InDepth: New Caledonia’s President Thierry Santa

Common interests New Caledonia’s President wants closer regional ties THIERRY Santa attended his first Pacific Islands Forum in August, just weeks after his election as president of the Government of New

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Natano gets PM nomination

By Samisoni Pareti A career civil servant  and now veteran politician has been nominated for the position of Prime Minister of Tuvalu. Kausea Natano’s nomination was lodged with the office of the

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Tonga’s PM dies in Auckland

By Samantha Magick Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has passed away in Auckland. Pohiva was flown to Auckland from Nuku’alofa late yesterday, after spending two weeks in hospital in Tonga with pneumonia but

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Trouble in the family

Climate divides Forum….again JUST before the 50th Pacific Islands Forum, the Wallabies thrashed the All Blacks 47-26 in the first game of the Bledisloe Cup. As a rugby fan, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

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Vanuatu calls Fiji ‘recalcitrant’ over disputed islands

(Pacnews) Vanuatu is ready to meet with Fiji to discuss a long standing maritime border treaty agreement that Fiji signed with France just after Vanuatu gained independence in 1980. Foreign Affairs Minister Ralph

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Forum marathon reveals tensions over climate policy

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu In a marathon leaders’ retreat that continued well into the night, with often heated debate, the Pacific Islands Forum has issued a joint communique and a new declaration on

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Pacific leaders want action on West Papua human rights issues

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu Members of the Pacific Islands Forum have urged Indonesia to take action on human rights violations in West Papua, and strongly encouraged Jakarta to facilitate a long-mooted visit

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PM Morrison denies being isolated as Forum ends

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Funafuti After a marathon meeting, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have issued a communique and a climate change declaration with qualifications in Tuvalu Chairman of the Pacific

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Poor governance in the Pacific: the forgotten issue

By Stephen Howes There was a time when the Australia lectured the Pacific. John Howard said in 2004 that Australia had a “special responsibility” to help the Pacific but that we sought “reforms and

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Pacific seeks partnerships in climate finance

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu. Most Forum island countries have already accessed funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the global climate finance mechanism created under the UN Framework Convention for

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RMI’s Heine asks Australia to reconsider coal

  By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu As leaders gather in Tuvalu for the 50th Pacific Islands Forum, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has criticised Australia’s reluctance to undertake a rapid transition

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Fiji calls for sea-bed mining moratorium as Nautilus restructures

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has again called for a 10-year moratorium on sea-bed mining, at a time that many Pacific island nations are preparing for new frontiers of

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