three-day Policy Advocacy Training on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) aimed at strengthening the integration of ecosystem-based approaches into national planning, policy and budgeting.
The training, held from 08-10 July, is jointly organised by the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) through the Climate Change Division, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) under the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC+) project with facilitation support from the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme.
Opening the workshop, Agnetha Vave-Karamui, MECDM Deputy Secretary, said the training comes at a critical time as the Solomon Islands continues to face growing climate change impacts.
“Climate change continues to affect our communities, livelihoods, biodiversity, food security, water resources and infrastructure. NbS and EbA offer practical, cost-effective ways to strengthen resilience while protecting the ecosystems that sustain our people.”
Vave-Karamui said the country has already gained valuable experience through community-based implementation under the PEBACC+ project, but greater effort is needed to ensure those lessons influence national decision-making.
“We have seen encouraging results from EbA at the community and provincial levels. Our next challenge is ensuring these successes are reflected in national policies, development plans and investment decisions so they can be scaled and sustained.”
She said strengthening policy advocacy skills across government and partner organisations would help bridge the gap between implementation and policy.
“This training equips participants with practical tools to understand policy processes, analyse stakeholders, develop strong advocacy messages and engage decision makers more effectively. Strong partnerships between national and provincial stakeholders will be essential to embedding NbS into our development agenda.”
The workshop brings together around 25 participants who will be guided through practical exercises using the WWF Policy Advocacy Toolkit, including problem analysis, stakeholder mapping, theory of change, advocacy planning, communication strategies and engagement with decision-makers.
Vave-Karamui also welcomed discussions that will explore how NbS can be better reflected in national decision-making.
Although the Solomon Islands currently relies on the National Climate Change Policy 2023–2032 to guide this work, participants will consider whether the country would benefit from a dedicated NbS policy or whether further integrating these approaches into existing laws, policies and plans (such as Biodiversity, Forestry, etc.) would be the most effective path forward.
Joanne Aihunu, PEBACC+ Country Coordinator, SPREP, said the training marks an important step in ensuring that successful community-based climate adaptation efforts are translated into lasting policy change.
“Across the Solomon Islands, we have seen how NbS and EbA are helping communities strengthen their resilience to climate change while protecting ecosystems they depend on. Through this training, we want to equip government and partners with the skills to champion these approaches in policy and planning so that local successes can be scaled up and sustained at the national level.”
She said policy advocacy is essential to bridging the gap between implementation and decision-making.
“The PEBACC+ project has generated valuable knowledge and practical experience through on-the-ground implementation. By strengthening advocacy capacity, we can ensure those lessons are reflected in national policies, development plans and investment priorities, ultimately supporting more resilient communities and healthier ecosystems across Solomon Islands.”
The PEBACC+ Project is implemented by SPREP and funded by the Kiwa Initiative through its donors, the European Union, Agence Française de Développement, Global Affairs Canada, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with co-financing from the French Facility for Global Environment….PACNEWS
For more information, contact: Setaita Tavanabola, PEBACC+ Communications Officer, SPREP; email: setaitat@sprep.org
