In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — AI must never replace Pacific Journalists: Pacific AI creator Wahuzue
2. PACIFIC — Tuvalu, Colombia push Just Transition away from fossil fuels
3. FIJI/USA — Fiji, U.S reaffirm ties, discuss SOFA, visa restrictions and deep-sea mining
4. FIJI — Fiji, Aust ramp up security
5. PACIFIC — Pacific media needs stronger AI strategy, research finds
6. FIJI — Universities struggle to detect students using AI
7. FIJI — Fiji Assistant Minister for Agriculture Inosi Kuridrani passes away
8. KIRIBATI — Kiribati advances National Policy on Ocean Biodiversity Agreement
9. AUST — PNG NBC radio retuns to the Torres Strait from Daru
10. PACIFIC — Spacecraft returns to Earth after rescue mission for ageing Nasa telescope fails
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Three Pacific Island nations launch Investment Roadmaps for Food Security and Climate Resilience
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji steps up preparedness against bird flu threat
13. PACNEWS BIZ — Tourism conditions improve globally, but affordability and workforce shortages threaten growth
14. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Countries adopt global blueprint to tackle fast-evolving crime in digital age
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — In 1906 Australia’s high court backed ethnic cleansing. That historical wrong and error of law must be put right
PAC- ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/MEDIA: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
AI must never replace Pacific Journalists: Pacific AI creator Wahuzue
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Pacific media should use artificial intelligence to handle routine newsroom tasks but keep reporting, verification, context and relationships firmly in the hands of journalists, says Pasifika AI creator Kevyn Wahuzue.
Wahuzue, founder of Kanaky Tech, says AI can help Pacific newsrooms work faster, but one inaccurate story can damage trust that journalists have built with communities over years.
“Trust in Pacific journalism doesn’t come from speed. It comes from people knowing who you are, knowing you went there, and knowing you’ll be back next week to face them.
“AI can’t give you any of that. But it can cost you all of it in one bad story,” Wahuzue said in an interview with PACNEWS.
He said Pacific journalists should use AI for tasks such as transcription, initial translation drafts, document sorting and archive searches, but not for decisions that require human judgement or relationships with communities.
“My message is simple: use AI for the work behind the story, never for the relationship in front of it.
“Speaking for a community, deciding what matters, putting words in someone’s mouth: that stays with the journalist,” he said.
Wahuzue said AI-generated information should never be treated as verified fact.
“Treat everything an AI gives you as a tip, not a fact.
“A tip from a source you don’t know, who has never been to the place, and who sounds confident about everything.”,” he told PACNEWS
Wahuze said this principle was central to the development of Pasifika AI, which is designed to provide answers using a defined set of institutional sources.
“That’s how I built Pasifika AI. It only searches a published list of 66 institutional sources, and every answer shows its references so the reader can open them,” he said.
“Even then, the site says clearly that a listed source doesn’t guarantee the sentence is right.”,” he said.
Wahuzue said the same standard should apply to AI use in newsrooms.
“AI can find the documents faster. The journalist still reads them, calls the people, and explains what it means here,” he said.
Wahuzue said one of the biggest threats posed by AI to Pacific languages and cultures was not obvious nonsense, but information that sounded correct while being wrong.
“The biggest risk isn’t silence. It’s fluent mistakes,” he said.
He said he had recently tested several AI models using Pacific languages and found significant problems.
“Some went into loops, repeating the same phrase for a whole page. That’s the easy case: anyone can see it,” he said.
“The dangerous one wrote smooth Samoan that was wrong,” Wahuzue said.
Wahuzue cited an example involving the pe’a, the traditional Samoan male tatau.
“It described the pe’a, the traditional male tatau, as reaching the elbow.
“It reads well. A Samoan reader sees the mistake in a second. A student overseas won’t, and will repeat it,” he said.
He also warned about the use of Indigenous knowledge in AI systems, particularly knowledge that is held by families, clans or specific custodians.
“Some knowledge belongs to a family, a clan, specific custodians. Being able to ask a machine doesn’t give anyone permission to receive it,” Wahuzue said.
“Every archive, recording and story that goes online can be pulled into a model without anyone asking the community it came from.”
Wahuzue said another major problem was the tendency of AI systems to combine distinct Pacific peoples, languages and cultures.
“To be honest, these models don’t ‘understand’ anything. They reproduce what they were trained on, and very little of that was written by Pacific people, in Pacific languages,” he said.
He said his testing had shown how easily AI could confuse related but distinct languages.
“In my tests, when I asked for an answer in Cook Islands Māori, some models wrote New Zealand Māori instead.
“Related languages, different peoples,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
Wahuzue said Pacific AI systems needed to distinguish between different peoples and communities rather than treating the region as one cultural group.
“A model trained mostly outside the region treats the Pacific as one culture with one voice,” he said.
He identified three steps to address the problem by using regional sources, keeping Pacific peoples and languages distinct, and giving knowledge holders a role in correcting AI systems.
“Ground the answers in sources from the region: our institutions, academies, archives, not the open web.
“Keep each people distinct and named,” Wahuzue said,
He also said communities should have the ability to correct AI systems and seek the removal of information where appropriate.
“And let the people who hold the knowledge correct the system, with the power to have something taken down,” he said.
Wahuzue highlighted Te Hiku Media in Aotearoa New Zealand as an example of Indigenous-led technology development, noting that it had developed te reo Māori speech technology while retaining control of its data.
“The rest, the region has to build itself,” he said…..PACNEWS
PAC – FOSSIL FUEL/CLEAN ENERGY: PACNEWS/TIVALU GOVT PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Tuvalu, Colombia push Just Transition away from fossil fuels
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS/TUVALUGOVT) — Tuvalu and Colombia have renewed their partnership to advance a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, with Tuvalu Prime Minister Maina Talia calling for stronger North-South cooperation to ensure no country is left behind.
Talia co-chaired the high-level side event, “Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF 2): From Santa Marta to Tuvalu,” held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
He said the partnership between the two countries showed how nations from different regions and economic circumstances could work together on a shared global challenge.
“Two island nations, from different regions and different economic circumstances, working together around a common challenge,” Talia said.
“It demonstrates the kind of North-South cooperation that is necessary if this transition is to work for every country.”
Talia said TAFF 2 aims to demonstrate that moving away from fossil fuels can be achieved through practical policies, financing and partnerships that reflect different national circumstances.
“Our vision is to demonstrate that a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is not only necessary, but achievable—and to translate that ambition into practical pathways supported by the policies, finance, and partnerships required across different national circumstances,” he said.
The event brought together senior government representatives, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations to discuss pathways for accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.
Talia also officially launched the TAFF 2 website, which will provide updates and information on the initiative and its work towards advancing a just energy transition.
The TAFF partnership builds on cooperation between Tuvalu and Colombia following the Santa Marta process and seeks to strengthen international efforts to move from commitments on fossil fuel transition to practical action…..PACNEWS
FIJI/USA – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS/FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Fiji, U.S reaffirm ties, discuss SOFA, visa restrictions and deep-sea mining
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS/FIJI GOVT) —— Fiji and the United States have reaffirmed their bilateral relationship, with discussions covering defence cooperation, development assistance, visa restrictions, deep-sea mining and Fiji’s constitutional review process.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Ambassador Solo Mara, and Fiji’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Ilisoni Vuidreketi, met with US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael George DeSombre on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly high-level week.
The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, including the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), U.S support for Fiji through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and US development assistance for Fiji’s ports through the Quad.
Mara also raised concerns over the U.S Visa Bond Programme and current visa restrictions affecting Fiji and other Pacific Island countries.
DeSombre acknowledged Fiji’s concerns, with both sides agreeing to continue discussions through an established working group.
Deep-sea mining was also raised during the meeting, with the U.S outlining its ongoing engagement with Pacific Island countries on the issue.
The U.S reiterated its support for the Pacific in the area of deep-sea mining while recognising the differing positions among Pacific countries.
The U.S also indicated its willingness to raise awareness and discuss deep-sea mining at the upcoming U.S-Pacific Business Summit scheduled for February 2027.
Mara also briefed the U.S delegation on Fiji’s ongoing constitutional review process.
The U.S delegation raised Fiji’s Tier 2 listing in the Trafficking in Persons Report and stressed the need for Fiji to take further action to effectively address trafficking in persons.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Fiji-US relations at both the bilateral and multilateral levels….PACNEWS
FIJI – SECURITY: FIJ TIMES PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Fiji, Aust ramp up security
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES) —Fiji and Australia are ramping up defence collaboration by deploying high-tech maritime capabilities to combat drug trafficking, illegal fishing, and transnational crime across the Pacific.
Speaking after a security briefing, Fiji’s Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua highlighted how extending regional military capabilities directly protected local communities.
Central to this strategy is advanced maritime technology, including autonomous surveillance tools.
Tikoduadua emphasised that these systems, including naval platforms and air capabilities, served broader civilian purposes by supplying vital intelligence to customs, police, and immigration agencies.
“They’re not only for military purposes, they’re actually to keep all our people safe.
“They’re not just there, you know, as decorations or anything. They’re actually there to keep our children and our families safe.”
Australian Minister for Defence Peter Khalil reinforced the multi-agency approach, explaining that defence forces played a vital role beyond conventional border protection.
“When we talk about the pointy end of the spear, which is our militaries and our collaboration, militaries defend nations, defend our borders, but it’s more than that,” he said.
“We’re defending our people against the social impacts, from drugs and drug use. We’re defending our economic interests against illegal fishing,” he said…PACNEWS
PAC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/MEDIA: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Pacific media needs stronger AI strategy, research finds
SAVUSAVU/SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Pacific media organisations are using artificial intelligence (AI) but urgently need strategic, policy and technical support for its safe adoption, according to new research.
The AI in Pacific Media study, produced by Other Labs with Google’s support, surveyed 49 respondents across 42 newsrooms in 11 countries, alongside interviews with eight regional experts.
Other Labs founder Jenni Ryall said the study revealed widespread AI adoption, making the key question for the region how to use the technology safely and effectively.
“Every part of the news business is being rebuilt around this technology, and it is moving more rapidly than anything I’ve seen in two decades in the media,” Ms Ryall said.
“It is critical news organisations understand this technology, so they can write their own AI policy and decide how it can support their business safely. This decision belongs in this region and editorial integrity has to sit at the centre of it.”
The research was advised by Fiji Sun publisher and Fijian Media Association president Rosi Tamani-Doviverata, and former Pacific news leader and media expert Alexander Rheeney.
Most news organisations are currently experimenting with AI without a strategy, according to the research.
Thirty-six respondents use AI through personal or mixed accounts, leaving no audit trail or protection for confidential information.
Adoption has outpaced policy, with 26 respondents publishing AI-assisted work while 39 lack policies or rely on basic guidelines.
Organised AI programmes have not reached most of the region, with 22 respondents receiving no AI training and four having access to an ongoing programme.
Pacific languages remain poorly served by major AI tools, which 34 respondents rated as ineffective or only slightly effective.
Other Labs research director Eira Martens-Edwards emphasised the need for foundational research to inform programme design.
“Understanding how news organisations are responding to this technology, what they are already doing, and where they need support, is essential to designing programmes that create lasting impact,” Ms Martens-Edwards said.
The opportunities range from workflow improvements, which free journalists for original reporting, to innovative products, with guardrails that protect high-quality journalism and build trust.
Google News Partner manager Uma Patel said there was a strong need for programme-based learning in the region.
“Google is proud to meet that need with our recently launched News AI Lab programme, which supports hands-on understanding of the technology and will grow the capabilities of publishers over 18 months,” Ms Patel said.
Other Labs’ previous AI cohort with Google demonstrates this impact.
Island Times publisher Leilani Reklai said AI could support the sustainability of a small news organisation.
“The use of AI not only streamlines my work, greatly reduces my workload and increases my efficiency,” Ms Reklai said.
The survey findings shaped the newly launched News AI Lab, an 18-month programme supporting 19 Pacific and New Zealand news organisations with AI accounts, mentorship, safety training and development focused on workflow integration and business outcomes….PACNEWS
FIJI – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/UNIVERSITY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Universities struggle to detect students using AI
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Universities in Fiji can no longer reliably detect when students use artificial intelligence (AI) to complete assignments, research papers and theses, Parliament heard.
Higher Education Commission director Eci Naisele told the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that plagiarism and integrity-checking systems used by the country’s three universities were no longer effectively identifying AI-generated content.
“There are some check systems that universities currently have, but they are no longer performing their function in verifying the credibility of a paper, research project or thesis submission,” he said.
Dr Naisele made the comments while presenting the Commission’s submission on the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace Alliance, commonly known as the Veitacini Treaty.
He said the challenge extended across all levels of tertiary education, from undergraduate studies to Master’s and PhD programmes.
As a result, supervisors and lecturers were increasingly relying on one-on-one interviews with students to determine whether submitted work reflected their actual knowledge and abilities.
“If there is a huge difference between what is submitted and the lecturer’s, faculty member’s or supervisor’s understanding of the student’s ability, then there must be suspicion,” he said.
Dr Naisele said the Commission had engaged an artificial intelligence expert to help Fiji’s three universities respond to the growing challenge. It has also re-established a Vice-Chancellors’ Forum to allow institutions to share experiences and develop common approaches.
He said the issue had become more pressing as digital transformation accelerated under the Veitacini Treaty.
“The world has shifted. AI is very much the buzzword,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – OBITUARY: FIJI VILLAGE NEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Fiji Assistant Minister for Agriculture Inosi Kuridrani passes away
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI VILLAGE NEWS)—Fiji’s Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Waterways, and Sugar Industry Inosi Kuridrani has passed away.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed in Parliament this morning that he passed away last night.
He extended his condolences to Kuridrani’s family and the Vanua.
Speaker of Parliament Filimone Jitoko also extended his condolences.
A moment of silence was also observed in Parliament.
Other Members of Parliament are also extending their condolences to the late Kuridrani’s family.
Kuridrani entered Parliament in July last year following the death of former MP Vatimi Rayalu.
Before entering Parliament, he served as Chairman of the Land Transport Authority….PACNEWS
KIRIBATI – BBNJ: PACNEWS/OPOC PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Kiribati advances National Policy on Ocean Biodiversity Agreement
TARAWA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS/OPOC) — Kiribati is developing a national policy to implement the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, with government agencies and key stakeholders meeting in Tarawa to identify policy, legal and institutional gaps.
The three-day National BBNJ Policy Workshop, held from 23 to 25 September, brought together members of the BBNJ Subcommittee and national stakeholders from across government.
The workshop focused on strengthening understanding of the BBNJ Agreement and examining the national policy, legal and institutional arrangements needed for its implementation and domestication in Kiribati.
The outcomes will contribute to the development of a National BBNJ Policy and help identify key policy and legislative gaps, as well as recommendations for implementation.
Organisers said the workshop also supports a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to BBNJ and Kiribati’s wider ocean priorities.
They acknowledged the contributions of the Government of Kiribati, BBNJ Subcommittee members and participating national stakeholders.
Technical and financial support was provided by Conservation International, the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water, and the University of the South Pacific (USP).
The BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty, establishes a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction….PACNEWS
AUST – RADIO PROGRAMME: TORRES NEWS PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
PNG NBC radio retuns to the Torres Strait from Daru
DARU, 28 SEPTEMBER 2028 (TORRES NEWS)—Papua New Guinea’s national broadcaster has returned to the airwaves from Daru, after more than five years’ silence from Radio Western.
The station that calls itself the“Voice of the Sunset” – or “Dina DioGadunai” in Kiwai – has set up a temporary studio at its premises while they are renovated and has changed frequency from 91.5FM to 95.5FM.
Longtime broadcaster and provincial radio director Sam Sabiyam made the first broadcast on the new frequency earlier this month and asked people to call in so they could check the signal strength.
The National Broadcasting Corporation’s (NBC) Daru studio building was condemned by local health authorities in 2019 after years of neglect and underfunding, with renovation plans announced the following year.
The PNG Sustainable Development Programme Ltd. (SDP) provided about AUD$500,000 (US$350,000) to pay for installing links to relay towers, including in the South Fly, and areas that have been without NBC radio service for a decade.
The relay towers were eventually to be owned by NBC, under a deal exchanging radio airtime to SDP for public service broadcasts.
Last year SDP also announced plans to build its headquarters in Daru.
In 1965, the Australian colonial administration in PNG set up Radio Daru. It was placed under the NBC in 1973 and renamed Radio Western ahead of independence.
The only other media that cover the international border of Australia and Papua New Guinea is Torres Strait Islanders Media Association (TSIMA), with radio 4MW – the Voice of the Torres Strait – on 1260AM based on Thursday Island and the Torres News newspaper…..PACNEWS
PAC – NASA TELESCOPE: THE GUARDIAN PACNEWS 2: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Spacecraft returns to Earth after rescue mission for ageing Nasa telescope fails
KAWAJALEIN, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE GUARDIAN)—A spacecraft that was launched in July on a mission to rescue a decaying Nasa space observatory plunged back to Earth on Friday, concluding a failed mission that will be followed by the telescope’s own demise in several weeks’ time.
Link, billed as “America’s first commercial space robot”, lifted off on 03 July from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific islands with the objective of lifting the orbit and prolonging the life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a satellite that has studied gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic events for the last 22 years.
It got as close as 7 to 9 miles (12km to 15km) to Swift and was able to take a series of images detailing its condition, but a series of earlier in-flight problems that hampered motion control and communications meant Link was unable to capture the observatory as planned and release it at a higher altitude.
Katalyst Space Technologies, the company based in Flagstaff, Arizona, which won a US$30m Nasa contract for the salvage mission in September 2024, and put together an ambitious rescue plan inside 22 months, announced in a press release Friday morning that its three-armed spacecraft had re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after 85 days in orbit.
Without the altitude lift, Swift, a collaboration between Nasa and Penn State University that was launched in November 2004, will follow its own descent in the coming weeks, and is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in November.
“From the beginning, this was a high-risk, high-reward mission,” Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of Nasa’s astrophysics division, said in a statement.
“While we’ll be sad to see Swift’s mission come to a close, we knew this boost effort would be worthwhile either way – advancing U.S spacecraft servicing technology, challenging us to meet unprecedented mission timelines, and testing how we operate satellites to extend their time in low Earth orbit.”
Jared Isaacman, Nasa’s administrator, also praised the mission in a statement.
“Nasa should be willing to move quickly and take smart risks when the potential return is worth it, and that is exactly what we did with this mission,” he said.
“This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting. The team moved with extraordinary speed to give Swift a chance to carry out more science while advancing capabilities America will need for satellite servicing in the future.”
Ironically, Swift’s expected lifespan was shortened by the very intense flare-ups from the sun, which it was sent up to observe. Nasa suspended its observations earlier this year and repositioned Swift to try to minimize the atmosphere’s downward drag while preparing the rescue mission.
Electronics issues on board Link after launch rendered inactive two of its three reaction wheels required for maneuvering, and at one point the spacecraft went into a deep spin. Communication and control were restored, but mission managers abandoned the rescue effort last month when it became clear there was insufficient fuel left…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – FOOD SECURITY: FAO PACIFIC PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Three Pacific Island nations launch Investment Roadmaps for Food Security and Climate Resilience
ROME, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FAO PACIFIC) —The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu have taken a major step towards strengthening food security, nutrition and climate resilience through the development of National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs), with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The plans provide country-led roadmaps for mobilising investments that strengthen agrifood systems, improve livelihoods and build resilience to climate shocks across the three Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Pacific island countries face unique challenges, including limited agricultural land, high dependence on imported foods, geographic isolation and increasing vulnerability to climate change. These pressures contribute to food insecurity, rising costs of nutritious diets and growing rates of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases.
Developed through extensive consultations with governments, producers, private sector stakeholders and development partners, the NAIPs identify priority investments tailored to each country’s needs and opportunities.
The plans were developed with support from FAO’s Investment Centre and Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands under the Small Islands Food and Water Project, jointly implemented with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and financed by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP).
To support implementation, FAO also developed technical guidance on strategic investments in livestock production, extension services and logistics infrastructure. These areas offer significant opportunities to strengthen local food production, improve nutrition, create jobs and increase market access, particularly for women and young people.
The newly endorsed plans are already being shared with development partners and financial institutions to align future investments with national priorities. They also complement FAO’s broader efforts under the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and the Pacific SIDS Investment Programme.
“Local ownership, strong partnerships and coordinated action will be essential to the success of these investment plans,” said Guangzhou Qu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands.
“By translating national priorities into investable opportunities, Pacific countries are laying the foundation for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.”
Through its support to Pacific island countries, FAO continues to advance sustainable agrifood systems that deliver better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind….PACNEWS
FIJI – BIRDFLU THREAT: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Fiji steps up preparedness against bird flu threat
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Fiji is strengthening preparedness against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, after the disease was detected in wild birds in Australia and New Zealand.
Although HPAI has not been reported in Fiji, experts from across the health, animal health, biosecurity and environmental sectors met in Suva this week to assess the risk of the disease entering the country.
The Rapid Joint One Health Risk Assessment workshop examined possible pathways for HPAI, including H5N1, to enter Fiji and identified gaps and priority actions for prevention, detection and response.
The assessment brought together expertise from human and animal health, biosecurity, environmental health, laboratories and surveillance agencies.
Led and hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the workshop used a One Health approach to assess the risks posed by HPAI.
The approach recognises the links between human health, animal health and the environment and aims to strengthen early detection and coordinated response to disease threats.
Fiji is the first Pacific Island country to undertake a national Joint Risk Assessment for HPAI H5N1, providing a basis for strengthening preparedness efforts in Fiji and across the Pacific.
The work is supported by the United States Government and is focused on identifying and containing disease threats before they develop into outbreaks.
The preparedness measures are aimed at protecting communities, livelihoods, food systems and national economies.
The assessment also highlights the importance of regional cooperation, surveillance and early action as Pacific countries face the risk of diseases moving across borders.
The key message from the exercise is that preparedness must begin before the first case is detected….PACNEWS
UN – TOURISM INDUSTRY: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Tourism conditions improve globally, but affordability and workforce shortages threaten growth
GENEVA, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Travel and tourism conditions have strengthened across most economies, but rising costs, geopolitical and climate disruptions, workforce shortages and pressure on infrastructure and communities are threatening the sector’s ability to turn record demand into lasting economic benefits.
The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), released in Geneva, found that 101 of 110 economies improved their scores between 2024 and 2026, with the global average increasing by 2.1 percent — the fastest growth since 2019.
The 10th edition of the index, developed with Zurich Insurance Group, said improvements were driven by stronger cultural resources, tourism infrastructure and services, air connectivity and business travel.
Japan ranked first in the index, followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France.
Ramya Krishnaswamy, Head of Experience Economy and Cities at the World Economic Forum, said tourism had recovered strongly since the pandemic but the focus now needed to shift from visitor numbers to the value generated for destinations and communities.
“The latest Travel & Tourism Development Index shows that the enabling conditions for travel and tourism are at their strongest since the pandemic, with 92% of economies improving since 2024,” Krishnaswamy said.
“The next chapter is not simply about attracting more visitors, but it is going to be about creating greater value by investing in people, infrastructure and stronger public-private collaboration so tourism delivers lasting benefits for communities, businesses and destinations.”
The report found that travel became less affordable in three out of four economies between 2024 and 2026, while tourism investment did not keep pace with rising demand.
It also warned that labour shortages could constrain further growth and that benefits to local communities weakened during the period.
The WEF said increased visitor numbers did not automatically result in improved livelihoods or higher-quality jobs, particularly in destinations heavily dependent on seasonal tourism.
However, emerging tourism economies are continuing to close the gap with the leading destinations.
Since 2019, the largest emerging economies have improved their TTDI scores at more than twice the rate of the top 20 economies, while Asia-Pacific economies accounted for seven of the 10 fastest-improving performers.
Albania recorded the largest overall improvement between 2024 and 2026.
Cara Morton, CEO Global Businesses and Operations at Zurich Insurance Group, said resilience was critical to protecting tourism’s economic contribution as conditions changed.
“Tourism is a major part of the global economy, and the TTDI makes clear that resilience is what keeps that value intact when conditions change,” Morton said.
“That kind of resilience requires business and governments to take responsibility together.”
The findings were released during the World Economic Forum’s inaugural Beyond Tourism Day in Geneva, held under the theme “Resilient Growth. Renewed Impact.
The event brought together leaders from business, government and civil society to discuss workforce readiness, technology and innovation, investment and scalable solutions to strengthen tourism competitiveness and resilience.
The Forum also announced the first cohort of Beyond Tourism Impact Stars, recognising six private-sector-led initiatives addressing systemic challenges facing the travel and tourism sector.
The event was held two days before World Tourism Day on 27 September, with the WEF saying it aimed to broaden the discussion on how tourism can strengthen economic resilience, create quality jobs and deliver greater value to communities and destinations…..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
Countries adopt global blueprint to tackle fast-evolving crime in digital age
ABU DHABI, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation.
The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, bringing governments together around challenges ranging from cybercrime and fraud to the growing criminal exploitation of digital technology.
The Declaration highlights an increasingly complex landscape in which services, infrastructure and technology can be exploited by criminals, including emerging trends described as “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”.
At the same time, countries committed to making greater use of technology themselves, including by digitalizing justice systems and harnessing artificial intelligence in criminal justice responses.
The Declaration stresses that safeguards must accompany those changes, including human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection.
‘Justice cannot be a privilege’
In a video message to the Congress, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the meeting was taking place at a time of profound change.
“Justice cannot be a privilege. It must protect every person, uphold every person’s rights and leave no one behind,” said Mohamed. “This Congress is an opportunity to renew our shared commitment to justice and the rule of law, and to translate that commitment into action.”
Countries are already being encouraged to put the Declaration into practice through the voluntary Pledge4Justice initiative, under which participating governments are announcing concrete, time-bound actions on crime prevention and criminal justice through 2031.
From Kyoto to Abu Dhabi
Opening the Congress, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Monica Juma framed the gathering as both a response to a changing criminal landscape and a test of international cooperation.
“Today, the world convenes in Abu Dhabi to reaffirm that the rule of law and criminal justice are essential to the safety and security of people and the planet,” said Juma. “At a time when confidence in multilateralism is faltering, let Abu Dhabi be a testament to international cooperation.”
Five years after the previous Congress in Kyoto, Japan,Juma said the world had reached another “inflection point”, with technology and artificial intelligence advancing at extraordinary speed.
The same platforms connecting billions of people can also connect criminals, she warned, while digital currencies can conceal illicit profits and digital tools can be used to deceive, manipulate and exploit.
Technology, she argued, is not simply accelerating crime but changing its character, while organized criminal networks increasingly exploit weaknesses across borders and institutions.
Protecting people as the ‘north star’
Behind those broad trends,Juma urged delegates to focus on the people most exposed to harm, including children recruited by gangs, women facing violence at home or online, people unable to obtain legal assistance and young people lured into scam networks with promises of a better future.
“Protecting these people must be the measure against which we judge our efforts over the coming week,” she said. “It must be our north star.”
She called for laws and institutions capable of keeping pace with changing threats, greater access to justice and legal aid, and technology that serves as “a force for good” rather than an accelerator of harm.
And while welcoming the Abu Dhabi Declaration as a starting point,Juma stressed that its impact would ultimately depend on implementation.
A week focused on justice
Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, the Congress runs through 01 October under the theme Protecting People and Planet in the Digital Age.
Some 119 countries are represented, alongside more than 40 justice ministers and other senior officials, with over 5,100 participants from governments, civil society, academia and the private sector.
Plenary meetings, workshops, side events and exhibitions will run throughout the session.
Organizers are also billing this as the most youth-inclusive Crime Congress yet. Young people are participating in workshops, contributing to follow-up efforts and taking part in a dedicated Youth Lab and art exhibition, following a Youth Forum held ahead of the Congress on 24 and 25 September.
UNODC serves as secretariat of the Congress and will support implementation of the Abu Dhabi Declaration…PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
In 1906 Australia’s high court backed ethnic cleansing. That historical wrong and error of law must be put right
CANBERRA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE GUARDIAN) —In Robtelmes v Brenan 120 years ago, Australia’s newly established high court approved an act of ethnic cleansing. Between 4,000 and 6,000 Australian South Sea Islanders were to be forcibly expelled as “aliens”, despite the majority having full legal belonging as “British subjects”.
To this day, the high court still cites Robtelmes for the right to expel or detain non-citizens “for any reason”. Ominously, the commonwealth also argues that potentially half the permanent population of Australia are “aliens” and subject to this power.
From an Australian South Sea Islander perspective, this case is not simply a historical wrong: it is a legal wound that remains open. Many South Sea Islanders know their ancestors were “blackbirded” to Australia, built families and communities here and many were legally British subjects. Yet the decision legitimised the forced removal of an entire community under the White Australia policy.
In Blackbirding: A Reckoning with the Australian Slave Trade, Ryan Butta describes how Sir Samuel Griffith, the first chief justice of the high court, had been a leading opponent of the kidnapping of South Sea Islanders when premier of colonial Queensland. But, as Butta says, slave trade opponents like Griffith “did not object to the introduction of slaves … they objected to the introduction of black people into Queensland”.
While many Islanders returned to their homelands, a large proportion remained, forming a permanently settled community in Australia. After federation the new commonwealth parliament passed the Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901 to expel the entire Islander community in what has been described as “one of the cruellest acts in Australian history”.
Robtelmes had been recruited in 1897 from Vanua Lava in the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu). He stayed on after his initial three-year agreement, working for various employers – lastly at Mount Cotton, south of Brisbane. In 1906 Robtelmes and his employer tried to renew his expired labour agreement. Instead, he was taken before a police magistrate who ordered him to be deported. The expulsion order was suspended to allow the high court to consider the matter.
Griffith delivered the main judgment, saying the first question was whether the deportation legislation was valid under the lawmaking power over “aliens” in the constitution, asking: “What is the status of Pacific Islanders? What are they?” Citing no legal precedent, he answered: “They are aliens: that is indisputable.”
The racial stereotyping that condemned the entire Islander community to expulsion along with Robtelmes should have been recognised long ago as a profound legal error. Under common law principles, nationality and alien status had nothing to do with the colour of a person’s skin. The high court failed to consider Robtelmes’ individual circumstances or the different origins of South Sea Islanders more generally.
Far from being “indisputably alien”, the opposite was true. The first federal census in 1911 showed that more than 60% of the South Sea Islanders remaining in Australia were British subjects. Since British subject status did not entitle Islanders to an exemption under the Pacific Island Labourers Act, it is reasonable to conclude that the Griffith court wrongly authorised the forcible expulsion under the “aliens power” of Australia’s Islander community.
Legal precedents from the White Australia era that adjudicated on key elements of that policy should be treated with caution. Extraordinarily, it took until 2020 for the court’s racialisation of the term “alien” in Robtelmes to be acknowledged. In the landmark “Aboriginal belonging” case Love and Thoms, Justice James Edelman said it had been “persuasively argued” that the 1906 case “implicitly applied criteria based upon racial perceptions”. A few years later he went further, declaring that “the application of the [aliens] power to Pacific Islanders who were British subjects is a stain on the jurisprudence of this Court”.
Despite this, high court judges – including Edelman himself – continue to cite Robtelmes as the foundational authority for draconian federal power over “aliens”. In 1982 Chief Justice Harry Gibbs said that ever since Robtelmes, “It has been regarded as settled law that the Parliament has power to make laws providing for the deportation [or detention] of aliens for whatever reasons it thinks fit.”
The high court should confront its own history and disavow a disturbing precedent made even more dangerous by the rise of populism in this country.
Australia must confront not only what happened but why the legal reasoning that enabled it continues to be relied on. South Sea Islanders survived the policy that sought to remove them; truth-telling now requires Australia to confront the law that enabled it….PACNEWS
