In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — “Those blocking climate science are not our friends”: Pacific issues strong warning at Bonn talks
2. PACIFIC — Climate, migration and leadership rise to the top of Pacific’s 2050 agenda
3. UN — Climate shocks accelerating as El Niño threat looms over already vulnerable regions
4. PACIFIC — Young Fijian researcher selected for Island Youth Network delegation to UN Climate negotiations
5. FIJI — HIV testing expansion reveals hotspots: Fiji Health Ministry
6. PNG — Elections high-risk period for corruption: PNG Anti-corruption watchdog
7. PACIFIC — Record number of Pacific doctors join NZ health workforce
8. GUAM — Guam agency petitions Congress to save coastal programme from NOAA cuts
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Forum Economic Ministers to address global risks and regional resilience
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Kiribati officials study Vanuatu’s labour mobility success
11. PACNEWS BIZ — New Air Vanuatu CEO expected soon
12. PACNEWS BIZ — East-West Centre convenes regional workshop on transparent investment in Palau
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Chinese national arrested for smuggling illegal cigarettes in PNG
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Micronesia: Can Fintech Connect the Multi-Island Pacific Nation?
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — From ‘media deserts’ to the invisibility of women, rights experts spotlight latest trends
PACIFIC – CLIMATE CHANGE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
“Those blocking climate science are not our friends”: Pacific issues strong warning at Bonn talks
By Sanjeshni Kumar
BONN, 19 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Island nations have delivered a sharp rebuke to countries seeking to weaken climate ambition at the UN climate negotiations in Bonn, warning that efforts to sideline science threaten the future of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Speaking on behalf of the 14-member Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) group at the Defend the Science press conference on Wednesday, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, condemned attempts to remove references to climate science and the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit from negotiation texts.
“Let me be absolutely clear, anyone that is blocking references to science, they are not our friends,” Dr Michael said.
The statement came amid growing concerns from Pacific negotiators that scientific evidence underpinning global climate action is increasingly coming under attack during discussions at the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB64).
Dr Michael described scientists as the Pacific’s “closest allies” and said the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) remained central to the fight for climate justice.
“Scientists are our closest allies. The IPCC is the backbone of our climate diplomacy regime,” he said.
“There is no equity for the most vulnerable if we fail to protect the science and stay within the 1.5-degree temperature limit.”
He warned that some negotiators were attempting to create a false choice between science and equity, a narrative that Pacific nations firmly reject.
“There are attempts to argue that science gets in the way of equitable solutions,” he said. “Science and equity go hand in hand.”
For Pacific Island countries already grappling with rising seas, coastal erosion, stronger storms and increasingly unpredictable weather, science provides critical evidence of the risks they face and the actions needed to avoid catastrophic impacts.
“Science has shown us the suffering that will come if we do not keep fighting for the 1.5 degree,” Dr Michael said.
“Science has revealed that our ocean’s pulse is failing as we approach one of the world’s greatest climatic tipping points. Science has confirmed that we need trillions in dollars more to adapt and save lives.”
He also criticised what he described as efforts by powerful interests to delay meaningful climate action.
“There are powerful interests desperate to protect their wealth and influence,” he said.
“Science reveals when the solutions they put forward are false. A healthy future lies not in unproven technologies but the fast and fair phase out of fossil fuels.”
Dr Michael said Pacific countries were witnessing coordinated attempts to weaken previously agreed language on climate science and temperature goals across multiple negotiating rooms.
“We are seeing efforts to remove references to IPCC and the 1.5-degree temperature limit,” he said.
“The Paris Agreement does not have temperature goals. It has a temperature goal of 1.5 degree.”
Questioning why countries were seeking to revisit previously agreed decisions, he added: “If it’s a pre-agreed text, why are we renegotiating an agreed decision?”
Dr Michael warned that the challenge extended beyond formal negotiations.
“We are seeing a very coordinated attack across rooms and this is not only happening inside the rooms, but also outside the room” he said.
He pointed to what he described as a growing “polluted narrative” suggesting that countries must choose between following science and pursuing equity.
“We reject this notion,” he said.
“Science and equity for us as PSIDS are interlinked.”
Pacific nations say defending science remains essential to protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring climate decisions are grounded in evidence rather than political convenience.
“This is how we fight for outcomes that are based in science.
“We can’t solve everything in the process today, but with groups represented here we can fight for science to stay at its heart,” Dr Michael said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CLIMATE CHANGE: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Climate, migration and leadership rise to the top of Pacific’s 2050 agenda
SUVA, 19 JUNE 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS) — The Pacific Islands Forum is translating its 2050 Strategy into a more concrete set of priorities focused on climate resilience, regional mobility and leadership development, with senior officials arguing that the region’s future depends on whether it can fund adaptation, move people more freely and train the next generation to lead.
Esala Nayasi, the Forum’s deputy secretary-general, said climate change remains the Pacific’s defining challenge, described by leaders as “the greatest threat to livelihoods, security, and well-being of our peoples.”
He framed the response on three levels: national investment in resilience, regional programmes and frameworks, and global advocacy through the COP process and other international platforms.
But finance, he said, continues to be the bottleneck. “Access to finance has continued to be an issue,” he noted, explaining why Pacific leaders created the Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-owned mechanism designed to reflect the region’s values and priorities.
The treaty establishing the fund has now been signed and ratified, he said, and the secretariat office is expected to be established in Tonga later this year.
The facility is part of a broader effort to turn Pacific climate diplomacy into tangible institutions.
Nayasi pointed to the region’s recent success on the International Court of Justice advisory opinion and the follow-up United Nations General Assembly resolution, both of which he described as major achievements in taking the Pacific’s climate concerns into the global system.
He said the upcoming COP 31 process, along with pre-COP meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, will give the region another chance to push its oceans-and-climate agenda.
“We have achieved in this area,” he said, but added that “there’s a lot that we still need to address.”
The 2050 agenda also reaches beyond climate into economic integration. And the Pacific leaders now see free movement of people as a critical step toward regional integration, especially as some countries struggle with unemployment while others face labour shortages.
He described the region’s human resources as a shared “commonwealth,” and said the challenge is to build pathways that allow Pacific people to live better lives across borders.
He acknowledged a less discussed reality: labour flows from the ASEAN region are already feeding into Pacific labour shortages, which he said means the Pacific must think more deliberately about opportunities within its own region.
“Free movement of people is critical to that,” he said, describing it as a regional issue rather than a narrow national one.
The final pillar is leadership. Nayasi argued that the Pacific’s future depends on whether it can produce leaders who understand regionalism not as an abstract idea, but as a lived commitment.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership,” he said, adding that the region needs leadership “one that the 2050 strategy demands and one that the region deserves.”
That thinking is driving a new Pacific-Centred Leadership Initiative, now in design phase.
The goal, he added, is to create leadership and development training across the region so that future leaders are better prepared than previous generations, many of whom entered public life without structured regional leadership training.
He illustrated the point with a story about former regional figures who met again 40 years later after studying at the University of the South Pacific and later went on to become diplomats, academics and civil servants.
Their careers, he said, showed the value of a leadership pipeline that intentionally prepares people for regional service.
“We need to really invest in leadership as a region,” he said.
The aspiration is that by 2050, the next generation will not only inherit regional institutions but also understand how to use them.
“Taken together, the climate fund, free-movement agenda and leadership initiative suggest the 2050 Strategy is moving from vision to implementation. For the Pacific Islands Forum, the question is no longer just what regionalism should mean, but whether it can be funded, staffed and led well enough to endure, said Nayasi…. PACNEWS
UN – CLIMATE CHANGE: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Climate shocks accelerating as El Niño threat looms over already vulnerable regions
ROME, 19 JUNE 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — Millions of people already facing hunger, displacement and economic hardship could soon face another major climate shock, as UN agencies warned on Thursday that extreme weather risks are intensifying across some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
The warning comes as climate pressures continue to mount worldwide, particularly in regions already experiencing fragile food systems and recurring humanitarian crises.
For example, new data from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Thursday show that climate impacts intensified across Africa in 2025.
According to the agency’s latest State of the Climate in Africa 2025 report, extreme weather and climate-related events affected at least 13 million people and caused more than 3,000 reported deaths across the continent last year.
Flooding remained the most frequently reported hazard, accounting for more than half of recorded weather events.
Severe floods in Nigeria in May killed more than 200 people, while flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April caused over 160 deaths. Drought meanwhile continued to deepen hardship across parts of East Africa.
Africa is warming faster than the global average, glacier retreat is accelerating and sea level rise along sections of the continent’s coastline has exceeded global averages since 1999.
Ice coverage on Mount Kilimanjaro has declined from 11.4 square kilometres in 1900 to less than one square kilometre in recent years.
Climate scientists warn that these shifts are increasing the frequency and severity of weather shocks, narrowing the window for preparedness and adaptation.
Against this backdrop, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) warned that a potentially strong El Niño weather pattern expected to intensify through late 2026 and into next year could trigger another wave of climate-related disruption.
Changing rainfall patterns associated with El Niño are expected to bring drought to some regions and severe flooding to others, threatening harvests, livestock, water supplies and food production across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The agencies cautioned that without early action, millions more people could face worsening food insecurity and livelihood losses.
In response, FAO and WFP launched their first-ever Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal, seeking US$202 million to help nearly 8.8 million people prepare for expected El Niño impacts.
The appeal is centred on acting ahead of time, delivering support before disasters strike rather than scaling up after crises unfold.
Planned interventions include cash assistance, distribution of drought and flood-resistant seeds, livestock protection measures, water storage systems, early warning messaging and climate advisories tailored to local conditions.
Systems are already in place to support about 1.2 million people expected to be affected by El Niño, but additional financing would allow operations to expand rapidly and reach another 7.6 million people across 22 priority countries.
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said experience has repeatedly shown that acting before crisis thresholds are reached is both more effective and less costly than emergency response after disasters unfold.
WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau warned that the international community has only a narrow window to prevent another major food crisis.
“We now have the tools to anticipate these events, what matters is how we act with that” he said, stressing that acting quickly is critical to protect families before livelihoods are lost.
The agencies noted that the funding appeal comes at a difficult moment for humanitarian operations globally, as needs continue to rise while aid budgets remain under growing pressure…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CLIMATE CHANGE: ISLAND YOUTH NETWORK PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Young Fijian researcher selected for Island Youth Network delegation to UN Climate negotiations
SUVA/BONN, 19 JUNE 2026 (ISLAND YOUTH NETWORK) — Fijian researcher and climate advocate Adi Sivoki Oripa Susu has been selected to join the Island Youth Network’s inaugural Virtual Delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations (SB64), taking place in Bonn.
The delegation is coordinated by Oileán, an Irish non-profit organisation supporting island communities to engage with international decision-making processes and is delivered with accreditation support from SMILO (Small Islands Organisation), enabling young islanders from around the world to participate directly in the UN climate process.
Representing Fiji and the Pacific region, Adi will follow negotiations on climate adaptation, climate finance, resilience, nature-based solutions and other issues of critical importance to Small Island Developing States.
“When island communities lose land, they risk losing important connections to their history, traditional knowledge and sense of belonging,” she said.
Through her academic studies and community engagement work, Adi has witnessed the growing impacts of climate change on Pacific communities, including coastal erosion, flooding, saltwater intrusion, declining livelihoods and increasing pressure on communities to relocate from ancestral lands.
“My passion for climate action and sustainable development is inspired by the challenges facing vulnerable communities across Fiji and the Pacific,” she said.
“I believe the Pacific has much to contribute to global climate discussions, not only through our experiences but also through our knowledge, innovation and leadership.”
Adi’s research focuses on ecosystem monitoring, carbon assessment, environmental governance and blue carbon policy. Most recently, she presented research on mangrove carbon stocks at the East-West Centre International Graduate Student Conference in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, highlighting the importance of coastal ecosystems in climate mitigation and resilience.
Her interest in climate policy has been shaped by direct engagement with climate-affected communities across Fiji, including Rabi, Kioa and communities in Vanua Levu. During visits to vulnerable coastal villages, she heard first-hand accounts of land loss, threatened burial grounds and the challenges communities face in protecting both their environment and cultural heritage.
Adi hopes participation in SB64 will strengthen her understanding of international climate negotiations and help her connect scientific research, policy development and community priorities.
“What motivates me most is the opportunity to bring these lessons back to my region,” she said. “I see this experience as an important step in my continued development as a researcher and practitioner committed to advancing climate resilience and sustainable development in the Pacific.”
Adam Ó Ceallaigh, Director of Oileán and Coordinator of the Island Youth Network, welcomed Adi’s selection.
“Adi represents the next generation of Pacific leadership. Her combination of scientific expertise, community engagement and commitment to climate resilience reflects exactly why island voices need to be present within international climate discussions. We are delighted to support her participation in SB64.”
The Island Youth Network Virtual Delegation brings together young islanders from across the Caribbean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions to follow the UN climate negotiations, engage with international experts and share the perspectives of island communities on the frontlines of climate change…. PACNEWS
FIJI – HIV/AIDS/HEALTH: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
HIV testing expansion reveals hotspots: Fiji Health Ministry
SUVA, 19 JUNE 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services is intensifying its response to Fiji’s HIV outbreak, with the latest surveillance data showing that the vast majority of infections are concentrated in the Central and Western divisions.
According to the 2025 Fiji HIV Surveillance Report, the Central Division recorded 1,359 HIV diagnoses, accounting for 67.4 percent of the national total, while the Western Division recorded 556 cases, representing 27.6 percent.
Together, the two divisions accounted for 95 percent of all HIV infections recorded in Fiji during 2025.
The Ministry says the findings are guiding a targeted response strategy that directs specialised medical staff, diagnostic tools and treatment services to areas experiencing the highest transmission rates.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV Unit has significantly expanded testing services, particularly in the Central Division, where Point of Care Testing increased from 2,881 tests in 2024 to 12,472 tests in 2025.
Dr Jason Mitchell, Chair of the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce and Interim Lead of the SRH and HIV Unit, said the higher number of diagnoses reflects the success of efforts to expand testing and reach vulnerable populations.
“The increased visibility of the epidemic in our Central and Western Divisions is a direct result of our deliberate expansion of the diagnostic network,” Dr Mitchell said.
“Our SRH Hubs are leading a strategic and integrated response by integrating peer-led testing with clinical oversight to ensure that we are not only identifying cases but linking our people to life-saving care immediately.”
He said the figures demonstrate that outreach teams are successfully reaching communities where transmission is most concentrated.
“The higher numbers we see in the report are evidence that our systems are working and that our community outreach teams are successfully reaching the populations that need us most.”
The Ministry’s response is being coordinated through specialised SRH Hubs located in major population centres. These hubs work closely with community-based organisations to deliver HIV screening and awareness programmes outside traditional healthcare settings.
Health officials say this approach has been particularly important in the Western Division, where expanded testing activities contributed to the identification of 556 cases.
The Ministry said the surveillance report is enabling a data-driven response and helping ensure resources are deployed where they are needed most.
The SRH and HIV Unit continues to strengthen laboratory capacity and expand access to antiretroviral therapy across divisional clinics to maintain high standards of care and improve treatment outcomes.
The public is being encouraged to access free and confidential HIV testing through health facilities and community outreach programmes.
Health authorities say early testing and treatment remain critical to reducing transmission and improving the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV…. PACNEWS
PNG – ELECTION/POLITICS/ ANTI CORRUPTION: TVWAN PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Elections high-risk period for corruption: PNG Anti-corruption watchdog
LAE, 19 JUNE 2026 (TVWAN) — Elections represent one of the highest-risk periods for corruption to thrive.
This was one of the points outlined during a workshop by the Papua New Guinea Independent Commission Against Corruption in Lae, Morobe Province.
Provincial leaders in the Momase region had the opportunity to engage with ICAC during its second regional commissioners’ breakfast workshop in Lae.
In his presentation, ICAC’s acting deputy commissioner operations, retired Judge Ellenas Batari, drew attention to the national general elections, describing it as a “hub for corruption”.
“Elections represent one of the highest-risk periods for corruption to thrive in any system. This is because during elections, money, power, influence, pressure and urgency come into play. And when these forces come together, the pressure on systems increases; controls are tested and the risk of corruption rises significantly,” he stated.
“Elections must be decided by the people – not by money, influence or manipulation of state resources,” he added.
“ICAC’s position on election corruption is this, election corruption is a priority enforcement issue. During this period, we will intensify monitoring of public spending, scrutinise procurement and payment patterns, fast-track complaints linked to election activities, prioritise investigations involving misuse of public resources.”
The retired judge said during this period, there will be no tolerance for abuse of office.
Public officials from the region are there to strengthen their understanding of ICAC’s mandate and reinforce practical pathways for collaboration in both corruption prevention and enforcement.
The regional commissioners’ breakfast forms part of ICAC’s broader strategy to deepen engagement at the subnational level and embed a culture of integrity within government institutions across PNG…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – HEALTH WORKERS: PMN PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Record number of Pacific doctors join NZ health workforce
AUCKLAND, 19 JUNE 2026 (PMN) — A record 55 Pacific medical graduates are stepping into New Zealand’s health system this year, joining 531 new doctors beginning their first year of practice across Aotearoa.
For junior doctors Emeline Mafi and Nisi Ahoatu, the change is not just about numbers but about how patients respond when they see and hear someone who understands their world.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings, the two Middlemore Hospital doctors said cultural connection can make a real difference in how patients share what they are going through.
Mafi said many patients become emotional when they realise, they are speaking with someone who understands them.
“Patients get really emotional and they start breaking down as soon as you speak [their language],” she says.
“Because from the admission, Emergency Department through the whole hospital, you’re the first person who can actually find out what’s been happening with them and can articulate what’s been going on.”
Across the cohort, 19 of the 531 new graduates are starting their careers at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland, one of the country’s busiest hospitals and home to a large Pacific population.
Despite Pasifika making up almost nine per cent of New Zealand’s population, Pacific doctors still represent just three per cent of the general practice workforce, according to the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners’ 2024 Workforce Survey.
Ahoatu says even if she and Mafi speak to non-Tongan Pacific patients, such as Sāmoans or Cook Islands, that they are more responsive.
Ahoatu says cultural understanding often extends beyond language.
“Growing up in Pacific families, we’re aware of cultural boundaries: how to respect our elderly and talk to them in a way that is respectful. So, I think they’re more responsive to that as well,” she says.
Both doctors say the transition into the health workforce comes with heavy demands including long shifts and night work as they adjust to life on the hospital frontline.
Mafi said she does not see being a Pacific doctor as a separate experience in terms of pressure but adds connection with others in the same position matters.
“I don’t think there’s a pressure of being a Pacific doctor. There’s no difference. Once you’re a doctor, you face the same challenges as any other doctor in the workforce. It’s just we lean on each other.”
Their journeys into medicine also reflect the different paths Pacific families often take.
Mafi initially completed a classical singing music degree after a commitment to her father and church before returning to study medicine.
She said her family in Ōtara, including her parents and three brothers, played a key role in supporting financially and emotionally.
“For me, it’s similar to Mafi,” Ahoatu says. “But also experiences with family members in the hospital… was a huge inspiration for me.
She said seeing how doctors cared for her grandfather helped shape her decision to enter the profession.
“It was personally my grandpa being in the hospital with him and seeing how doctors worked with us and with the family and the patient. That really inspired me to get into this profession.”
She said even when treating patients from different Pacific backgrounds, shared values often help build trust.
“Our job as junior doctors is to meet patients where they are and understand their world view. Even if we don’t speak our Pacific languages, we understand what life is like and how families think.”
The increase in Pacific medical graduates comes alongside wider efforts to strengthen New Zealand’s health workforce including expanded medical school enrolments.
In a January media release, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government is increasing first-year medical school enrolments to 639 a year to build a stronger local workforce for the future…. PACNEWS
GUAM – COASTAL PROGRAMMEMEME: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Guam agency petitions Congress to save coastal programme from NOAA cuts
HAGATNA, 19 JUNE 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — The Bureau of Statistics and Plans has launched an online petition seeking to salvage the Guam Coastal Management Programme, which is facing termination under the federal budget request for fiscal 2027.
The bureau receives approximately US$1.1 million a year under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s US$81.5 million Coastal Zone Management programme, which the Trump administration proposes to shut down, along with several marine science and conservation programmes.
“Without ongoing federal funding, crucial initiatives that safeguard our island’s infrastructure, environment, and economy will be halted,” Lola E. Leon Guerrero, the bureau’s director, writes in an open letter to coastal management partners.
The bureau’s petition calls on the U.S Congress to protect funding for Coast Zone Management, on which the bureau relies for shoreline management, hazard mitigation and coastal permitting capacity.
Established in 1979 under the planning agency in partnership with NOAA, the Guam Coastal Management Programme is responsible for the bureau’s land-use and natural resource planning duties.
Leon Guerrero said the programme integrates policies into decision-making to ensure “all development elements are carefully balanced and that zoning decisions are comprehensively informed.”
“Ending federal funding for the Bureau of Statistics and Plans’ Guam Coastal Management Programme would jeopardise the important work of our programme and other CZM programmes across the nation,” she warned…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – FEMM: PIFS PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Forum Economic Ministers to address global risks and regional resilience
SUVA, 19 JUNE 2026 (PIFS) — Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Economic and Finance Ministers will convene in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Island (RMI)s, on 23 and 24 June 2026 for the annual Forum Economic Ministers Meeting.
The meeting will be chaired by David Paul, Minister of Finance, Banking and Postal Services of the Marshall Islands.
Economic and Finance Ministers will reflect on the importance of accelerating the implementation of the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED) under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, recognising that deeper regional economic integration, strengthened collective action, and enhanced policy coordination are critical to building a more resilient, stable, and prosperous Blue Pacific.
Building on the Forum Leaders’ decision to invoke the Biketawa Declaration in May this year, Ministers will consider the implications of ongoing global developments, including tensions in the Middle East, and provide recommendations towards a coordinated regional response to the energy crisis affecting Forum member countries.
Discussions will focus on regional fuel security and the impact of external shocks on vulnerable Pacific economies.
A Ministerial Talanoa on Navigating the Triple Shock will provide an opportunity for Ministers to engage with representatives of the energy and fuel industry sector operating in the region, as well as representatives from the private sector, partners, and CSOs on the interconnected challenges of energy security, rising import costs, and food security vulnerabilities, while identifying priorities for enhanced regional cooperation.
“As global uncertainties intensify, regional cooperation remains our greatest strength. The meeting of the Forum Economic and Finance Ministers will consider and advance collective solutions to strengthen economic security and resilience, stability, and sustainable growth across the Blue Pacific, particularly in today’s increasingly complex and uncertain global environment,” said PIF Secretary General, Baron Waqa.
Following the conclusion of the FEMM, Economic and Finance Ministers will participate in the inaugural Council meeting of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) on 25 June, marking a further key milestone in the region’s collective efforts to strengthen resilience financing and preparedness.
The PRF Treaty entered into force on 06 May 2026. Ten Pacific Islands Forum member governments have ratified the Agreement to date.
The Forum Economic Ministers Meeting is an important annual standing meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum for Forum Finance, Economic Development, and Planning Ministers to assist and inform Forum Leaders of relevant regional and international economic and development issues, as well as challenges and opportunities facing the region.
As Forum members confront an increasingly uncertain global environment, the meeting will provide an opportunity for Ministers to reaffirm their commitment to collective action, increased regional cooperation, and to advance practical solutions that support a resilient, prosperous, and secure Blue Pacific for present and future generations…. PACNEWS
VAN – LABOUR MOBILITY: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Kiribati officials study Vanuatu’s labour mobility success
PORT VILA, 19 JUNE 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — A delegation of government officials and labour mobility stakeholders from Kiribati was in Vanuatu this week to learn directly from the country’s labour mobility programmes, with a particular focus on how Vanuatu prepares and supports seasonal workers and their families before, during and after overseas employment.
The 11-member delegation held a series of meetings with government agencies, non-governmental organisations, trade unions and business representatives.
The visit began with discussions at the Department of Labour and Employment Services (DLES) on Monday before officials attended a Training of Trainers (TOT) session under the Famili I Redi (FIR) model hosted by World Vision Vanuatu on Tuesday.
The study tour aimed to help Kiribati develop similar support systems for its workers participating in labour mobility schemes in Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking to the Daily Post, FIR Development Manager Nerita Nawen said the delegation spent the day learning about the programme and the lessons Vanuatu has gained through years of supporting seasonal workers.
“What happened today was a one-day Training of Trainers for facilitators of Famili I Redi. This programme is sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Department of Labour, making it possible for World Vision and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to run these workshops with our seasonal workers,” she said.
Nawen explained that while workers normally undergo a five-day training programme, the one-day session gave Kiribati officials an overview of the key modules delivered to workers and their families.
“They came to learn what we have been facilitating, what challenges we have had with the workers, and what outcomes we have seen from the workshops. They will take those lessons back and run similar programmes with their workers in Kiribati,” she said.
According to Nawen, although the social and cultural contexts differ between the two countries, the principles behind the programme can be adapted to meet Kiribati’s needs.
“They will go back and contextualise it based on their own situation so they can run it with their workers. There is also potential for future collaboration between Vanuatu and Kiribati in delivering training and workshops,” she added.
The FIR programme focuses on helping workers and families prepare for overseas employment by addressing issues such as financial management, family communication, wellbeing and reintegration after workers return home.
Noud Leenders of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), based in Kiribati, said Vanuatu is regarded as one of the Pacific’s most advanced examples of family-centred labour mobility support.
‘We’re coming here for this peer-to-peer tour to learn from Vanuatu’s quite advanced family programme,” Leenders said.
He said Vanuatu’s approach helps workers and their families manage the challenges that often come with overseas employment, including long separations, financial planning and reintegration after returning home.
“The government here, with support from IOM, World Vision and various other organisations, is well advanced in helping families better prepare for and mitigate potential problems when going overseas, learn how to use remittances effectively and maintain strong family relationships while workers are abroad,” he said.
Leenders said the delegation includes representatives from the Kiribati Ministry of Employment and Human Resources, the Chamber of Commerce, trade unions and officials working on gender-based violence prevention.
As part of its labour mobility plans, Kiribati intends to establish an Overseas Workers Resource Centre that will provide information, training and support services to workers and their families throughout the migration cycle.
The centre is expected to offer financial literacy training, business development support, family counselling and information services, while also helping returning workers invest their earnings and reintegrate into their communities.
“We want to learn from Vanuatu first and then adapt it to the Kiribati context,” Leenders said.
The delegation will continue its meetings throughout the week before returning home with lessons learned from Vanuatu’s labour mobility experience.
Their visit reflects Vanuatu’s growing reputation as a regional leader in labour mobility support, with Pacific nations increasingly looking to the country as a model for helping workers and families maximise the benefits of overseas employment while reducing social challenges…. PACNEWS
VAN – AIRLINE CEO: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 19 Jun 2026
New Air Vanuatu CEO expected soon
PORT VILA, 19 JUNE 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — While the Vanuatu Government is expected to make an official announcement shortly, the Daily Post has been reliably informed that Philippe Busson is the successful candidate selected as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Vanuatu from a field of more than 30 applicants.
The recruitment process has been finalised, the appointment endorsed, and a public announcement is expected soon.
Busson, who is the Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at Air Calédonie, has more than 28 years of experience in the aviation industry.
He has held senior positions with aircraft and engine manufacturers, maintenance and repair organisations, aircraft lessors, and airlines, with expertise in strategy and operations management.
Drawing on his extensive industry experience, Busson is expected to lead the national carrier as it works to improve operational performance and the customer experience, while strengthening its financial sustainability following a turbulent period.
Once he assumes the role, Busson will take over from Acting CEO Joseph Laloyer, who has led the airline through several transitional periods.
The Government is expected to formally confirm the appointment in an official statement…. PACNEWS
PALAU – INVESTMENT: EAST WEST CENTRE PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 19 Jun 2026
East-West Centre convenes regional workshop on transparent investment in Palau
KOROR, 19 JUNE 2026 (EAST WEST CENTRE) — The East-West Centre convened a regional workshop focused on strengthening economic resilience through transparent and sustainable foreign investment in Koror on 11 June.
The workshop brought together over 60 government officials, private sector leaders, and subject-matter experts from Palau, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and Australia to exchange perspectives on investment governance, institutional capacity-building, and approaches to fostering resilient and inclusive economic growth across the Pacific.
Opening remarks by Landisang Kotaro, Chief of Staff to Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr, underlined the importance of responsible investment in supporting long-term economic growth, good governance, and national resilience, highlighting that economic investment is not an abstract policy issue, but one that directly affects the lives, safety, livelihoods, and future opportunities of Palauan people.
Minister of Justice Jennifer Olegeriil’s keynote placed trust, institutional strength, and public security at the centre of Palau’s investment agenda.
Participants discussed investment screening mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, and geopolitical factors that influence investment decisions in the Pacific region. Experts shared experiences on balancing economic development with transparency, accountability, and protection of critical sectors.
Through presentations and panel discussions, participants explored how governments can strengthen institutional capacity, improve due diligence and risk assessment processes, and attract high-quality investment that supports sustainable development goals.
East-West Centre moderators framed the discussion around President Whipps’ vision for economic resilience and the Minister of Justice’s message that economic security and public security are inseparable, asking panelists to consider what kinds of investment are valuable, how investment should be structured, and how Palau can ensure investment supports long-term resilience.
Discussions emphasised the value of trusted partnerships and regional cooperation in addressing evolving economic challenges and supporting Pacific-led development priorities.
The workshop also provided a forum for sharing practical tools and best practices to improve risk assessment processes and promote informed decision-making in an increasingly complex global environment.
The East-West Centre coordinated the workshop through Taiwan’s Global Cooperation Training Framework (GCTF), in collaboration with the Government of Palau, the Taiwan Embassy, and the US Embassy in Palau…. PACNEWS
PNG – CUSTOMS: TVWAN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 19 Jun 2026
Chinese national arrested for smuggling illegal cigarettes in PNG
PORT MORESBY, 19 JUNE 2026 (TVWAN) — The PNG Customs Service recently identified, arrested and charged a Chinese national for illegal importation and smuggling of foreign brand cigarettes.
The illegal cargo, packed in a 20-foot container, was initially declared as tissue products, however, it was flagged for further scrutiny after Customs officers at the Customs Examination Facility at Motukea outside Port Moresby, identified irregularities in the x-ray imagery.
Out of the hundreds of cartons declared, a portion contained legitimate goods placed at the front, while the remainder concealed items intended for illegal commercial distribution.
The detailed joint physical inspection of all 484 cartons in the container by Customs and Police revealed that 130 cartons contained tissue paper used as a “cover load”, concealing a further 354 cartons of foreign-manufactured cigarettes.
Chief Commissioner of Customs, David Towe, emphasised that smuggling and other border related illegal activities pose a serious threat to the country’s economy, undermine national development through lost revenue and erode fair competition for companies that comply with the law and pay their taxes in PNG.
“PNG Customs does not tolerate non-compliance,” he stated.
“Those who attempt to circumvent our laws must understand that enforcement actions will be taken, and they will face prosecution in accordance with the law.”
“Let this serve as a warning that if you engage in illegal or smuggling activities, the law will eventually catch up with you and you will face the full force of the law.”
“Every kina lost through smuggling and illegal importation is revenue denied to the State,” said Towe.
The exercise was carried out with the support from police and the Bank of Papua New Guinea’s Financial Action Supervision Unit.
In 2025, PNG Customs seized illegal branded cigarettes valued at K3.54 million (US$800,000) in street sales, noting a tax evasion of K3.28 million (US$740,000) …. 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
Micronesia: Can Fintech Connect the Multi-Island Pacific Nation?
What are the fintech and wider digital and economic developments for the Pacific nation of Micronesia in 2026?
By Richie Santosdiaz
POHNPEI, 19 JUNE 2026 (THE FINTECH TIMES) — The Federated States of Micronesia is one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world. Although its population is only around 115,000 people, the nation is spread across more than 600 islands scattered across a section of the Pacific Ocean larger than many continents. The four states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae are separated by vast distances, creating unique challenges for transport, communications, public services and economic development.
For decades, geography has shaped nearly every aspect of life in Micronesia. It influences how goods are traded, how businesses operate, how governments deliver services and how citizens access financial institutions. In many communities, the challenge is not simply affordability or availability. It is connectivity.
This is one reason why digital finance is attracting growing attention. Unlike larger fintech markets where innovation is often driven by competition between banks, startups and technology firms, the fintech opportunity in Micronesia is fundamentally about overcoming distance. It is about finding ways to deliver financial services to citizens and businesses without requiring physical branches on every island.
In this sense, fintech in Micronesia is best understood as infrastructure rather than disruption.
The country’s economy reflects its unique geography. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is approximately US$4,000, while the economy relies heavily on public administration, fisheries, tourism, subsistence agriculture, development assistance and services. Palikir, located on Pohnpei, serves as the capital, although economic activity is distributed across the federation’s four states.
The country’s relationship with the United States also plays an important role. Through the Compact of Free Association, the Federated States of Micronesia receives economic assistance and maintains close links with the United States. These arrangements have helped support development, infrastructure and public services across the country.
Yet economic development remains challenging. Small populations, geographic fragmentation and limited economies of scale can make traditional financial services expensive to provide. Operating a bank branch on a remote island may not always be commercially viable, while travel between islands can be costly and time-consuming.
As a result, access to financial services often depends on digital solutions. The banking sector itself is relatively small. Institutions such as the Bank of Guam and the Bank of the Federated States of Micronesia play important roles in providing financial services across the country. However, the realities of island geography mean that digital channels increasingly matter as much as physical infrastructure.
This trend is not unique to Micronesia. A previous The Fintech Times article I authored examined how financial inclusion across Pacific Island Countries highlighted how fintech can help address the challenges created by distance, limited infrastructure and dispersed populations. Few countries illustrate these challenges more clearly than Micronesia.
Financial inclusion remains a key development objective. The World Bank’s Global Findex Database has shown that account ownership and digital financial usage across many Pacific Island nations continue to lag behind more developed markets. In Micronesia, geographic isolation can further complicate access to formal financial services.
For many residents, travelling to access banking services may involve significant time and expense. Digital financial tools therefore offer opportunities to reduce these barriers while improving convenience and accessibility.
Connectivity becomes the critical enabler. Recent investments in telecommunications infrastructure have sought to improve internet access and digital connectivity throughout the Pacific region. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has supported projects focused on digital infrastructure, recognising that connectivity underpins broader economic and social development.
Without reliable connectivity, fintech cannot scale. With it, opportunities begin to emerge. Mobile payments, digital wallets, online banking and electronic transfers all become more feasible. Government services can be digitised. Businesses can engage more easily in e-commerce. Citizens can access financial services without needing to travel long distances.
Remittances represent another important area. Like many Pacific economies, Micronesia benefits from financial support sent by citizens working abroad. Families often rely on money transferred from relatives living in the United States, Guam, Hawaii and elsewhere. Reducing the cost and complexity of these transfers could have meaningful economic benefits.
Globally, fintech firms have helped reduce remittance costs through digital platforms and mobile-based services. Similar innovations could become increasingly relevant in Micronesia as digital adoption expands.
The public sector also has an important role to play. Because government services are so significant within the economy, digital payments can support more efficient delivery of salaries, benefits and public services. Digital government initiatives therefore often complement financial inclusion efforts.
This alignment between public sector modernisation and fintech may become increasingly important over time.
Climate resilience adds another dimension. Like many Pacific Island nations, Micronesia faces significant environmental challenges associated with climate change. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather events create risks for infrastructure and economic activity. According to the United Nations (UN), Pacific Island states are among the most vulnerable regions globally to climate-related impacts.
Digital finance can contribute to resilience in several ways. Around the world, governments and aid organisations increasingly use digital payment systems to distribute emergency assistance, disaster relief funding and social support. For geographically dispersed island communities, these capabilities can be particularly valuable.
The country’s digital transformation agenda extends beyond finance. Improved connectivity supports education, healthcare, government services and entrepreneurship. Fintech benefits from these broader developments because financial innovation rarely succeeds in isolation. It depends on the wider digital ecosystem.
This creates opportunities for local businesses as well. Small enterprises often face challenges accessing finance, accepting electronic payments and reaching customers beyond their immediate communities. Digital financial services can help reduce some of these barriers while improving participation in the formal economy.
Challenges nevertheless remain substantial. The domestic market is very small. Telecommunications costs can be relatively high. Digital literacy varies across communities. Cybersecurity capabilities will need continued development as more services move online.
Attracting private sector fintech investment may also be difficult given the country’s size and geographic isolation. For this reason, partnerships involving governments, development finance institutions, telecommunications providers and regional organisations are likely to remain important.
Yet Micronesia also possesses certain advantages. Its relatively small scale allows policymakers to implement targeted initiatives more quickly than larger countries. Digital solutions can often reach significant portions of the population without requiring extensive physical infrastructure investments.
The country’s future fintech ecosystem will almost certainly look different from those found in Asia, Europe or North America. There may never be dozens of venture-backed fintech startups headquartered in Palikir. There may never be a large digital banking sector serving international markets.
That is not the point. For Micronesia, the value of fintech lies in its ability to connect people, businesses and communities across vast distances. It is about making financial services more accessible in a country where geography has always been one of the greatest obstacles to inclusion.
Ultimately, Micronesia’s fintech story is less about finance and more about connectivity. As digital infrastructure improves and financial services become increasingly mobile, technology offers the possibility of reducing some of the constraints imposed by geography. For a nation spread across hundreds of islands, which may be one of the most important forms of innovation of all…. PACNEWS
Richie is a global economic development advisor and Managing Partner of Santos-Diaz LLC, specializing in international trade and foreign direct investment across the UK, Middle East, and North America. With over 15 years of experience and a Masters from SOAS University of London, he has advised high-level governments and multinational corporates while contributing to major outlets like Forbes and the World Economic Forum. Currently based in Dubai, he leverages his background in emerging markets and RegTech to bridge the gap between global policy and private sector growth.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
From ‘media deserts’ to the invisibility of women, rights experts spotlight latest trends
GENEVA, 19 JUNE 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — From the invisibility of women and girls to “media deserts” amid an artificial intelligence (AI) tsunami, dozens of UN independent experts have been shedding light on the battle for equal rights worldwide as the Geneva-based Human Rights Council’s continued its annual session on Thursday.
“UN special rapporteurs, along with other parts of the human rights ecosystem, address, by their nature, sensitive and often divisive issues, which are of international concern,” UN rights chief Volker Türk said when the United States imposed sanctions in 2025 on Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Council-appointed and mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations, special rapporteurs and independent experts are not UN staff and do not receive a salary, but their work is unique, insightful and a window to the world.
They also provide a sharp focus on pressing issues of global or national concern, and as of November 2025, there are 46 thematic and 13 country Council-approved mandates.
‘Media deserts’ amid shrinking public spaces
Digital technology has become the most disruptive factor affecting freedom of expression in centuries, leading to “media deserts” and dangerously shrinking public spaces, warned Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Delivering a sharp critique of both corporate tech giants and sovereign States, without naming names, she said many nations are leveraging digital tools to suppress dissent.
At the same time, tech “oligarchs” manipulate online spaces for profit, creating environments “polluted by hate”, where women, children and journalists bear the brunt of online attacks.
Read the full report here.
Dangerous asymmetry of power
Underscoring an asymmetry of power that challenges traditional human rights frameworks, the report revealed massive financial gains whereby a single digital company can generate more revenue than the gross domestic product (GDP) of 130 national governments.
Meanwhile, unprecedented reach has seen individual platforms boasting over three billion monthly users, exceeding the population of any single nation.
Khan warned that the line between regulator and regulated has blurred, with States often colluding with companies at a time when some populist leaders and liberal democracies alike are increasingly weaponising criminal laws and weak AI frameworks, to censor speech and incite hostility against minorities, migrants and women leaders.
“The game has to change,” the special rapporteur urged, calling on States to take their human rights responsibilities seriously to ensure technology does not continue to do profound harm to global free speech.
“Most governments today in the Council supported me. My question to them is, what are you going to do about it now?”
Taliban decree erodes women, girls’ rights
A new decree issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan to govern the conditions for separation of spouses will both license child marriage and prevent women and girls from leaving abusive relationships, UN experts warned.
“The decree on ‘separation of spouses’, issued by the de facto Ministry of Justice in April 2026, leaves women and girls vulnerable to abuse and exploitation and increases the potential for abuse of power by guardians, including in marriage arrangements, rendering it almost impossible for girls to report or act on domestic abuse, the experts found.
Several provisions allow a child to seek separation upon reaching puberty, indicating a failure to protect them from being subjected to marriage in the first place, which leaves girls exposed to years of physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm before they can seek relief, they said.
Restrictive reality
The decree lists various conditions whereby a woman may seek separation from her husband, including “incompatibility”, disappearance, obstinacy and religious grounds, which are not defined by the law.
“On the surface, these appear to be an attempt to protect women and girls by creating uniform guidance nationally, but in practice these provisions are undermined by fundamentally discriminatory treatment of women and girls and bias against them.”
Invisibility of lesbian, bisexual and queer women
Policymakers must address the political and statistical invisibility of lesbian, bisexual and queer women whose communities face distinct and intersecting forms of violence and discrimination, said Graeme Reid, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Despite significant diversity in the lived experiences of lesbian, bisexual and queer women, common structural patterns drive their marginalisation,” he said.
The rights of lesbian, bisexual and queer women are often mediated through patriarchal institutions and conditioned upon their relationships with men, which particularly constrains their freedom of movement, housing, land and property rights, access to healthcare and other public services and their rights as parents, he said.
Calls for action
The independent expert urged States to adopt laws and policies that expand women’s ability to exercise their rights without condition, address violence against women linked to their sexual orientation or gender identity, prohibit discrimination in healthcare and other public services and safeguard lesbian, bisexual and queer human rights defenders.
Reid also called on multilateral organisations, national human rights institutions and civil society to collaborate in support of such efforts and to close the data gap…. PACNEWS
