Opinion: What the U.S. should do better in its engagement with the Pacific
At the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Interorganisational Global Forum on security cooperation in the Pacific islands in September, the U.S. emphasised a ‘whole-of-government effort’ in engaging with the region that
Uniting a nation: The 2023 Pacific Games and the power of sports in fostering national unity and pride
The opening ceremony of the 2023 Pacific Games was an event of unparalleled magnificence, a moment in time that will be etched in the memories of all who were present. For those of us fortunate enough to be in the
Opinion: New data to inform big decisions around Pacific labour mobility
There has been much discussion about how the rapidly expanding labour mobility programmes in Australia and New Zealand have affected lives in the Pacific. Many have pointed to the significant economic benefits to
Opinion: NZ wants more seasonal workers – but Pacific nations no longer want to be the ‘outposts’ that ‘grow’ them
The three party leaders currently negotiating to form New Zealand’s next government might have their differences, but they seem to agree on one thing: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme needs to expand. New
Opinion: A long-term fund to lift the Porgera mining curse
The last three decades of gold mining in Porgera (1989-2019) have been wasted, with little to show in terms of the socio-economic conditions of the landowners and people of Porgera-Paiela district in Enga Province,
Opinion: Paperwork in PNG
I am Joseph Tuan Viet Cao, a Catholic priest in Papua New Guinea. I am working in the Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Bomana, National Capital District (NCD). My parish includes 13 chapels that belong to NCD and Central
Movement mourns ‘driving force for climate justice’ Saleemul Huq
Veteran Bangladeshi climate scientist and campaigner Saleemul Huq died on Sunday at the age of 71. After the think tank he directed announced his death, tributes poured in from climate campaigners, diplomats, scientists
Opinion: Pacific Engagement Visa legislation finally through
After months of uncertainty, yesterday the legislation required to implement the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) passed through the Australian Senate, with the Greens and other crossbenchers providing the numbers the
Opinion: The Pacific’s carbon credit market – promise and challenge
The global thrust towards sustainability is irrefutable. From the vantage point of Pacific Island Countries (PICs), we’re poised at the forefront of a market with vast potential: the carbon credit market. As the
Opinion: Kikibakiki – Reflections on PNG at 48
We sat down in the forever blackout Port Moresby city, I hear the neighbours playing the famous Saugas song, Sindaun Bagarap, echoing the windy night, and buai buyers complaining about the hike in the prices,
Opinion: 29 years of independence: Palau at a crossroads
Every year on the first of October, the US government marks the beginning of a new fiscal year, and so does the Palau government. But what appears to be a lost detail, yet historically significant, event marks the
Opinion: Government shutdown threatens key U.S. effort to counter China in Pacific
A looming government shutdown threatens to upend a major multibillion-dollar diplomatic initiative between the United States and three Pacific Island nations that the Biden administration views as a cornerstone of its
Opinion: U.S. under pressure to conclude compact agreements in the North Pacific
Little information has emerged about how negotiations for the renewal of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States are progressing. The United States
Opinion: U.S. claims to Central Pacific flout International law
In defiance of international norms and rules, U.S. officials are laying claim to the large oceanic area in the central Pacific Ocean that is home to the compact states. Now that they are renewing the economic provisions
“Consensus Is the DNA of the Pacific Region”- Dr Prasad
On 18 – 19 September, former Fijian Ambassador to the UN and Carnegie nonresident senior fellow Satyendra Prasad will be joining the Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue in New York. Dr Satyendra Prasad is a
Opinion: Seabed mining rules lapse is window for Pacific regulations
In late July, after weeks of fierce debate at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting in Jamaica, deep-sea mining proponents failed to get an agreement for the immediate licensing of deep sea mining operations.
A ‘new’ development policy? Or did Australia just miss its moment?
A new development policy for Australia presented an opportunity to reinvigorate a program that has lost its way amid the ambivalence, and occasional outright hostility, shown towards aid by successive conservative
Opinion: ‘Strategic Manipulation’
Was it a faux pas? Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna has referred to the United States’ return to the region after 10 years of neglect with “the proliferation of regional strategies and
Opinion: Pacific labour mobility over the last year: continued growth
Following the reopening of borders across the Pacific region in mid-2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a quick recovery in temporary labour migration flows to Australia and New Zealand. A
Opinion: The costs of logging in Solomon Islands
In the years following the 1998-2003 ethnic tensions in Solomon Islands, the World Bank assisted the Solomon Islands government in planning a project to support rural communities. This resulted in the Rural Development
Opinion: A call for medical détente in the Pacific Islands
Pooling the expertise and resources of development partners is a win not only for regional healthcare but soft diplomacy, Eileen Natuzzi writes. As U.S. and China competition increases in the region, perhaps it is time
Opinion: Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of RAMSI in Solomon Islands
A significant milestone in the history of Solomon Islands and the South Pacific was marked this week, on 24 July 2023. It was the 20th anniversary of the start of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
Opinion: Geopolitical competition and Solomon Islands: navigating the middle ground
Geopolitical competition can have adverse impact on third-party countries. We are seeing this in Solomon Islands, where domestic political discourses – at least in Honiara and on social media – are dominated by the
