Refugee processing in PNG to end
By Nic Maclellan Australia and Papua New Guinea have announced the closure of Canberra’s offshore refugee processing program by the end of this year, leaving responsibility for the remaining asylum seekers and
Pacific Ports: Climate and COVID
More than 90% of trade commodities come to Pacific Island countries and territories by sea; with imports dominated by fuel, industrial, commercial machinery and other natural resources. But over the last two years the
Movers and Shakers
The inaugural Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership ‘Excellence’ Award has been granted to Fiji’s Vasiti Soko, Director of the National Disaster Management Office.
AUKUS disrupts “a very peaceful part of planet earth”
With anti-nuclear sentiment on the rise across the islands, the Morrison government’s nuclear submarine ambitions have undercut the prime minister’s claim to be part of the Pacific family. “The sense of a regional
Tokelau gets high-speed internet access, as security concerns edge China edged out of laying undersea cables throughout Asia Pacific
Tokelau, whose nearest neighbour is 500 kilometres away, has become that much closer to the rest of the world, after a new submarine cable landed on its shores, bringing high-speed reliable internet access. The
“We stand by what we said”
The Micronesian Leaders Summit discussed COVID, transport and the Pacific Islands Forum. Leaders of five Micronesian countries have moved to strengthen their sub-regional co-ordination at the 20th Micronesian
“We stand by what we said”
Micronesian leaders discuss transport, COVID and the Forum split By Nic Maclellan Leaders of five Micronesian countries have moved to strengthen their sub-regional co-ordination at the 20th Micronesian Presidents’
Boosting networks against transnational crime
By Nic Maclellan Last month Tongan police confirmed that more than 14 kilograms of cocaine had washed up on beaches in Vava’u. Police say the drugs have an estimated sale value of over $5 million pa’anga and more
PNG edges closer to sovereign wealth fund
By Kevin McQuillan The PNG Parliament approved establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) more than a decade ago but it’s only this month that Prime Minister Marape indicated moves towards its establishment. In
UN States seek teeth and sting in the corruption fight
Transnational crime syndicates including those that work in the underworld market of money laundering would have been anxious over moves in the United Nations to add more teeth into its convention against corruption
U.S funding tapped for Pacific undersea cable after China rebuffed
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) will tap a U.S funding facility to construct a Pacific undersea communications cable, two sources told Reuters, after rejecting a Chinese company-led proposal that was deemed a
