How Tonga strikes a balance between king and democracy
The Pacific’s last remaining monarchy has taken a unique approach to balancing executive powers between the king and the parliament, Mele Tupou Vaitohi reveals. Tonga knows how to do coronations. When the current
World Press Freedom Day: The fight for press freedom is a fight for us all
Newsrooms are still fighting to honour press freedom despite government pressure, competition with social media platforms and declining trust in the media, says Shahirah Hamid. It has been 30 years since the UN General
Deep-seabed mining is creating a noisy problem for Australia — and it’s only getting louder
Given the exponential threats it poses to the marine environment, deep seabed mining is destined to become a contentious global environmental issue. The risks are significant enough to make a mockery of any
Australia would be smart to recruit soldiers in the Pacific, former Fijian British Army officer explains
Fiji has a track record of service to the British crown. Travel to Hereford, where the Special Air Service is based, and you will find a statue of Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba, who was one of the 212 Fijians who joined
Opinion: Strengthening Pacific regionalism for robust globalisation
Pacific Islands Forum leaders "renewed their collective support for the ‘Leaders’ Commitments to 2050" as articulated in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent when they met in Nadi in February. They also
Vanuatu ransomware attack a lesson for others
On 06 November 2022, a new government started its first official day in office on the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu – just as a debilitating ransomware attack shut it out of all state-run computer systems. Unable
ANZ’s stubborn optimism on the PNG economy
In 2013, the ANZ Bank produced a big report on PNG’s economic future in which it expounded on its “considerable optimism about the country’s future”. The report outlined three scenarios for the resources sector:
Considering the possible impacts of deep sea mining in the Cook Islands
In the recent Parliament opening, King’s Representative Sir Tom Masters spoke of the Cook Islands’ desire to develop a sustainable and environmentally responsible seabed minerals sector. This week, also in
Opinion: China-here, there and everywhere
The end of the compact negotiations between Ambassador Joseph Yun and the freely associated states is only 50% of the struggle to completion. The remainder is in the U.S Congress and dealing with the proposed
Longer timeframes in development
Short-term project cycles are failing island communities because it is not considerate of communities’ realities, and it does not allow for critical first steps like addressing complex systemic issues. We believe that
2050 Strategy is essentially political
Regionalists generally identify three characteristics of regionalism, namely: economics, security and politics. Economic regionalism focuses on economic and financial aspects. Generally speaking, this is effectively an
PNG media under threat
Over his nearly four-year tenure as Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape has continued to trumpet his slogan – “Take Back PNG”. The trademark phrase, which has similar connotations to former U.S
Samoa PM Fiame Mata’afa’s inaugural FDC Pacific Lecture
Talofa Lava and warm Pacific greetings. I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to deliver this Pacific Lecture, as has been the tradition for the Lowy Institute to host world leaders in order to foster positive
If we value human rights and the rule of law, then we must fight for climate justice
Human life is sacred and every individual deserves an equal chance in life. We have a common desire, we all want to lead a free, fulfilling existence, with dignity, where our basic needs are met, with opportunities to
Is 1.5C still realistic? The crumbling consensus over key climate target
Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s state oil company, has put one message front and centre since being named president of the UN COP28 climate summit: the world must not give up on the 1.5C target for
Underwater critical infrastructure needs protection
According to recent reports, a Russian spy ship was part of a sabotage operation targeting underwater cables, gas pipelines and wind farms in the North Sea. The vessel was spotted entering Belgian and Dutch
Sea of Western flags in Oceania?
In his recently published article “Sea of many flags”, the Head of the ANU National Security College Rory Medcalf makes the case for why Pacific Island states should regard the deep regional involvement of a Western
Probing political analysis needed for 2050 strategy
Work on the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy’s implementation and monitoring plan, and review of regional architecture, would have started after the Strategy was launched at the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders
Countering China’s Pacific Ambitions
Like empires past, Xi Jinping’s China seeks three grand prizes in the Pacific: wealth, control and presence. Australia and other Pacific nations have recognised the nature and scope of this neocolonial ambition and
Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa
Beyond practicalities, it’s unclear whether this is a genuine “Pacific family” partnership or geopolitical convenience? After a recent ministerial meeting, Australia agreed to expedite visa applications from Papua
Why has a Canadian company partnered with Nauru to fast-track deep sea mining?
Brown-black discharge gushed out of a pipe from a hulking ship, dispersing murky clouds of sediment into the international waters of the Pacific Ocean. The scene, captured in a video that’s garnered international
New PNG media policy will lead to government control of media
The new media development policy being proposed by the Papua New Guinea Communications Minister, Timothy Masiu, could lead to more government control over the country’s relatively free media. The new policy
PNG: Concerns raised at swift review period for media policy
Concerns for media independence and press freedom in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been raised following the government’s announcement of a swift 12-day period for public review of the country’s draft National