Briefs
American Samoa Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga has signed a Bill into law which will establish a Samoan Language Commission and recognise both Samoan and English as the official languages in the Territory to “preserve our
Movers and Shakers
Tuvalu national Ian Fry is the first United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change for the next three years. Fiji’s Sefanaia Nawadra has commenced his new role as Director-General (D-G) at SPREP
Australia election: Climate the most important security issue, say military and political leaders
As voters in Australia head to the polls on 21 May, there is increasing debate over the link between climate change and security. Capitalising on the heated debate around the China-Solomon Islands security agreement, a
Concerns raised as Vanuatu, Palau explore crypto projects
The recent greenlighting of cryptocurrency projects in Vanuatu and Palau have raised concerns over the lack of an advisory body in the
Whispers
Samoan style Samoa’s former PM, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has been found guilty of contempt of court in relation to last year’s contentious election. But in a judgement that reflects the extraordinary way Samoans
“The game plan from the outside is to divide and conquer”
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna talks Forum unity, the 2050 strategy and his
Movers and Shakers
Leonard Louma is the new Director General of the MSG Secretariat. Louma is a seasoned PNG diplomat, with postings to the UN, France and China, and was involved in several regional initiatives, including the Pacific
Samoa COVID-19 positive cases on the rise
Samoa’s total number of active COVID-19 cases has increased to 196, with the government confirming 192 cases in Upolu and four cases in Savai’i. The Government Press Secretariat’s community transmission update
The right person for the job: why Pacific state-owned enterprise director selection processes matter
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play a dominant role in essential service provision in the Pacific, providing services such as airports, ports, broadcasting, telecommunications, water supply and sanitation. So the way
“Our ocean is not a nuclear dumpster” – USP students call for a nuclear free Pacific
Hundreds of students at the University of the South Pacific in Suva rallied to remember nuclear survivors around the region on 1 March, the anniversary of the US Bravo nuclear test on Bikini Atoll. Marching through
Pacific Elders call halt to seabed mining
Pacific Elders’ Voice (PEV) calls for a halt in seabed mining until “proper regulatory instruments can be put in place,” and recommends a regional expert body be created to provide expert advice to Pacific Island
