Mapou to welcome Australia’s foreign minister to New Caledonia
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to travel to New Caledonia this week, to meet with President Louis Mapou, the first Kanak independence leader to head the Government of New Caledonia in forty years.
UN backs landmark Pacific-led climate resolution
The United Nations has adopted a landmark resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deliver an opinion on climate change and the legal consequences countries face for harming the environment. It is
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
AUKUS is going against Pacific nuclear free treaty: Forum chair
Cook Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chair, Mark Brown has joined a growing list of Pacific leaders to object to the US$250 billion nuclear submarine deal between Australia, United Kingdom and the United States
South Pacific eyes China trade deal
China and a group of South Pacific island countries could start talks this year toward their first formal trade agreement, according to an official from a regional network of nations. But while such talks could
Australia Foreign Minister Wong backing Waqa as PIF secretary general
Australia will stand behind Baron Waqa, the controversial pick as Pacific Islands Forum leader, despite his chequered record as Nauru president. The 63-year-old has been nominated by Micronesian nations to be the next
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
Forum reunited, now to work
The next Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Baron Waqa says, “The Forum is still developing in its form, regionalism and all these plans to strengthen and unite members and I think what’s going on at
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
Kiribati returns to Forum, Nauru’s Waqa next Secretary General
Pacific leaders prayed together, ate together and by the end of a long retreat today, saw Kiribati’s full return to the Pacific Islands Forum and a much larger role for its Micronesian members. Former Nauru President
New Zealand Deputy PM to join Pacific leaders’ special retreat
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Carmel Sepuloni will travel to Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders’ retreat this week. It will be her first opportunity in
Fiji to host Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat
The Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat will be held in Nadi, Fiji on 24 February 2023. The retreat will be preceded by a traditional welcome ceremony and a welcome dinner on 23 February 2023. The meeting
Pacific leaders address wastewater plan in Japan this week
Pacific leaders are in Japan this week meeting with their Japanese counterparts on the Fukushima wastewater plans. Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and Marshall
Cook Islands PM welcomes Kiribati back into the Forum
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is welcoming Kiribati back into the fold of the Pacific Islands Forum. The Micronesian nation pulled out of the Forum in Fiji last year in protest of the appointment of former Cook
2050 tops Regionalism Agenda for 2023
Ask anyone what the trending topics are for the Pacific year ahead, and the answers will not surprise. The Climate Crisis. COVID. Food, family, economic security. Sustainable Development for all.
Kiribati back in the Forum
Kiribati will rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum after Forum Chair, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s state visit to Tarawa this month. That visit started with a handshake between Rabuka and Kiribati President,
Kiribati to return to Pacific Islands Forum
Kiribati will return to the Pacific Islands Forum. Forum Chair, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says his office has now received a letter confirming this intention from Kiribati President, Taneti Maamau. Rabuka
Fiji, Kiribati restore ‘trust, respect and understanding’
Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s state visit to Kiribati yesterday started with a handshake with Kiribati President, Taneti Maamau, and ended with an embrace. This morning Rabuka described the visit, his first
Rabuka to visit Kiribati in a bid to heal family relations
Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka flies to Kiribati on Friday morning to meet with President Taneti Maamau and discuss Kiribati’s membership of the Pacific Islands Forum, amongst other issues. The visit is
Japan offers to meet Pacific leaders over ocean dumping plan
A month away from the expected discharge of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, Japan has offered to meet a high-level delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in its attempt to assure that the
Pacific leaders to identify the next PIF Secretary General soon
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) says it will continue to ‘offer an olive branch to Kiribati’ as the five-member Micronesia nation grouping prepares to name a candidate to replace Henry Puna as Secretary
Opinion: Japan must work with the Pacific to find a solution to the Fukushima water release issue – otherwise we face disaster
Over the past 20 months, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members have been in dialogue with the government of Japan on its proposed plans to release over a million tonnes of contaminated nuclear wastewater into