In this bulletin:
1. NAURU — Nauru officially renamed Republic of Naoero
2. VAN — Vanuatu appoints Joe Natuman as Special envoy for Maritime Boundaries and Decolonisation
3. PACIFIC — Where Australia sits in this $ billion race for influence as China’s strategy shifts
4. PACIFIC — Australia joins Pacific nations flexing military muscle
5. PACIFIC — TVNZ backs greater funding certainty for Pacific programmes
6. B/VILLE — Bougainville President Toroama commemorates 100 Years of the Gospel in Kieta
7. UN — Caribbean bears brunt of US$53 bllion climate-fuelled damage to developing islands
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Naoero backs fair seabed governance as ISA extends NORI exploration contract
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji not using geopolitical rivalry to secure aid, says Finance Minister
10. PACNEWS BIZ — U.S Coast Guard Pacific Commander visits FFA Headquarters
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Good policy is the foundation of every strong organisation: FFA
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Internal Revenue Commission and Bougainville Tax Office meet to strengthen tax compliance and revenue collection
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Fiji advances Multi-Hazard Early Warning systems through National Dialogue on Common Alerting Protocol
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — HIV, hepatitis, STI gains at risk as funding falls, WHO warns
NAURU – COUNTRY NAME CHANGE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Nauru officially renamed Republic of Naoero
YAREN, 30 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — Nauru has officially adopted Republic of Naoero as its new official name, with the government describing the change as the beginning of renewed national pride and a return to the country’s traditional identity.
Under the change, the abbreviated form of the country’s name will be Naoero, the country code will change to NRO, and its people will be known as dei-Naoero.
In his opening address to Parliament on 20 July, President David Adeang said the decision followed extensive discussions on restoring the country’s traditional name.
The government said a referendum was not pursued because Naoero was not a new name requiring public approval.
It said the name already forms part of the country’s identity, appears on the national coat of arms, is widely used in the community and is recognised under the Constitution.
The government said while referendums are intended to determine the will of the people, the name Naoero “has never been lost, but rather waiting to be fully embraced.”
President Adeang said the decision was about identity rather than politics.
He said the moment was about “preserving the legacy of our ancestors and strengthening the future of our children.”
The government said the adoption of the name Naoero marks the beginning of renewed national pride and a new chapter built on unity, responsibility, patriotism, better health, education and sustainable development.
It said the country’s future would be shaped by learning from past mistakes and using those lessons to make better decisions for future generations.
The constitutional amendment process began on 29 January 2026, when the Constitution (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2026 was introduced in Parliament.
Following a 90-day layover period, Members of Parliament unanimously approved the amendment, which was certified by Speaker Marcus Stephen on 13 May 2026, formally enacting the name change.
The government said international organisations and countries have been formally notified and have begun transitioning to the new name…. PACNEWS
VAN – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Vanuatu appoints Joe Natuman as Special envoy for Maritime Boundaries and Decolonisation
PORT VILA, 30 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — Vanuatu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade, Marc Ati, has appointed former Prime Minister Joe Natuman as the Special Envoy of Vanuatu for Maritime Boundary and Decolonisation Issues.
The appointment comes as Vanuatu continues to pursue unresolved maritime boundary and decolonisation issues, including its longstanding dispute with France over the uninhabited islands of Umaenupne (Matthew) and Umaeneag (Hunter).
For decades, efforts to finalise a maritime boundary between Vanuatu and New Caledonia have been blocked by the sovereignty dispute over the two volcanic islands, located east of New Caledonia and southeast of Vanuatu.
Conflicting claims over Matthew and Hunter date back to before the former French-British condominium of the New Hebrides gained independence as Vanuatu in 1980.
The government has previously ended negotiations with France over the maritime boundary after years of unsuccessful talks.
France continues to claim sovereignty over the islands, a position opposed by successive governments in Port Vila and supported by the Kanak independence movement in New Caledonia.
In a separate appointment, Minister Ati named David Eggie Merrick as the High Commissioner-designate of Vanuatu to New Delhi, India.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade said Merrick will assume his duties in early August 2026…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: SBS PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Where Australia sits in this $6billion race for influence as China’s strategy shifts
CANBERRA, 30 JULY 206 (SBS) — Australia has continued to outrank China as the Pacific’s biggest source of development aid, contributing a third of loans and infrastructure investment to the region, according to a new report.
Looking at development projects across the Pacific between 2008 and 2024, the Lowy Institute report found that, after years of decline, aid to the region increased by 10 percent in 2024.
Total development aid stood at US$4.1 billion ($5.85 billion) in that year, but the report’s authors estimate that would drop to US$3.8 billion ($5.42 billion) in yet-to-be-released 2025 figures.
With China now shifting strategy from big debt-fuelled loans to smaller strategic aid, and amid major economic shocks in the Pacific, the contest for regional influence is coming under greater strain.
Australia was the Pacific’s biggest donor in 2024, giving $2.14 billion (US$1.45 billion) in aid, which made up 37 percent of all finance to the region in that year.
A total of $6 billion (US44.16 billion) in financing was dispensed from New Zealand, China, and regional development banks.
Australia has also inked $3.4 billion (US$2.18 billion) in loan deals, ending China’s reign as the region’s leading lender.
“That’s a product of many years of Australia pushing into these spaces, but it’s meant that what was once a real foothold for China in the region has been narrowed,” the report’s lead author Riley Duke told SBS News.
“Australia is consistently providing the most grant financing to the region, and that picture hasn’t really changed.”
The report, released on Tuesday, says demand for Chinese loans has dropped since 2019 due to concerns about servicing the debt, more competition between lenders and Chinese banks’ capital availability.
Australia is also a major financier of climate change mitigation projects in the Pacific, including a solar and battery storage facility for Palau to help generate 20 percent of its electricity, and Tonga’s Renewable Energy Stabilisation Package.
The fruits of those efforts have paid off for Australia, with a flurry of regional security deals announced in recent months, including with Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu.
“They are a clear marker of Australia establishing itself as the lead partner to the region,” Duke said.
“Those deals … take a long time to progress. They’re complicated, but they reflect Australia establishing itself as an inalienably important partner to Pacific countries.”
Developing Pacific Island nations have been hit hard by multiple shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently, fuel supply shortages caused by the United States-Israeli war on Iran.
Duke said these multiple challenges put the region at risk of a “lost decade” of development, with Pacific economies caught in “a continual cycle of shock and recovery”.
Food and importing oil costs much more for the Pacific than other countries because of transport fees, fertiliser prices and reliance on diesel generators for power.
The war on Iran is estimated to hit Pacific economic growth, shaving 1 percent off pre-war growth projections of 3.4 percent next year.
Australia has stepped in to help Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Samoa to help absorb fuel-price shocks and help with supply.
China used to be the dominant lender to the region but shifted its strategy in more recent years to focus on more “small and beautiful” projects — as President Xi Jinping has described it — to win regional influence.
“China’s lending collapse to the region, sort of meant that it had to pivot or adapt how it engaged through aid and development channels, and how that’s materialised is these smaller, more grassroots projects,” Duke said.
“China is offering more training. It’s been donating more equipment, more scholarships, and you know it’s trying to find new ways to build relationships with Pacific countries.”
Those smaller donations include equipment to schools, police forces, and hospitals across the Pacific, as well as training to build up regional health, media, and policing industries.
Its largest single grant is a US$135 million ($192.63 million) project for new roads and bridges in Fiji, followed by the Nauru National Sports Stadium (US$73 million), the Vanuatu Earthquake Recovery Grant (US$57 million), and the High School Sports Complex in Tonga (US$26 million).
Duke said Chinese aid in the Pacific is “highly reactive” to diplomatic developments and acts as a “strategic lever”.
“When a country switches diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, or opens strategic negotiations with Australia, Chinese aid flows react.”
One example is Nauru’s 2024 switch of diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing — after which a flurry of Chinese aid followed, including the stadium project.
The report also found Chinese state-owned firms dominate contracts for infrastructure projects, including for multilateral projects…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DEFENCE: AAP PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Australia joins Pacific nations flexing military muscle
HONOLULU, 30 JULY 2026 (AAP) — Australia has taken part in the world’s largest naval training exercise with its Pacific neighbours, combining to curb the threat of further Chinese militarisation in the region.
The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), which runs every two years off the coast of Hawaii, has included more than 430 Australia Defence Force personnel, two aircraft, and two vessels.
This year, it was also accompanied by Fiji, which joined RIMPAC for the first time in 2026, shortly before signing a historic defence deal with Australia in early July.
The deal, and Fiji’s RIMPAC participation, advanced the federal government’s strategy to limit China’s influence across the Pacific region.
Hours after the arrangement was signed, China launched a long-range nuclear missile test in the South Pacific.
Tonga joined RIMPAC in 2018, while Australia and New Zealand have been part of the operation since its inception in 1971.
United States Vice Admiral Jeffrey Jablon told reporters on Wednesday RIMPAC was not just about signalling to a specific nation and instead focused on the “readiness of all the participating nations”.
But for Australia, having the involvement of Pacific islands is an important step to shoring up the nation’s influence in the region.
The country fired a naval strike missile from HMAS Sydney as part of the exercise; just the second time the navy has done so at RIMPAC.
Critics of the exercise have said Australia’s participation puts it in position to join further U.S-initiated conflict.
“We are not facing any threat to regional stability and security from China, our major trading partner,” Alison Broinowski of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network said in a statement.
“Rather, it is the ongoing U.S and Australian provocations in the South China Sea that represent the real danger.”
The comments come after the U.S allocated US$30 million in June to stockpile war-ready equipment for its marine corps in Bandiana, near Wodonga…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – TELEVISION COVERAGE: PMN PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
TVNZ backs greater funding certainty for Pacific programmes
AUCKLAND, 30 JULY 2026 (PMN) — Television New Zealand (TVNZ) says it supports calls for greater funding certainty for Pasifika programming in Aotearoa as streaming takes top priority in the broadcaster’s future strategy.
Speaking on Pacific Mornings, TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell backed funding certainty for programmes such as Tagata Pasifika, saying Pacific stories remain an important part of reflecting Aotearoa New Zealand.
“It’s really important that we showcase all New Zealanders, and we’re really committed, particularly in that Pasifika space,” she said.
“We’re always really, really conscious [when] we’re casting for our local shows, whether it’s Shortland Street or Celebrity Treasure Island, that we are reflecting New Zealand and all of New Zealand,” she said.
O’Donnell said funding certainty would help the industry develop future talent and strengthen skills.
“There really needs to be, to make sure there’s that long term commitment so that we can develop and learn the skills in the industry, I think is really important,” she said.
Tagata Pasifika is funded primarily through NZ On Air, which receives its annual budget allocation through the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
Tagata Pasifika lost a third of its funding in 2024, dropping from $1.91 million (US$1.10 million) to $1.25 million (US$720,000) in 2025. The cut reduced the show’s output from 51 episodes a year to 30.
Multi-year funding models like those used in Australia give broadcasters more certainty and clarity over future planning.
Since 2024, the Australian government has provided funding certainty over five years for broadcasters including the ABC and SBS.
John Utanga, Editor and Producer of Tagata Pasifika, told PMN News that while multi-year funding would make a major difference, it remains a long way from becoming reality in New Zealand.
“We’ve learned to adapt. I think any producer would love to have multi-year funding, the benefits are obvious,” he said.
Utanga said multi-year funding would allow programmes to plan better, commit to bigger projects and give staff greater security.
“The biggest uncertainty of course, is whether we all have a job and even a business next year,” he said.
“To say it is unnerving is an understatement but you learn to live with it and plan accordingly. It’s not ideal, those are the cards we’ve been dealt.”
Papali’i Lisa Taouma, executive producer at The Coconet TV, said multi-year funding would provide more stability for Pacific productions and their workforce.
“For platforms like the Coconet that receive no platform support at all, we rely on bunny hopping from contract to contract to survive,” she said.
“The gift of public funding to the industry means that we are bound to government allocations of funding to the ministries.
“NZ On Air has always had to operate on the highly contestable project funding model,” she said.
PMN News contacted the Ministry for Culture and Heritage for comment on multi-year funding. The ministry referred the query to NZ On Air.
While Pacific producers continue to push for more certainty, TVNZ is focused on a digital-first through its TVNZ+ platform.
O’Donnell’s comments came during a wider discussion about TVNZ’s streaming strategy following the success of its pay-to-view coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and its securing of rights for the 2030 tournament to be hosted across six countries in South America.
But the broadcaster continues to face financial pressure.
In March, TVNZ reported revenue of $134 million (US$77 million) for the previous six months, down 12 percent on the same period a year earlier due to weaker advertising income and asset write-downs.
The broadcaster has forecast a net loss of $48.8m (US$28.27 million) over two years as it invests in its Digital+ 2030 strategy.
For Pacific producers, the question remains whether longer future funding timelines can provide the certainty needed to keep telling Pacific stories and building the next generation of storytellers…. PACNEWS
B/VILLE – CHURCH: ABG GOVT PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Bougainville President Toroama commemorates 100 Years of the Gospel in Kieta
BUKA, 30 JULY 2026 (ABG GOVT) — Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama joined United Church members to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of the Gospel in Kieta during celebrations held at Roreinang on Sunday and Kongara One on Monday this week.
The gospel was first introduced to the Mountains of Kongara (Moru Village) by a missionary who came from Rataiku in Siwai. The missionaries brought the word of God and also brought education and health services to the people of Kieta, as they did in other parts of Bougainville.
The United Church is the first revived Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, formed by members of the Papuan London Missionary Society based in the Papuan Region, and the Methodist Church based in the New Guinea Islands region.
President Toroama, who is from Roreinang, a mission station of the United Church, encouraged the people on Sunday to look after the assets that the missionaries set up in the villages.
“When you look the buildings, the missionaries did not just build the church; they built it with schools. To the teachers who are teaching in church-run institutions, either United Church, Catholic, or Seventh Day Adventist, you will see that these are the institutions they set up to educate us, and our job is to protect them.”
In Konngara One (1), Dunara Primary School, President Toroama and Thomas Pataaku, who is the ABG Member for Ramu and Minister responsible for Education, and ABG Member for Kongara Constituency, Earnestly Peter Tedu, joined the community speech day and ground-breaking ceremony for a new Community Hall.
“I want to thank everyone of you for coming today, ending the first one hundred years of the church in Kongara and bridging it to the next one hundred years. Leaders of Kongara, pastors of Kongara, and everyone, this is the bridge you are building into a prosperous Kongara. This journey will take time, but we will get there.”
Education is one of the most important sectors that echoed through the President’s speech, as he encouraged the younger generation to take their education seriously to be the human resources of Kongara and Bougainville.
“You must learn, do not leave school, and always act in your best interest because in the next 30 years you will be leaders of this place.”
Minister Pataaku reinforced the President’s message by committing to the construction of a four-in-one classroom at Dunara Primary School.
He expressed his views on how education must be valued not only in the classroom but in each home. He said that children learn not only from reading and writing but also from seeing the actions of adults; therefore, the parents must put effort into being the best role models for their children.
“We want the best for you (students); that is why everything that we are going to do in Bougainville is because we want this place to change,” Minister Pataaku said.
With the vast evolving technologies slowly being introduced into the rural villages, like Artificial Intelligence, he encouraged the students to use their God-given brains and talents and not solely rely on technology.
“I believe that we should not allow AI to take over the brains God has given us; we can use those facilities but let us not allow such technical facilities to override how we use our brains.”
As the government continues to move towards self-governance and independence, the churches, chiefs and local NGOs continue to commit themselves to providing services to the people of Bougainville…. PACNEWS
UN – CLIMATE CHANGE: THE GUARDIAN PACNEWS 2: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Caribbean bears brunt of US$53 bllion climate-fuelled damage to developing islands
KINGSTON, 30 JULY 2026 (THE GUARDIAN) — Caribbean nations suffered US$53.2bn of damage from climate-fuelled disasters between 2000 and 2024, research into the cost of the climate crisis to developing small islands has found.
The figure is more than 90 percent of the total US$57bn in economic damage caused by floods, storms and drought across 39 developing island nations in the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, according to a study by development thinktank ODI Global.
ODI Global also estimates the climate crisis caused more than 190 deaths a year over the 25-year period studied.
The research is important for conversations about global climate reparations, the report’s author, Emily Wilkinson, said.
The Caribbean has been pursuing climate justice after bearing the brunt of the crisis, which is primarily caused by high carbon emitters outside the region.
Several Caribbean countries provided evidence to the international court of justice, the world’s top UN court, in a case that ended last year with a landmark advisory opinion that could mean states are ordered to pay compensation if they fail to tackle fossil fuels and prevent harm to the climate system.
Wilkinson said: “There have always been hurricanes, heavy rainfall, drought and temperature extremes, historically, but it’s really important to be able to say what percentage of that kind of strength or intensity is actually due to increasing global temperatures.
“Climate scientists do these attribution studies and they’re really important for when we start to think about responsibilities for the impacts of climate change, compensation and climate reparation.
“[They] tell you what kind of proportion of the intensity of the event is due to climate change. We’ve taken it a step further by doing an additional calculation, which is a fraction of attributable risk, to work out what percentage of the damage that’s been reported can be attributed to climate change.”
Published on Wednesday, the report also highlights the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, which tore through Jamaica in October 2025 with winds of 185mph (298 km/h), the strongest ever recorded in the country.
Experts say the storm was supercharged by global heating. The report attributes US$9.7bn – about 80 percent of the US$12.2bn of the government’s calculated damage and losses – directly to the climate crisis. This figure is almost half of the country’s total economy and far above commitments to the UN’s loss and damage fund to help climate vulnerable countries recover from disasters.
For Jamaica, it was the second year in a row that brutal storms caused widespread damage, after 2024’s Hurricane Beryl. Thousands of people were left without homes, livelihoods, communication services and basic utilities such as water and power.
As climate losses escalate, ODI says that international financing for climate crisis mitigation and adaptation is moving in the wrong direction as some wealthy nations cut contributions.
Government agencies and service providers in countries such as Jamaica have had to rethink their operations.
In May, Jamaica’s government passed the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority Act to speed up post-disaster rebuilding and improve resilience, and last month its prime minister, Andrew Holness, promised to invest in cleaner and cheaper renewable sources such as solar…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PACIFIC – DEEP SEA MINING: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Naoero backs fair seabed governance as ISA extends NORI exploration contract
KINGSTON, 30 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — The Republic of Naoero has reaffirmed its call for fair, transparent and workable seabed governance after the International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council approved a five-year extension of Nauru Ocean Resources Inc.’s (NORI) deep-sea exploration contract.
Naoero participated in the second part of the 31st session of the ISA Council in Kingston, led by Ambassador David Aingimea.
During the meeting, Ambassador Aingimea addressed ongoing legal matters before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), saying Naoero’s priority is to protect its role as a sponsoring State while ensuring seabed governance remains fair, transparent and workable for all countries, particularly small island developing States.
The government said Ambassador Aingimea welcomed the recommendation by the ISA’s Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) to extend NORI’s exploration contract.
Following deliberations, the ISA Council approved the recommendation and granted NORI a five-year extension to its deep-sea exploration contract on 20 July 2026.
The government also highlighted a ruling by the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on 18 July 2026.
It said the Chamber issued a unanimous decision in favour of NORI in proceedings against the ISA concerning compliance inquiries related to the extension of NORI’s exploration contract.
According to the government, the case concerned NORI’s claim that the ISA’s compliance inquiries violated its rights to due process and fair treatment under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Naoero supported NORI in its capacity as the sponsoring State, with Vice President Lionel Rouwen Aingimea appearing before the Tribunal to deliver oral statements on the country’s behalf…. PACNEWS
FIJI – AID: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Fiji not using geopolitical rivalry to secure aid, says Finance Minister
SUVA, 30 JULY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji’s Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel has rejected suggestions that government has strategically played China, Australia and Western multilateral banks against each other to boost Fiji’s development funding.
Responding to questions on the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Aid Map 2026 Report published, Immanuel said Fiji’s approach was one of even-handed partnership, not geopolitical manoeuvring.
“For us, we are not playing one against each other,” he said.
“We are friends to all nations and we leverage our needs towards, or probably for, all the countries. We are not against any country.”
The report found Fiji’s aid had more than doubled since the pandemic through a mix of Australian, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Chinese support
Immanuel pointed to Fiji’s debt position as evidence of responsible borrowing.
“We started with a high debt to GDP ratio. It was reduced, we reduced it, so we’ve been obtaining funds from our partners on a probably sustainable and responsible level.”
Fiji’s debt-to-GDP ratio fell from 91.8 percent in July 2022 to 79 percent in 2024 and 2025, before being projected to rise again to 84.8 percent by July 2027, according to Ministry of Finance figures, amid pressure from the global fuel crisis.
The Pacific Aid Map Report found that Australia remained the Pacific’s largest development partner, disbursing FJD$3.3 billion (U$S1.5bn) regionally in 2024, while multilateral lending, including from the ADB and World Bank, continued to expand.
Fiji’s Official Development Finance (ODF) reached a record FJD$1.5 billion (US$750 million) in 2024, more than doubling pre-pandemic levels as Australia, the World Bank and other multilateral lenders significantly increased support for the country, according to a new Lowy Institute report.
The Pacific Aid Map 2026 Key Findings Report found Fiji received FJD$1.5 billion (US$750 million) in development finance in 2024, up 64 percent on 2023 and about 80 percent above the 2015–2019 average.
The report attributed the increase to Fiji’s shift towards a more reform-minded government, supported by higher levels of funding from Australia, New Zealand and multilateral development banks.
The World Bank and Australia were Fiji’s largest development partners in 2024, each providing FJD$254 million (US$127 million), accounting for 25 percent of total development finance.
They were followed by the Asian Development Bank with FJD$186 million (US$93 million) (19 percent), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with FJD$113 million (11 percent) and New Zealand with FJD$48 million (US$24 million) (5 percent).
According to the report, 43 percent of Fiji’s development finance came as grants, while 57 percent was provided through loans, with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank remaining the country’s largest lenders.
The findings come weeks after Fiji and Australia signed the Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace Alliance treaties, under which Australia pledged more than FJD$1.57 billion (US$785 million) over the next decade, subject to parliamentary ratification.
The report said the Pacific was experiencing a broader shift in development financing, with multilateral lending expected to play a larger role as traditional donor budgets came under increasing pressure.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s public debt is projected to reach 84.8 percent of GDP by July next year, according to the 2026–2027 National Budget…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 30 Jul 2026
U.S Coast Guard Pacific Commander visits FFA Headquarters
HONIARA, 30 JULY 2026 (FFA) — The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) this week welcomed United States Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander, Vice Admiral Joseph R. Buzzella, to its Headquarters in Honiara.
FFA Director-General Noan David Pakop briefed Vice Admiral Buzzella on FFA’s mandate to support its 17 Members in the sustainable management and protection of their offshore fisheries resources, including the Agency’s role in coordinating regional fisheries surveillance and facilitating information and intelligence sharing to support national enforcement efforts.
The Director-General highlighted that support from partners such as the U.S strengthens the capacity of FFA Members to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
He also noted that regional fisheries surveillance increasingly contributes to broader maritime domain awareness, helping Members respond to transnational organised crime, illicit drug trafficking and other maritime security threats.
Discussions also covered the changing nature of IUUfishing, with greater risks now linked to unreported fishing activity and misreporting, rather than unlicensed fishing or fishing in unregulated areas.
Pakop also outlined FFA’s proposal for a new Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) facility, a project for which the Agency is currently seeking partner support.
He highlighted the proposed facility’s role as a future hub for regional and international cooperation, with the additional space and capability needed to support FFA’s expanding regional surveillance operations, partnerships and information-sharing activities.
Vice Admiral Buzzella was given a tour of the RFSC, where he observed the Centre’s operations.
Vice Admiral Buzzella provided an update on the recent signing of the Shiprider Agreement between the U.S and Solomon Islands, noting that it will assist Solomon Islands in protecting and enforcing its sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone.
He reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Pacific Island countries in their efforts to deter and respond to IUU fishing and acknowledged the importance of fisheries to the region’s economies.
The United States is one of FFA’s Pacific QUAD partners, alongside Australia, New Zealand and France.
The Pacific QUADs work closely with FFA to support Pacific Island countries through aerial surveillance, maritime patrols, intelligence analysis and other operational assistance to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Good policy is the foundation of every strong organisation: FFA
HONIARA, 30 JULY 2026 (FFA) — Some of Forum Fisheries Agency’s (FFA) senior staff this week completed a Policy Workshop focused on strengthening the way policies are developed, approved and implemented across the Secretariat.
Opening the workshop, Director-General Noan David Pakop highlighted the importance of a clear and consistent policy framework as a foundation of a strong organisation, supporting good governance, accountability and effective decision-making.
The workshop followed the recent approval of a Policy Administration Review, and the KPMG Refresh Review, which identified the need to strengthen FFA’s policy framework.
Throughout the day, participants worked through practical exercises using existing policies to test new templates and processes that will guide future policy development, review and approval.
The workshop marks the beginning of a refreshed approach to policy across the Secretariat, helping ensure FFA’s policies are clear, consistent and fit for purpose…. PACNEWS
B/VILLE – TAX MEET: ABG GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 30 Jul 2026
Internal Revenue Commission and Bougainville Tax Office meet to strengthen tax compliance and revenue collection
GOROKA, 30 JULY 2026 (ABG GOVT) — The Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), through the Bougainville Tax Office (BTO), have reinforced their commitment to strengthening tax administration, improving taxpayer compliance, and enhancing revenue collection in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) following the Joint IRC-ABG/BTO quarterly meeting held in Goroka this week.
The meeting was co-chaired by IRC Acting Commissioner General Sam Loi and senior ABG Treasury representatives and brought together officials from both organisations to review progress on ongoing initiatives, discuss operational priorities, and strengthen collaboration aimed at increasing revenue performance in Bougainville.
The quarterly meeting reviewed previous meeting decisions, outstanding action items, implementation of the Joint Work Plan, quarterly revenue and expenditure reports, operational matters, funding arrangements and future collaborative activities.
Speaking after the meeting, IRC Acting Commissioner General Sam Loi said the partnership between IRC and ABG/BTO continues to play a critical role in improving tax compliance and revenue mobilisation across Bougainville.
“The IRC values its close working relationship with the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Bougainville Tax Office. Through our quarterly engagements, we continue to strengthen cooperation, share information, review performance, and implement practical measures that support improved taxpayer compliance and increased revenue collection in AROB.”
Loi said discussions focused on tax revenue performance, ABG expenditure reporting, operational challenges and opportunities to strengthen taxpayer education, compliance monitoring and enforcement activities.
“Sustainable revenue growth depends on strong partnerships, effective administration and creating an enabling voluntary compliance environment. Together with our ABG counterparts, we are committed to building a stronger tax culture that supports economic development and enables government services to be delivered effectively to the people of Bougainville.”
A key outcome of the meeting was the reaffirmation of both organisations’ commitment to implementing the Joint Work Plan, which outlines collaborative initiatives in taxpayer services, compliance activities, information sharing, capacity building and a legal framework for revenue administration for Bougainville.
The meeting also discussed the revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IRC and ABG/BTO. While preparations for the signing have been completed, the formal signing was scheduled to a later date in Port Moresby.
Loi said both parties remain fully committed to executing the revised agreement.
“The revised MoU represents an important framework for continued collaboration between IRC and ABG. While the signing has been deferred, both parties have reaffirmed their commitment to formalising the agreement in Port Moresby at the earliest opportunity.”
The meeting also facilitated the handover of the IRC Co-Chair role to the a/CGs delegate in Commissioner Tax Operations, ensuring continuity in leadership and governance arrangements under the joint partnership.
Loi acknowledged the strong support and collaboration provided by ABG and BTO officials and reiterated the IRC’s commitment to supporting Bougainville’s revenue administration objectives.
“Our shared goal is to improve compliance, increase collections, strengthen institutional capacity and maximise domestic revenue mobilisation for the benefit of the people of Bougainville. We look forward to continuing our partnership and implementing the agreed actions arising from this meeting.”
Both parties concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to maintaining regular engagement and advancing initiatives that will strengthen tax compliance and revenue collection throughout AROB…. PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Fiji advances Multi-Hazard Early Warning systems through National Dialogue on Common Alerting Protocol
SIGATOKA, 30 JULY 2026 (UNDP) — The Government of Fiji, through the National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convening a three-day workshop marking an important milestone in Fiji’s efforts to strengthen its national early warning system under the global Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative.
The National Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Workshop and National Dialogue on Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System – a key step towards implementing Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System Roadmap and strengthening national resilience to climate-related and natural hazards – brought together government agencies, telecommunications providers, broadcasters, technical experts, development partners and key stakeholders.
Supported by the Green Climate Fund, the initiative seeks to enhance Fiji’s capacity to provide timely, accurate and accessible early warning information to communities through improved coordination, interoperable systems and internationally recognised standards.
The workshop builds on recommendations from Fiji’s inaugural CAP workshop conducted under the “Mapping, Assessing and Planning for Comprehensive Multi-Hazard Early Warning Capabilities (MHEWS)” project implemented through the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative.
Over the next three days, participants will discuss the technical, institutional and governance arrangements required to operationalise the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) in Fiji. CAP is an internationally recognised standard that enables emergency alerts to be created once and disseminated simultaneously across multiple communication channels, including SMS, Cell Broadcast, radio, television, websites, mobile applications and social media platforms.
By establishing a coordinated national approach to CAP implementation, Fiji aims to strengthen the consistency, reliability and reach of public warnings across multiple hazards, ensuring that communities receive actionable information when it matters most.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu said: “Fiji continues to face a wide range of hazards, including tropical cyclones, floods, storm surges, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and emerging technological and environmental risks. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of many of these hazards, the need for effective, timely, and people-centred early warning systems has never been greater. Historical records show that tropical cyclones alone have affected more than 1.8 million people in Fiji over the past decades, causing significant loss of lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, and development gains.”
UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Head of Pacific Sub-Regional Office, Gabrielle Emery said:“When we began this journey several years ago, one of the key areas was we have a very strong system to already work on, but early warnings are not going to result in anything if we do not bring this whole ecosystem together. That means working across the different pillars from risk information to looking at the observations, the forecasting, to looking at how the messages are disseminated. And importantly, how those messages actually turn into action and action of our communities and particularly those of our most risk communities.”
UNDP Pacific Office Deputy Resident Representative, Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov said: “An early warning system is only as effective as the last person it reaches. Our work must be people centred. It must intentionally reach the furthest – remote maritime communities, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Warnings must be accessible, understandable, and actionable for every Fijian, regardless of where they live, their gender, age or physical ability.”
The workshop is being delivered with specialised technical support from UNDP together with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). International experts will share global best practices and technical guidance on CAP implementation and interoperable warning dissemination systems.
The discussions focus around developing Fiji’s National CAP Profile and National CAP Policy, clarifying institutional roles and responsibilities, reviewing alert approval and dissemination processes, and strengthening inter-agency coordination mechanisms that support end-to-end warning delivery.
The workshop will also examine the institutional and technical arrangements required to establish the NDRMO as Fiji’s national alert aggregation authority, responsible for receiving, coordinating and disseminating multi-hazard alerts across multiple communication platforms.
The workshop is being delivered under Fiji’s Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) project, a Green Climate Fund-supported initiative led by UNDP and the Government of Fiji to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems nationwide. By improving risk information, forecasting, warning dissemination and community preparedness, the project supports Fiji’s commitments under the Sendai Framework, SDG 13 (Climate Action), and the Paris Agreement, ensuring that no one is left behind when disasters strike…. PACNEWS
For more information, please contact: Ashna Kumar, Communications Associate | UNDP Pacific Office | (E) Ashna.kumar@undp.org
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
HIV, hepatitis, STI gains at risk as funding falls, WHO warns
GENEVA, 30 JULY 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — Years of progress in tackling HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at risk of stalling, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving prevention, testing and treatment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
A new analysis found that while countries have made significant advances over the past decade, funding shortfalls, humanitarian crises and persistent inequalities are widening gaps in care for those most at risk.
“This report tells two stories” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It demonstrates what is possible when countries invest in health, communities and science. But it also shows how quickly progress can be undone with funding disruptions, humanitarian emergencies and persistent inequalities.”
Millions left behind
By the end of 2025, an estimated 32 million people living with HIV were receiving treatment worldwide. Since 2010, new HIV infections have fallen by 42 percent and AIDS-related deaths by 57 percent.
Yet around nine million people still lack access to life-saving HIV medicines, while infections continue to rise in several regions, particularly among populations facing stigma and discrimination, including sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people and people in prisons.
The picture is similarly mixed for viral hepatitis.
Annual hepatitis B infections have declined by nearly one-third since 2015, and deaths linked to hepatitis C have fallen. Despite those gains, viral hepatitis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming an estimated 1.3 million lives in 2024.
Meanwhile, progress against sexually transmitted infections has slowed.
Although more pregnant women are being screened for syphilis and HPV vaccination coverage has improved modestly, infection rates continue to rise in many countries, while there is growing resistance to antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea.
Funding pressures
WHO warned that reductions in international donor funding disrupted HIV prevention programmes in several countries during 2025, affecting access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medicine that significantly reduces the risk of acquiring HIV.
Some governments have stepped in to maintain services, but early data suggest PrEP use has already declined in several countries and communities.
The agency also highlighted continuing barriers to diagnosing and treating hepatitis B, despite the availability of highly effective medicines capable of preventing millions of deaths.
Integrated health systems
WHO said integrating HIV, hepatitis and STI services into primary health care is one of the fastest ways to expand access while building more resilient health systems.
The report also highlights innovations such as long-acting HIV prevention medicines, improved diagnostic tools and stronger digital health systems as key opportunities to accelerate progress.
Among the most promising advances is the WHO-recommended, twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir, which is now being introduced in 10 countries, with rollout planned in a further 14.
Speaking to UN News last month, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), described the medicine as a potential game changer.
“Lenacapavir is a highly effective HIV prevention tool. Administered as an injection just twice a year, it has the potential to transform the HIV response by preventing new infections, particularly among populations at greatest risk” she said.
WHO also stressed the importance of strengthening community leadership, ensuring that people most affected by HIV, hepatitis and STIs help shape health programmes and monitor whether services are reaching those who need them most.
“Over the next five years, we must build integrated, resilient health systems that reach those furthest behind,” Tedros said.
Tuesday marks World Hepatitis Day, the birthday of the Nobel-prize winning scientist who discovered the hepatitis B virus…. PACNEWS
