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
Pacific Islands in the wake of AUKUS
By Kaliopate Tavola Australia also needs to temper its geopolitics under Indo-Pacific/AUKUS to allow breathing space for PICs to determine their respective China, et al, policies. This would necessarily mean a
Marshalls vaccinates fishermen in Majuro
The Marshall Islands has launched Covid-19 vaccinations for commercial fishermen temporarily in port Majuro — possibly the first Pacific island to vaccinate foreign fishermen. With the country vaccination programme
COVID-19 vaccine doses earmarked for Pacific Islands by July
Twelve Pacific Island countries are expected to receive vaccines for the coronavirus in the first half of this year through the COVAX initiative, with the region’s largest nation Papua New Guinea expected to receive
Pacific islands ramp up engagement with United Nations
By Nic Maclellan (Islands Business magazine) in Funafuti, Tuvalu Under “the New Pacific Diplomacy”, Pacific island governments are looking to international arenas to advance their regional agenda. Following
New fund to be launched for Marshallese digital currency
The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) will set up a fund to help develop its pioneering sovereign digital currency. Work on RMI’s government-backed digital coin or SOV, which will use blockchain technology, is now
