In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific climate summit plans shift as Tuvalu pushes world leaders to witness frontline crisis
2. NAURU — Nauru, the world’s 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero
3. PACIFIC — China Coast Guard poses Indo-Pacific threat: Wu
4. FIJI — Kamikamica says focus now shifts to governing Fiji after perjury case dismissal
5. VAN — Education system not working, needs reform: Vanuatu PM
6. VAN — Kilman calls for review of presidential pardon process
7. PACIFIC — Papua New Guinea and Australia partner to strengthen secondary education
8. PACNEWS BIZ — PM Wale confirmed as keynote speaker for inaugural PNG-Solomon Islands Investment Conference
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Vanuatu among five Pacific states facing permanent U.S visa bond requirement
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Connectivity, resilience and AI governance: Vanuatu’s message to Pacific ICT Ministers
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Japanese demand for PNG vanilla growing: Businessman
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Vulnerable workers bearing the cost of providing Australia with cheap food
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Birth certificates issued to newborns for the first time at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital
14. PACNEWS SPORT — Lakapi Samoa Independent Board member resigns
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE/PRE-COP: PMN PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Pacific climate summit plans shift as Tuvalu pushes world leaders to witness frontline crisis
FUNAFUTI, 04 AUGUST 2026 (PMN) — A major climate meeting in Tuvalu designed to put the Pacific at the centre of global climate talks could be opened to ministers instead of only presidents and prime ministers.
The move comes as Australia struggles to secure top-level attendance for the meeting, due to take place in October ahead of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) summit in Türkiye.
The meeting is expected to bring government leaders, officials, businesses and civil society groups to Fiji before a smaller gathering in Tuvalu.
Australia had pushed for only heads of government to attend the Tuvalu meeting, hoping to shine a global spotlight on one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
But according to media reports, diplomatic sources say several countries have been reluctant to commit with travel demands, competing international events and global uncertainty making it difficult for leaders to attend.
Australia is now considering allowing countries to send ministers or other senior political representatives instead while continuing to encourage leaders to make the trip.
But for Tuvalu, the priority is ensuring decision-makers see the impact of climate change with their own eyes.
Addressing a clean energy forum in Sydney last week, Tuvalu’s High Commissioner to Australia, Samuelu Laloniu, said the gathering offered a unique opportunity for visiting leaders to understand what Pacific communities were already living through.
“We want them to see how we are coping, how we are adapting, and how we are building our resilience, how we, for example, are growing our food crops on lands that are frequently flooded with seawater,” Laloniu said.
“Tuvalu has an opportunity to really showcase the need for immediate transformational changes in terms of how we adapt to the climate crisis.”
The pre-COP meeting was agreed as part of Australia’s partnership with Türkiye, which will host the main COP31 summit in November.
New Zealand is also expected to take part in the Fiji and Tuvalu meetings alongside other Pacific partners as regional leaders push for stronger global commitments on climate action and greater support for adaptation across the Pacific.
Australia has promoted the event as a chance to focus global attention on Pacific priorities including raising more money for the Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-led fund that supports climate adaptation projects across the region.
So far, countries have pledged US$172 million towards the fund, well short of its US$500m target by the end of the year.
Diplomatic sources have told ABC Pacific that attracting world leaders has proved harder than expected.
“It has been very difficult for them,” one diplomat said.
Another senior foreign official warned Australia needed to rethink its approach. “They need to be more flexible, and more realistic.”
Australia says it remains committed to bringing global attention to Pacific climate challenges.
A spokesperson for Climate Minister, Chris Bowen, said Australia was “focused on bringing the world to the region to see climate impacts and solutions firsthand and deliver on Pacific priorities”.
“That involves convening a range of actors and leaders, across government, industry and civil society,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Pre-COPs are critical to setting the main COPs up for success, and by bringing attention to the Pacific, we will be able to influence global negotiations to focus on our region. That’s good for the Pacific and Australia.”
The spokesperson declined to say whether any world leaders had confirmed they would travel to Tuvalu.
Whether represented by presidents, prime ministers or ministers, Pacific leaders, who are set to meet in Palau later this month, hope the October meeting will keep climate change firmly on the global agenda and strengthen support for communities already facing rising seas, stronger storms and growing pressure to adapt…. PACNEWS
NAURU – NATION: ABC PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Nauru, the world’s 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero
YAREN, 04 AUGUST 2026 (ABC) — The Pacific Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
The country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. Commonly known abroad by the pronunciation of Now-roo, the new name is spoken as Now-ero.
The move would return the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, a statement posted Thursday to the government’s Facebook account said. The country became known internationally as Nauru only because its local name was difficult for foreigners to pronounce and was a matter of convenience rather than one of choice, according to an earlier government statement.
“This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” President David Adeang said when he proposed the move to Parliament in January. The suggested constitutional amendment has been endorsed by lawmakers in the requisite two rounds of voting, though it wasn’t immediately clear if the document had been formally amended.
With 12,000 residents, Nauru is the world’s third-smallest country by population size, after Tuvalu and Vatican City. The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonised by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968.
It has faced tumultuous circumstances, with phosphate mining creating huge wealth on the island in the 1970s before the industry collapsed, bringing Nauru to the brink of economic ruin in the 1990s.
Now, the country is one of the world’s most at risk from rising seas due to climate change, prompting the government to seek overseas investment through a paid citizenship programme intended to fund the movement of people and infrastructure away from the encroaching ocean.
The name change indicated “the beginning of renewed national pride,” Adeang said in his latest announcement. When his government last voted for the move in May, the president announced a referendum to confirm it.
The government said in last week’s statement that after “extensive discussions,” lawmakers had decided a public vote wasn’t needed.
“While a referendum is intended to determine the will of the people, the name Naoero has never been lost, but rather waiting to be fully embraced,” the statement said.
The designation “is already the identity of the people, is on the national coat of arms, and spoken in the community; and importantly is allowed by the Constitution,” it added.
The move makes the country the latest to signal a shift away from a colonial past by changing its name. The tiny African kingdom of Eswatini reverted to its historic name from Swaziland in 2018. Other countries have sought the switch as a sort of rebrand, as Turkey did when Ankara asked the United Nations in 2022 to begin calling the country Türkiye, which the nation had long gone by at home.
Nauru’s decision will prompt the renaming of its national aircraft and ships. The government was already seeking to have other countries and international institutions recognise the shift, its statement said.
The website of the United Nations records the country by its new name, noting the government had requested it be changed in June. Australia and New Zealand’s foreign ministries as well as the U.S and Chinese embassies in the region also designate the country as Naoero on their websites…. PACNEWS
PAC – MARITIME: TAIPEI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
China Coast Guard poses Indo-Pacific threat: Wu
TAIPEI, 04 AUGUST 2026 (TAIPEI TIMES) — Taiwan National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu has accused China of using its coast guard and other official vessels to threaten not only Taiwan, but the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“The threat posed by China is toward the whole region,” Wu said in an English-language interview with Nikkei Asia published Monday.
The entire First Island Chain, stretching from Japan southward through Taiwan to the Philippines and Malaysia, is facing increasing maritime aggression, he said.
Taiwan’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems have detected a significant increase in Chinese official vessel activity in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, the western Pacific and the South China Sea, he said.
Wu’s comments came after China launched a series of “special maritime law enforcement operations” in waters east of Taiwan in June.
Beijing said the operations were a response to Japan and the Philippines launching bilateral talks on maritime boundary delimitation in the area, which China claimed infringed on its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
China claims most of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling that its maritime claims have no legal basis under international law.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said that Chinese coast guard and other official vessels have been operating in waters east of Taiwan and around Taiwan-controlled islands in the South China Sea in the past few weeks.
The vessels have also broadcast radio warnings ordering passing merchant ships to leave the area, it said.
The CGA has routinely dispatched patrol vessels to monitor the Chinese ships and ordered them to leave whenever they enter Taiwan’s restricted waters.
Wu said Taiwan is taking steps to address the challenges posed by Chinese official vessels operating in surrounding waters.
The government has established a cross-agency mechanism to counter China’s expansionism, with one objective being to share Taiwan’s experience with other countries to help build a united front, he said.
Over the past few months, U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Department of State have criticised China’s deployment of coast guard vessels to waters near Taiwan, saying the operations undermine regional stability.
A social media post by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S embassy in Taiwan, showing U.S and Taiwanese coast guard vessels sailing in formation late last month also demonstrated Washington’s commitment to working with Taipei to promote regional peace and stability amid Chinese aggression, academics interviewed by Central News Agency said.
The de facto embassies of the UK, Germany and France in Taiwan on 24 June also issued a joint statement expressing concern over China’s “special maritime law enforcement operations” in waters east of Taiwan, saying the actions threatened regional stability…. PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FIJIVILLAGE PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Kamikamica says focus now shifts to governing Fiji after perjury case dismissal
SUVA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (FIJIVILLAGE) — Fiji’s former Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says his focus is now on serving the country after the dismissal of the perjury case against him.
He says Monday’s ruling has restored truth and justice.
Speaking after the ruling, Kamikamica says the ruling marks a new chapter and it is time to move forward.
He says there is a government to run, people to lead, and preparations for the next general election.
Kamikamica also thanked his supporters from across the country for their prayers and messages of encouragement throughout the court proceedings.
When asked if he hopes to be reappointed to a ministerial portfolio, Kamikamica says that decision rests entirely with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Responding to questions about his conduct, Kamikamica says he has maintained his innocence from the beginning.
He says integrity has always been key to him.
When fijivillage got his reaction that Prime Minister Rabuka will get his positions fully restored, Kamikamica says it is the Prime Minister’s decision, and he will leave it to him.
Kamikamica says he will be honoured to do whatever the Prime Minister wants him to do…. PACNEWS
VAN – EDUCATION: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Education system not working, needs reform: Vanuatu PM
PORT VILA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Vanuatu’s education system, which has existed since colonial times, needs to be reformed as it is not delivering the outcomes expected by the people, according to Prime Minister Jotham Napat.
He stressed at the opening of the National Education Forum in Port Vila Monday that the education system is facing challenges, with 70 percent of children unable to read and write and many dropping out of school.
“Unfortunately, this system, which many of us experienced, is influenced by foreign ideas and is not working in our favour. It’s sad to say that almost 70 percent of our children cannot read and write.
The idea for this forum is to create an education system that belongs and works for us,” he said.
The education system has two separate language streams that operate side by side — one in English and one in French. The PM said the forum should consider whether having one combined system would be more effective and affordable.
He said the Government considers education a priority, so it spends a lot of money on it. Of the total VT64 billion budget this year, VT13.3 billion (US$111.13 million) (24 per cent) was allocated to education.
The PM said while the Government is investing money and has stepped up to address teachers’ issues, they must also perform and deliver better results. “While the Government is investing a lot of resources in the education sector, our teachers are not performing. It has to be a win-win situation,” he said.
He said the Government plans to increase funding for the education sector as the cost of education continues to rise.
“In four years, Vanuatu will mark 50 years as an independent nation. When that time comes, everyone will reflect on what has been achieved in education. As the PM, I am not satisfied. Matters of education are regularly discussed in the Council of Ministers because we are concerned about the future,” he said.
The PM said education is everyone’s responsibility and called on Directors General (DGs) of ministries to participate in the forum and share expertise.
He pointed out that some DGs are performing below the expected standard and must step up their performance.
“I want to ask all DGs to arrive on time at the forum and participate. It does not look good when all ministers are present and some arrive late. Punctuality is part of reform. Many of you go to work late. If we want reform, it must start with us,” said the PM.
“I commend some of you for the work you do, but it is still below the expected standard. Some of you are performing below the expected standard. Some of you have a lot of knowledge, but are you not using that knowledge effectively?
“If I am going to be here at the forum these three days, starting at 8am, everyone has to be present before 8am. I appeal to everyone to work together and develop new pathways to transform the education system.”
The National Education Forum continues today and will end on Thursday under the theme: “Building a nation from its own foundation.” …. PACNEWS
VAN – PRESIDENTAL PARDON: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Kilman calls for review of presidential pardon process
PORT VILA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — One of Vanuatu’s former Prime Ministers, Sato Kilman, has called for a review of Vanuatu’s presidential pardon process, saying pardons should only be granted for clear reasons and not in a way that undermines the country’s justice system.
Speaking on the latest episode of Kava mo Kajap (KmK), Kilman questioned the use of presidential pardons following the recent release of former Speaker Simeon Seule and other inmates.
“A pardon is a privilege and something that we must look at carefully — how it is used, why it is used, and what it is intended to achieve,” Kilman said.
He said the country invests considerable time and resources investigating, prosecuting and convicting offenders, and those efforts should not be diminished by pardons that appear to lack a clear purpose.
“Just imagine how much money and resources the country puts into getting these people prosecuted. Then, shortly after, they get pardoned,” he said.
“I think just pardoning people here and there, without really any reason or purpose, is an unhealthy practice.”
Kilman stressed that he was not opposed to the constitutional power of pardon itself but believed the process should be exercised carefully and transparently.
His comments came after KmK host Mavuku Tokona referred to the recent pardon of former Speaker Simeon Seule, noting that the public had been told the release was linked to medical reasons.
A public call for the revocation of several of the recent pardons has also emerged after it was determined that four rapists — two of whom were child rapists — were among those pardoned. The Daily Posthad contacted the State House for an explanation of the President’s decision to pardon these detainees.
Kilman said the issue goes beyond any individual case and instead raises broader questions about public confidence in the justice system.
He said if convicted offenders are released soon after lengthy court proceedings, many citizens may question the value of the resources spent on investigations, prosecutions and trials.
“The country spends significant resources bringing these cases before the courts,” he said. “People expect those processes to mean something.”
Kilman said reviewing the current approach to presidential pardons would help strengthen public trust in both the justice system and national institutions.
He said the power of pardon remains an important constitutional responsibility and should always be exercised in a manner that maintains confidence in the rule of law…. PACNEWS
PAC – EDUCATION: EMTV PACNEWS 2: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Papua New Guinea and Australia partner to strengthen secondary education
PORT MORESBY, 04 AUGUST 2026 (EMTV) — The Australian Government’s Papua New Guinea Secondary Education Programme (PNG SEP) has officially commenced, aimed at strengthening secondary education across Papua New Guinea.
The three-year Australian Government investment will focus on improving teaching and learning, building school leadership, creating safer and more inclusive learning environments, and fostering stronger education partnerships between Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Deputy Principal of Kerevat National School of Excellence, Pauline Suvi, said the programme would provide practical support to schools in strengthening teaching and learning.
“PNG SEP brings educators and partners together to improve classroom practice, strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics teaching, and deliver better learning resources for students,” she said.
“This support will help schools provide quality lessons and improve learning outcomes for young Papua New Guineans.”
Consultations conducted during visits to participating schools highlighted that while each school faces unique opportunities and challenges, there is a shared commitment to improving classroom practices, expanding access to quality learning resources, strengthening leadership, and creating safer and more inclusive learning environments.
Chairman of the Governing Council at Sogeri National School of Excellence, Gogobe Rueben Mairi, said PNG SEP would support stronger school leadership and inclusive learning environments.
“Australia has been a longstanding partner in supporting education in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“PNG SEP will help school leaders, teachers, and students work together to strengthen school improvement, address practical infrastructure needs, and create better conditions for learning.”
Implementation of the programme is already underway, with English textbook distribution and school-based professional learning commencing across participating schools…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – INVESTMENT CONFERENCE: SOLOMON STAR PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 04 Aug 2026
PM Wale confirmed as keynote speaker for inaugural PNG-Solomon Islands Investment Conference
HONIARA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (SOLOMON STAR) — Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the official opening of the landmark bilateral PNGSI Investment Conference scheduled to get underway in a fortnight.
The historic event will run over two days from 19 to 20 August 2026 at Heritage Park Hotel, Honiara.
The conference, hosted by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and the Papua New Guinea–Solomon Islands Business Council (PNGSIBC), will bring together government leaders, investors, and business executives under the theme “From Opportunity to Investment: Building the PNG–Solomon Islands Growth Corridor.”
Prime Minister Wale’s participation underscores the GREAT Coalition Government’s commitment to Economic Transformation—a key pillar of its national development agenda.
His attendance directly advances the Government’s vision of creating local economic opportunities and enabling more Solomon Islanders to participate meaningfully in national prosperity.
“We are deeply honoured that Prime Minister Wale has accepted our invitation. His Excellency’s participation underscores the highest level of government commitment to strengthening our bilateral economic relationship with Papua New Guinea and building a prosperous Melanesian economic corridor,” SICCI Chairlady Namoi Kaluae stated.
The conference follows the historic signing of the Framework Agreement on Development and Economic Cooperation (2026–2030) with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.
The agreement demonstrates the shared commitment of both leaders to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, mining, fisheries, and infrastructure development.
Prime Minister Wale has welcomed Papua New Guinea’s mining companies to explore investment opportunities in Solomon Islands, affirming that the two nations must work side by side as Melanesian neighbours with shared ancestry and history.
Prime Minister Wale’s presence at the conference will provide investors and businesses with a unique opportunity to engage directly with the nation’s leader on projects that can drive economic growth and create employment.
His Government’s Local Content Policy, which reserves government contracts below SBD50 million (US$6.21 million) for Solomon Islands businesses, further demonstrates the administration’s commitment to empowering local enterprise.
Other confirmed speakers include Harry Kuma, Minister for Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration; Derrick Manuari, Minister for Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification; and Mike Wate, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund.
Additional speaker announcements will be made in the coming weeks…. PACNEWS
VAN – VISA: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Vanuatu among five Pacific states facing permanent U.S visa bond requirement
PORT VILA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Vanuatu is among five Pacific Islands Forum member states that will be permanently included in a United States visa bond programme under which certain eligible travellers may be required to post a bond of up to US$20,000 before being granted a temporary visitor visa.
Radio New Zealand reported the development after the U.S State Department confirmed it would make its Visa Bond Pilot Programme permanent, as first reported by Reuters over the weekend.
The Trump administration’s visa bond programme, which covers more than 50 countries, mostly in Africa, was introduced in late August 2025 to crack down on visa overstayers in the U.S. Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are the five Pacific Island countries included in the programme.
According to the federal notice, nationals of the identified countries will remain subject to the visa bond requirement under the final rule.
“Under the Programme … visa bonds may be required from certain business/pleasure (B1/B2) visa applicants who are nationals of countries with high overstay rates, deficient information sharing, insufficient identity verification and criminal records, and that need improvement in the area of screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship,” the notice states.
The pilot programme required bonds of US$5,000, US$10,000 or up to US$15,000, but the final rule removes the US$5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to US$20,000.
The U.S government says the bonds have proved to be “an effective tool for reducing overstayers”.
Reuters reported the final rule takes effect on 3 August, when it is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register…. PACNEWS
VAN – ICT: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Connectivity, resilience and AI governance: Vanuatu’s message to Pacific ICT Ministers
PORT VILA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) — Vanuatu has called for Pacific cultural and traditional knowledge to be protected from use in Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems without free, prior and informed consent, and has urged that this safeguard be made an enforceable requirement rather than a voluntary principle.
The call came as Vanuatu delivered its country statement to the Forum ICT Ministers Meeting in Port Moresby, reporting progress across all six priorities of the Pacific ICT and Digital Transformation Action Plan (PIDTAP) 2024 to 2030.
Vanuatu was represented by Special Envoy on ICT and Member of Parliament (MP) for Efate Rural, Fred Samuel, speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister in his capacity as Minister responsible for Communications and Digital Transformation.
Reflecting on the earthquake that struck Vanuatu in late 2024, MP Samuel told Ministers the event had permanently changed how Vanuatu views connectivity.
“When digital connectivity is disrupted, the impacts of a crisis are magnified,” he said. “Digital infrastructure is no longer simply a development priority. It is critical national infrastructure and an essential component of resilience.”
Vanuatu urged that digital infrastructure must receive the same strategic attention and investment as transport, energy and water, particularly for countries facing among the world’s highest levels of climate and disaster risk.
Vanuatu reported that its National ID programme has reached more than 97 per cent of the population, providing a foundation for public service delivery, development planning and disaster response.
Mobile penetration has reached 96.13 per cent of the population, while prepaid data prices fell 7 per cent over the past year. This was described as evidence that expanding access and improving affordability can advance together.
Guided by its Digital Transformation Masterplan and the Digital Transformation Act No. 42 of 2025, Vanuatu is committed to digitising all government business processes and delivering key public services online by 2030. Vanuatu continues to seek support from stakeholders and partners in advancing this work.
On infrastructure, the TamTam Submarine Cable Project will end Vanuatu’s reliance on a single international cable, adding a second connection through New Caledonia and incorporating SMART cable technology that contributes to seismic monitoring and early warning.
Samuel also highlighted the Smart Island Programme in Malekula, delivered with the International Telecommunication Union, which has trained more than two thousand people in digital literacy and supported Vanuatu’s first infrastructure-sharing tower. He further pointed to the Economic Micro Hub in Emua Village, which brings connectivity, digital payments and government services closer to rural communities.
Beyond its country statement, Vanuatu advanced positions across the day’s main agenda items.
On AI, Ministers adopted the Digital Technologies and AI Principles for the Pacific, a unified regional framework for ethical AI adoption that will be progressed to Forum Leaders. Vanuatu supported the principles while calling for the safeguard protecting Pacific cultural and traditional knowledge to be made an enforceable requirement in the AI Governance Framework now to be developed.
Vanuatu is currently procuring the development of its National AI Strategy and asked that regional technical assistance complement, rather than duplicate, national work already underway.
On online safety, Vanuatu backed a phased regional approach to addressing the harms of social media platforms, particularly for children, youth, women and the elderly. Vanuatu joined calls for greater accountability from global technology companies and for regional cooperation on technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Vanuatu asked that any future measures, including age restrictions, be paired with digital literacy and reporting support, noting that for dispersed island communities these platforms remain a vital means of maintaining family and community connections.
On regional governance and cooperation, Vanuatu supported work to strengthen the Forum’s ICT governance arrangements and a new regional framework for monitoring progress under PIDTAP. It urged that reporting requirements remain realistic and proportionate for small administrations.
Throughout the day, Vanuatu pressed for the particular capacity constraints of Smaller Island States to be reflected directly within regional frameworks, and for stronger cybersecurity cooperation, noting that no Pacific country can address evolving cyber threats alone.
Vanuatu also welcomed strengthened engagement by the International Telecommunication Union in the region, including the proposal for an ITU Area Office in the Pacific.
The Ministers Meeting formed part of a wider Digital Transformation Summit in Port Moresby, running alongside Pacific Cyber Week and the Pacific Cyber Security Operational Network (PaCSON). Vanuatu participated in these parallel events, which brought together regional governments, development partners and industry to strengthen cyber resilience, digital public infrastructure and operational threat sharing across the Pacific. Related activities include a Subregional CyberDrill, co-organised by the International Telecommunication Union and PaCSON, connecting national Computer Incident Response Teams from across the region.
“Our progress will not be measured by the number of systems deployed or the kilometres of cable installed.”
“It will be measured by whether a citizen in one of our most remote island communities can confidently access government services, participate in digital commerce and receive timely information. Vanuatu remains committed to a digital Pacific where no community is left behind,” MP Samuel said…. PACNEWS
PNG – VANILLA: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Japanese demand for PNG vanilla growing: Businessman
PORT MORESBY, 04 AUGUST 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — There is a growing demand for Papua New Guinea’s vanilla in Japan since last year’s Osaka World Expo, says Japanese businessman Narimitsu Sasaki.
Boina Malana owner Sasaki said with the resumption of direct Air Niugini flights to Japan, “business has become easier”.
He started importing vanilla from East Sepik since last year’s World Expo in Japan and the vanilla beans have been “very well received in Japan”.
“They are being used in cheesecakes, puddings, and other sweets,” Narimitsu said.
“The feedback has been extremely positive. People especially appreciate the rich vanilla aroma, along with a subtle spicy note that I believe is part of Papua New Guinea’s unique terroir.”
He said although Madagascar was the dominant supplier of vanilla beans, and PNG vanilla was relatively unknown in the Japanese market, there were important advantages of PNG such as its close proximity to Japan.
“Thanks to those connections, all the import procedures were successfully completed, and the first shipment arrived in Japan in April this year,” Narimitsu said.
“Since then, I’ve been supplying vanilla beans to a growing number of businesses.
“I run my own brand, Boina Malana.
“My connection with PNG began in 2015 when I came here as a Jica (Japanese International Corporation Agency) volunteer.
“I lived in Rabaul for about two-and-a-half years, and even then, I felt that PNG had tremendous potential.
“I always hoped that one day I could build a business connected to this country.
“Now, almost 10 years later, I feel incredibly grateful that I am still working with Papua New Guineans.
“None of this would be possible without the coffee and vanilla growers who continue to support my business.
“In many ways, they are the foundation of what I do,” Sasaki told The National…. 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
Vulnerable workers bearing the cost of providing Australia with cheap food
By Adele Ferguson, Chris Gillett and Madi Chwasta of ABC Investigations
CANBERRA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (ABC) — Some days Gershom Isaac says he feels suicidal. He spends up to 12 hours a day climbing ladders to pick fruit or bent over pulling onions and pumpkins, sometimes earning less than $7 (US$4.90) an hour.
At night, he returns to overcrowded, squalid accommodation. The relentless cycle has left him feeling exhausted and hopeless.
Gershom came to Australia from Papua New Guinea, chasing the Australian dream. Instead, he became trapped in a system where labour hire contractors controlled almost every aspect of his life, his work, his pay and, ultimately, his future.
Now he is one of tens of thousands of migrant workers living in the shadows, and part of a much larger temporary migrant workforce vulnerable to exploitation.
“Even [when it is] 40 degrees, you’re still hanging there, picking oranges, trying to do as much as you can, and it’s not easy. Sometimes you fall from those trees,” he says.
If he gets sick or injured, he doesn’t get paid. Without work, he says, he can’t afford to eat.
He says the labour hire contractor controls every aspect of his working life.
Gershom’s experience reflects a much bigger shift in Australian agriculture. Rather than employing workers directly, many growers rely on labour hire contractors to recruit and supply seasonal workers during harvest.
Australia’s growing reliance on temporary migrant labour has fuelled a booming labour hire industry, with contractors sitting between growers and workers, often recruiting, transporting and housing them.
While some operate legally, others prey on vulnerable migrant workers, paying them cash, well below the minimum wage.
“I don’t have any voice. I don’t have any power,” Gershom says.
“Every choice is with the contractor. They’re the ones who make all the decisions, and the fruit pickers have to say yes to everything.”
Gershom’s story isn’t unique. Across Australia’s horticulture industry, workers described strikingly similar experiences: low pay, overcrowded and slum-like housing, labour hire contractors controlling where they lived and worked, and little power to complain.
It is part of an eight-month Four Corners investigation into whether Australians can trust the claims made about the food they buy.
The investigation tested supermarket food products, travelled to cocoa-growing communities in Ghana, and interviewed workers and industry insiders across Australia.
It found problems from food fraud and misleading claims to worker exploitation and child labour, as well as tomato products originating from China’s Xinjiang region, which has been linked to allegations of forced labour.
It comes weeks after the Trump administration imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on certain Australian exports, arguing Australia does not effectively stop imports made with forced labour.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected the criticism, saying Australia had “robust” modern slavery laws.
In 2021, the US banned imports of products including tomatoes from Xinjiang over forced labour concerns, an allegation that China denies. Australia doesn’t have an import ban.
As part of the investigation, Four Corners worked with Source Certain, an Australian forensic laboratory specialising in origin verification, which has done work for the FBI, Scotland Yard, Interpol and Australia’s AFP.
Its scientists analysed hundreds of processed tomato products to see if they were really from Italy or Australia as stated on the labels.
One in four products had a problem. Those that failed came from China, with half linked to Xinjiang.
For years, parliamentary inquiries, raids, and media investigations have exposed the exploitation of migrant workers in Australia’s food industry. Governments have promised reforms, regulators have cracked down and companies have pledged to clean up their supply chains.
Four Corners reporters travelled to regional Australia, analysed payroll records, interviewed workers, unions, advocates, regulators and employers and examined how Australia’s modern slavery laws operate in practice.
No sick leave, no pay slips, no super
At a caravan park in the NSW Riverina, Pacific Islander workers broke their silence, many agreeing to be identified despite the risks.
They said they had left employers under Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme after disputes over pay, working conditions or alleged mistreatment.
Under the PALM scheme, workers are tied to an approved employer. If they leave that employer, they are not allowed to take on new work and so many become “disengaged” from the scheme, leaving them with few lawful options to keep working.
Ken Dachi worked for years in conflict-affected regions around the world. Now he helps vulnerable migrant workers here, through the Welcoming Australia organisation.
He says the PALM scheme was designed to connect Pacific Islanders with Australian employers and regional communities. But when workers aren’t protected, labour hire contractors and other exploitative operators can fill the gap.
Dachi says many workers disengage from the PALM scheme without understanding that doing so makes them even more vulnerable.
He says the system is flawed.
“[They] are not numbers. They’re people’s lives. It’s families, it’s siblings, it’s parents impacted … a long road without an exit sign.”
They survive by finding labour hire contractors willing to pay them cash to pick fruit and vegetables destined for Australian supermarket shelves. They say they earn well below legal minimum wages, with no super, no sick leave and no pay slips.
Timothy pays $280 (US$196.07) a week to live in a tiny, rented room in the caravan park.
“Just only this room. No kitchen, no bathroom,” he says.
He collects bottles to earn extra money.
He says he works about 60 hours a week picking oranges for cash, earning about $700 (US$490.19) a week — less than $12 (US$8.40) an hour. “It’s really hard,” he says.
For Viona Obress, filling one bin with oranges can take three to four hours, equivalent to between $8.75 (US$6.12) and $11.70 (US$8.19) an hour.
If it is raining, it slows her down, so she says she earns even less and if she gets sick, she earns nothing.
“The fruit is so heavy and climbing a lot as a lady, it’s really hard too,” she says. “You feel exhausted when you finish work. You feel like you can’t work another day, but what can you do? There’s no options. You have to keep going.”
By going public, Viona hopes the conditions workers have endured will no longer remain hidden.
“The truth will finally come out,” she says.
These workers do not receive pay slips, so the ABC has not been able to verify these workers’ pay rates.
‘I was treated more like an animal’
Across Australia’s fruit and vegetable industry, Fair Work Ombudsman investigations have repeatedly uncovered widespread non-compliance.
In Coffs Harbour, 61 per cent of growers and labour hire companies inspected were found to be breaching workplace laws, including underpaying workers. The figure rose to 72 per cent in the Riverina and 83 per cent in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley.
In Coffs Harbour, local Raewyn Macky has become a lifeline for vulnerable workers.
She says she first noticed growing numbers of migrant workers seeking help while volunteering at a local second-hand clothes shop. She says they kept coming back with stories of unpaid wages, poor conditions and nowhere else to go.
Over the years she has built a detailed picture of a workforce falling through the cracks — workers reluctant to complain, uncertain of their rights and fearful of speaking up.
“They are exposed to dreadful working conditions, grossly underpaid, no pay slips and the pay can vary from day to day. They work … sometimes 10 plus hours and [in] summer it’s pretty grim. There’s not much shade on the farms. There’s little sanitation,” she says.
“It makes me angry. It makes me sad. It makes me sick to the stomach,” she says.
Jin Lee had to work for a short period in regional areas as a condition of extending his working holiday visa.
He says he is still recovering from his time working on blueberry farms in Coffs Harbour.
“I wasn’t being treated like a human being there,” he says.
“I was treated more like an animal.”
Lee says some days he worked from 7:30am until 5pm for just $20 (US$14).
“Some of us got diapers because they didn’t provide bathroom breaks,” he says.
They were also expected to pay for basic equipment themselves.
Lee says the labour hire company that recruited him — ECW Farming — controlled almost every aspect of his life — from where he worked to where he lived.
He says the company made a series of deductions from his wages, including $150 (US$105.04) a week for accommodation and $10 (US$7) a day for transport to and from the farm.
By the time those deductions were taken out, he says little was left.
“The accommodation had 18 people crammed inside of that house and each room had four beds as they call them and it was just mattresses that they took apart. They had four people in one room and that room had children’s bunk beds so obviously not very comfortable for adults to sleep in,” he says.
“There were roaches everywhere. There were broken doors, broken windows. And the air-conditioning unit was broken. So, it was not livable.”
The company that hired Lee is difficult to trace. Its registered address in Coffs Harbour was a backpacker’s hostel that denied any connection to the business.
Documents obtained by Four Corners under Freedom of Information reveal the Fair Work Ombudsman investigated ECW Farming in 2024 after receiving a series of worker tip-offs.
The investigation was shelved in May 2025 after the ombudsman concluded it could not identify the “controlling minds” behind the operation.
For Lee, that is part of the problem. The workers are easy to find. The people profiting from them are not.
Lee says because his visa is due to end soon, he is unlikely to see any action against the company that recruited him before he departs Australia.
Determined to do something, Macky says she has repeatedly reported concerns to councils, police and regulators, hoping authorities would investigate.
Years later, she says little has changed.
“I just kind of think that everything boils down to … industry and government are not interested. They’re not interested because otherwise it would have changed. It’s not just happening here. It’s happening all over the country.”
‘We have opened the door to crooks’
Macky’s experience reflects a broader issue, according to NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner James Cockayne.
As an independent statutory officer, Cockayne’s role is to monitor the effectiveness of anti-slavery laws and work across government, business and communities to address modern slavery. It gives him a rare view of how exploitation can fall in the cracks between agencies.
He says no single agency sees the full picture. Instead, each is responding to its own mandate, leaving no-one responsible for tackling exploitation as a whole.
“Each of them is holding a different part of the elephant,” he says. “The challenge is to see the elephant as a whole and how it operates because these syndicates are very deliberate and intentional.”
“Right now, our agencies are not working together in a trauma-informed and strategically intelligent way to see that big picture.”
Through his work, which includes operating a confidential modern slavery hotline, Cockayne has spent years hearing from vulnerable workers, travelling to regional communities and building relationships with local advocates, whistleblowers and government agencies.
Cockayne says labour hire companies have become a critical link in Australia’s horticulture workforce, connecting growers with the temporary migrant workers who harvest fruit and vegetables. But he says the same allegations keep surfacing: systemic worker exploitation, forced labour, debt bondage and, in some cases, human trafficking and servitude.
In NSW, labour hire companies don’t need to be licensed. Cockayne says this has allowed unscrupulous operators to exploit vulnerable workers, recruiting through backpacker hostels, social media and migrant community networks.
“In NSW we have no labour hire licensing,” Cockayne says. “There’s no barrier to entry for any person to come and set up a labour hire company. So, we have opened the door to crooks from NSW, from further afield in Australia, even from overseas, to come into that space and provide labour hire services in ways that rely on criminal methods and that amount in some cases we believe to be modern slavery offences,” he said.
He says they do that by recruiting vulnerable workers.
“Working holiday-makers who they tend to recruit through local backpacker hostels [and] international students, many of whom are recruited through social media platforms and messaging apps, in the language that is spoken by the workers.
“The syndicates provide accommodation services, often overcharging the workers for substandard accommodation,” he said.
Cockayne says he has visited a number of these places in NSW and further afield and some of them are hovels.
“People living on top of each other with substandard sanitation, substandard fresh air, often cockroach infestations and being charged through the nose for these kinds of services,” he says.
The labour hire syndicates rely on acquiescence by farmers, producers, and the companies that they sell onto not to ask too many questions, according to Cockayne.
Last week, the Fair Work Ombudsman and two other agencies went to 15 farms, most of them growing citrus fruit in the Riverina in NSW as part of a crackdown on rogue labour hire companies. In a statement, Fair Work said it was investigating businesses in the Coffs Harbour region.
A NSW government spokesperson said it had zero tolerance for worker exploitation and was working towards a Labour Hire Code of Practice, alongside stronger compliance through a supply chain programme on NSW government construction projects.
Companies recycling reporting on modern slavery risks
The Modern Slavery Act, introduced in 2018, requires companies with annual revenue above $100 million (US$70.03 million) to file a report each year, identifying the modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains and what they’re doing to address them.
It was designed to encourage transparency and improve corporate behaviour.
Four Corners used data analysis tools to analyse hundreds of annual modern slavery statements from 50 food companies between 2020 to 2025.
One in four contained sections that were more than 80 per cent identical to previous reports.
Chocolate maker Ferrero went even further, filing the exact same report two years in a row — even leaving the previous year’s date unchanged.
Coles and Woolworths removed references to cocoa as a modern slavery risk in their latest reports, despite selling chocolate including via their own brands.
Others watered down their promises year to year.
In 2023, Mondelēz, whose brands include Cadbury, said its Strategy to Help Protect Children had an “ultimate vision” to work towards a cocoa sector that was “free of child labour”.
But in its 2024 Modern Slavery statement, this vision had disappeared. The same strategy was instead described as helping to “enhance child protection systems” and helping to “improve access to quality education”.
Oz Group, a co-operative representing more than 140 berry growers across NSW’s Mid North Coast, said in its 2020 statement it “does not accept any form of slavery-like practices within the co-operative or throughout its supply chain”.
However, in its 2025 statement, the co-operative said, “addressing modern slavery requires ongoing effort and collaboration” and it remained “committed to continuous improvement”.
Ferrero said its 2024 report remained valid for 2025.
Coles said its reports were not intended to be an exhaustive list of modern slavery risks, while Woolworths said its modern slavery risk profile was continually evolving, and it focused on the highest risks in its supply chain.
Mondelēz did not respond to specific questions about its modern slavery statements but said it explicitly prohibited child labour. Oz Group did not provide a response.
Experts say the findings raise broader questions about whether some reporting has become a facile exercise in compliance rather than a genuine assessment of changing risks.
Former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels has dedicated a lot of time to the plight of migrant workers.
He oversaw fixing the 7-Eleven wage fraud scandal, which paid out more than $150 million (US$105.05 million) in back pay to underpaid workers on student visas and later authored a landmark report on modern slavery.
He describes the Modern Slavery Act as a symbolic and tokenistic law. “It’s the sort of law you pass when you want to look as if you’re concerned about something, but you don’t intend anything to happen,” he says.
An independent review of the Modern Slavery Act handed to the federal government in 2023 concluded Australia’s framework should be strengthened.
“The report spells out what’s obvious to regulators like me — that the law was never intended to be associated with any real action. It was just a law you put on the books as a sign of concern, but with no intent to take serious action,” he says.
The report recommended civil penalties for companies that fail to comply with reporting obligations, mandatory human rights due diligence, and lowering the reporting threshold from annual revenue of $100 million (US$70.03 million) to $50 million (US$35.01 million).
The government accepted some of the review’s recommendations and recently announced plans to introduce civil penalties and a new criminal offence for companies that fail to prevent modern slavery.
But some key reforms remain outstanding, including mandatory due diligence and lowering the reporting threshold.
After the Trump administration cited Australia’s failure to ban imports made with forced labour as a reason for imposing tariffs on some Australian exports, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended Australia’s record, describing the country’s modern slavery laws as “robust, comprehensive and world-leading”.
Allan Fels disagrees. “Sorry, prime minister, you’re wrong. Donald Trump is right. I thought I’d never say that” he says.
The PM declined to be interviewed. In a statement, the Attorney General, Michelle Rowland, whose department administers the Modern Slavery Act, said Australia had robust modern slavery laws and planned to introduce new criminal and civil penalties. Details are yet to be released.
Behind the fruit and vegetables on Australia’s supermarket shelves are workers whose stories are rarely heard.
The cost of cheap food isn’t borne equally. It falls hardest on the people harvesting it.
“Someone needs to talk about this,” Jin Lee says. “So, I’m here and I’m talking about it because otherwise this might go under the radar for many more years.”
“There needs to be change,” says Gershom Issac. “We are struggling to survive, said Isaac…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Birth certificates issued to newborns for the first time at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital
MOUNT HAGEN, 04 AUGUST 2026 (UNICEF) — Mothers at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital received official birth certificates for their newborns today, marking the first time birth certificates were formally presented through the hospital’s Birth Registration Desk. The birth certificates were distributed to mothers at an event organised at the provincial hospital by the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry (PNGCIR), the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (PHA) and UNICEF.
The milestone reflects the commendable leadership of the Government of Papua New Guinea, through the PNGCIR and the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, in bringing birth registration closer to families. Together, The Australian Government and UNICEF are working hand in hand to strengthen civil registration and vital statistics systems across the country. The leadership of the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority has been instrumental in this partnership, including by providing the space and operational support needed to bring birth registration services into the hospital setting.
“Today’s landmark moment reflects the Government’s continued commitment to ensuring every child is assured their right to legal identity from birth”, said Leslie Simon, Acting Registrar-General PNG Civil and Identity Registry. “Birth registration helps children access the services they need to grow, learn and reach their potential. As Papua New Guinea advances towards Vision 2050, ensuring every child is registered and recognised is an investment in human capital, stronger national planning and a more inclusive and prosperous future.”
Birth registration is often described as a child’s first right. It gives children legal recognition and helps them access health care, education, protection, and other essential services throughout their lives. However, in Papua New Guinea, only 13 per cent of children are registered at birth. Without a birth certificate, many children struggle to prove their age, parentage or identity, increasing their risk of exploitation, exposure to violence, exclusion and vulnerability.
Since the Birth Registration Desk was established at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital in November 2025, 464 birth registrations have been recorded, of which 228 newborns received birth certificates, and the remaining certificates are being printed and will be distributed soon. The integration of birth registration into health services, including antenatal care and maternity services, is helping families register children early and access official documentation more easily.
“This successful initiative shows that more children can receive birth certificates when registration services are brought closer to families,” said Dr Veera Mendonca, UNICEF Country Representative in Papua New Guinea. “Mothers understand the value of birth certificates: they give children legal identity and help them access essential services throughout life. Integrating birth registration into health facilities makes the process easier and encourages mothers to give birth where skilled care is available. By expanding this approach across Papua New Guinea, every child can be registered from the beginning and have the protection, identity and opportunities they deserve.”
With support from The Australian Government, UNICEF has worked with the PNGCIR to strengthen birth registration at both policy and service delivery levels. This has included technical, financial and coordination support for implementing the CRVS Action Plan; procurement of 44 mobile registration kits; establishment of birth registration offices in PHAs; training for health and CIR staff; and provision of awareness materials to increase demand for birth registration services.
The Western Highland Province milestone demonstrates how integrating birth registration into health facilities can help close registration gaps and reach families early. Continued government leadership, stronger coordination, increased domestic investment and expansion of birth registration through health facilities and outreach services will be critical to achieving universal birth registration for every child in Papua New Guinea…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS SPORT
SAMOA – POLITICS: TALAMUA ONLINE PACNEWS SPORT: Tue 04 Aug 2026
Lakapi Samoa Independent Board member resigns
APIA, 04 AUGUST 2026 (TALAMUA ONLINE) — Papalii John Taimalelagi, one of three Lakapi Samoa independent board members has resigned.
Papalii tendered his resignation with the Chairman of Lakapi Samoa, Namulauulu Sami Leota Monday where he acknowledged the honour of serving as a board member and contributing his legal capacity to the governance and development of Lakapi Samoa.
His resignation comes amidst the tension within Lakapi Samoa Board and the Government and the establishment of the rival Samoa Rugby Football Union and moves to establish an independent investigation into the governance of Lakapi Samoa and the administration of rugby in the country.
Papalii is a lawyer by profession and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration.
He is a member of the Sapapalii Rugby Club and the tournament director for the Sapapalii International 7s and has contributed to the development of the sport in his village…. PACNEWS
