What happened to me must never happen again: Forum SG Puna

In a frank admission on the circumstances which forced his exit from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Secretary General of the Forum Henry Puna has told a closed function hosted in Samoa that what took place

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Japan, Australia, U.S to fund undersea cable connection in Micronesia to counter China’s influence

Japan announced Tuesday that it joined the United States and Australia in signing a US$95 million undersea cable project that will connect East Micronesia island nations to improve networks in the Indo-Pacific region

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Building a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Pacific Islands

Obed Timakata, from Makatea Village in Emae Island, Vanuatu, has dedicated his life to preserving the ocean and the life it sustains. As the Director of Organic Fish + Farm Mariculture Enterprise, Obed has been

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ASPA’s new broom

But regional airline challenges remain David Tohi is a new broom at the Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA). While he takes over from Fiji’s George Faktaufon, who spent more than 30 years as ASPA Chief

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Fiji Airways’ A350-degree turn

Fiji Airways’ Executive Manager Global Sales expects the airline will carry one million passengers on its flights this year.   Akuila Batiweti says while this is the airline’s 2024 target, he is optimistic

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How are Pacific government-owned airlines performing?

Throwing good money after bad? An expert on State Owned Enterprises with the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Private Sector Development Initiative, Christopher Russell says the Samoan government’s experience with

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Pacific regionalism: To Hell with Drowning

Julian Aguon is from Guam and is a human rights lawyer, and founder of Blue Ocean Law, a progressive firm that works at the intersection of indigenous rights and environmental justice. He is also a writer. He wrote his

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Widen tax base, spend more efficiently

World Bank's Advice to 9 Pacific Economies The World Bank says six Pacific Island countries are at high risk of debt distress, and that gradual cuts to government spending are vital for balancing budgets and avoiding

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Not so innocent bystanders

Policymakers in the Pacific Islands have been urged to consider adopting laws requiring bystanders to report online violence against women and girls. The suggestion comes from an Online Bystander Report by the

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Briefs

American SamoaAmerican Samoa wants associate member status of the Pacific Islands Forum, after being an observer since 2011. Governor Lemanu Peleti Maunga said it was crucial for American Samoa to push for greater

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Why Climate should be the beating heart of the U.S. strategy in the Pacific

U.S President Joe Biden has postponed his visit to Australia, where he was to join the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, which brings together leaders from Australia, the United States, India, and Japan for talks on building

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Six Pacific countries at high risk of debt distress: World Bank

Six Pacific countries are at a high risk of debt distress in part due to government spending to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, the World Bank said in a report on Thursday. The report, titled Raising Pasifika, said

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