Opinion: Pacific treaties must be built with care and nurtured once they’re in place
Security agreements are an increasingly hot topic in the Pacific as Australia, the U.S, China and New Zealand seek broad arrangements across the region. Melanesian countries have attracted the most attention; over the
Opinion: Who will dare break the vicious cycle of corruption in the Pacific?
“When you don’t take a stand against corruption you tacitly support it.” ― Kamal Haasa The first instinct of a person responsible for the care of their loved ones in a modern-day Pacific society is to survive by
Opinion: You can’t mine the seabed without proper rules
Mining the seabed without proper regulations seems outlandish. But it could happen sooner than we think. 10 July, 2023 is shaping as D-Day for the world’s oceans. That is the day after a two-year deadline placed on
Opinion: We have run out of time
Why Pacific feminists and climate justice activists are boycotting COP28 “COP28 is this year so heavily compromised that a grassroots-led group like DIVA for Equality would be betraying the constituency by
Opinion: FIPIC reaffirms silver lining
The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) held its third summit in May in Port Moresby, after a postponement. Papua New Guinea’s Post Courier highlighted the meeting by reporting that the
Opinion: The Pacific – Securing the Future
Submarine cables are a vital element of infrastructure for Pacific Island countries. Over the last five years, a focus on the Pacific region submarine cable development has demonstrated enormous growth in the number of
Community building as state building in a Port Moresby suburb
Where do you start to build a state? We often imagine top-down processes of constitution writing and elaborate institutional frameworks of national governance. But what if we move beyond narrow institutionalist
Preferred supplier system – one of Solomon Islands government’s wallet-holes
Solomon Islands Government’s preferred supplier system is one which is wrapped in controversy despite its purported creation with good intentions. Not for its initial purpose of bringing about efficient service for
Opinion: Australia should support minimum terms and conditions for Pacific seabed mining
The extraction of deep seabed mining resources on an industrial scale at incredible depths is a new frontier with many unknowns. But the potential gains are immense. Deep sea deposits contain manganese, cobalt, nickel,
The Next Breakthrough in Shipping isn’t on the horizon. It’s here.
Few think of the ocean as an epicenter for human ingenuity, but our history and future can be charted by our life on the seas, President David Kabua writes. From the extraordinary voyages of my ancestors and other early
A matter of conscience? Jerry Singirok, Sandline and Bougainville
In May 1989, PNG’s Bougainville copper mine was permanently shut down after disgruntled landowners supported by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army began sabotaging critical mine infrastructure. A secessionist war
