Pacific Islands increasingly used as crime transit point, experts say
The Pacific islands are increasingly being used as a transit point for transnational crime, including drug trafficking and money laundering, experts say. Criminal organisations from Asia and the Americas are exploiting
U.S. extradites naturalised Marshallese citizens in alleged bribery scheme
The United States Justice Department unsealed an indictment Saturday against two naturalised Marshall Islands citizens accused of bribing numerous high-level elected and other officials in the Marshall Islands to gain
Cook Islands: “Uphold the decision making process of our Forum leaders”
The Cook Islands representative to the Pacific Islands Forum, Tepaeru Herrmann says they respect Kiribati’s decision to withdraw from the Forum, but that upholding the decision to appoint former Henry Puna to the
U.S., Marshalls aim for Compact wrap-up by year end
United States and Marshall Islands leaders say they hope to complete negotiations to renew provisions of an economic and security treaty by the end of this year. They completed the first round of talks last week.
U.S-Marshalls resume long-stalled talks
Nearly three years after the first in-person preliminary discussions were held between the United States and the Marshall Islands for a third funding agreement in the Compact of Free Association treaty, negotiations
Pacific Islands Forum unity talks underway in Fiji
Fiji today hosts the second day of talks aimed at keeping the Pacific Islands Forum membership intact, with the leaders of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and Cook Islands in the country for meetings with their
Marshalls-U.S to hold first in-person Compact negotiation
U.S President Biden’s special envoy for Compact negotiations, Ambassador Joseph Yun, is expected to head a team of Americans who will visit the Marshall Islands next week for the first in-person negotiating session
Staying afloat: ensuring public debt sustainability in the Pacific islands
[UNESCAP] The risk of public debt distress is considerably high in almost all Pacific small island developing States (PSIDS). The debt levels in most PSIDS were on a rising trajectory since early 2010s and are projected
Rethinking Solomon Islands security
It has been an interesting couple of weeks for Solomon Islands, with stories of policing, weapons, replica weapons and a security agreement with China dominating the local and regional media. Let’s start with the
The Pacific Islands become collateral damage on drug superhighway
(THE INTERPRETER) The illicit drugs trade in the Pacific Islands continues to evolve despite Covid-19 border closures. The seizure of more than 500 kilograms of cocaine in Papua New Guinea in 2020 demonstrated that the
Pacific Islands Forum solidarity may survive yet
There has been a reprieve for Pacific regionalism and the unity of the Pacific Islands Forum. And U.S. Secretary of States, Antony Blinken who is currently in Fiji, has welcomed the decision of the Forum’s
