PIF countries to cooperate on medical assistance, flights and shipping

Pacific Island Forum Leaders will establish a Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19 which could see the expediting of medical assistance and customs clearance of medical supplies, and facilitating of diplomatic

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A Humanitarian Corridor for the Pacific?

Reflecting the growing concern over the Coronavirus pandemic, the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum  and Tuvalu Prime Minister, Kausea Natano, invoked a few days ago the Biketawa Declaration, a security

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Pacific predictions: 2020

As we enter not only a new year but a new decade, there is much to anticipate in the Pacific islands region. Elections and domestic politics A number of countries in the region will have elections during 2020: Kiribati,

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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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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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Island leaders says new climate funds don’t let Australia off the hook

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu As Prime Minister Scott Morrison heads to this week’s 50th Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu, Australia has announced that it will commit new climate funding to the Pacific. Morrison

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Swimming in rising waters

By Nic Maclellan (Islands Business magazine) in Funafuti, Tuvalu As Pacific leaders and officials begin arriving for the 50th Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu, they’re greeted by Tuvaluan children waving flags. But the

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Pacific islands ramp up engagement with United Nations

  By Nic Maclellan (Islands Business magazine) in Funafuti, Tuvalu Under “the New Pacific Diplomacy”, Pacific island governments are looking to international arenas to advance their regional agenda. Following

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Tuvalu prepares for Forum meeting

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti A giant crane hoists the flagpoles into place outside Funafuti’s Sir Tomasi Puapua Convention Centre. Four go up, with another fourteen to go. Tuvalu is getting ready to host the 18 member

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Australian study to scope more trade with Fiji

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be at this year’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tuvalu, and Foreign Minister Marise Payne says she is keen to get to Papua New Guinea soon “to  visit our

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