Samoa at PIF2022: on gender and geopolitics
Samoa’s Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is attending her first Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting as Prime Minister in Suva this week. As leaders gather for their retreat today, Islands Business contributor, Sera
Pacific Islands Forum
Cook Islands: “Uphold the decision making process of our Forum leaders”
The Cook Islands representative to the Pacific Islands Forum, Tepaeru Herrmann says they respect Kiribati’s decision to withdraw from the Forum, but that upholding the decision to appoint former Henry Puna to the
Historic deals on maritime boundaries at the Forum
Many Pacific island states are really large ocean states, with vast Exclusive Economic Zones. As local enterprises and overseas corporations seek to exploit the region’s vast ocean resources – from fisheries to deep
Legal jostling over Marshall Islands’ Forum status derailing unity efforts
Marshall Islands President David Kabua will not be in Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting this week because members of his own government have “derailed” an effort to reverse the country’s
“We absolutely must preserve the unity of the Forum”
French Polynesia at the regional summit For Jean-Christophe Bouissou, Vice President of French Polynesia, the 51st Pacific Islands Forum is an opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenge of climate change for the
Forum leaders meet to consolidate Blue Pacific agenda
For the first time since 2019, presidents and prime ministers from around the region will gather face-to-face in Suva this week, to continue the 51st Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting. The centrepiece of the summit
Forum mission questions credibility of New Caledonia referendum
Last December, the Pacific Islands Forum sent a ministerial mission to New Caledonia, to monitor the conduct of the third referendum on self-determination under the Noumea Accord. Their report, obtained by Islands
Partners in the Blue Pacific’ initiative rides roughshod over established regional processes
On June 24, the White House announced the establishment of the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), an initiative by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States “for more effective and
Comment: Making Sense of Multi-layered Security Frameworks
Security is a priority in the region. It has been so since 1971, when the earlier version of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) – the South Pacific Forum (SPF) first met in Wellington on 5-7 August that year. At that
Making a point: Rosy Akbar on sexism in parliament
On the eve of the first Pacific Women Leaders meeting, Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar has revealed how she deals with sexism in parliament. “I have always spoken out to
‘The family stays together’
Micronesian members will stay in Pacific Islands Forum “I think that big dark, dark cloud that has been hanging over the Pacific has evaporated from this meeting.” That was Federated States of Micronesia President,
Pacific Islands Forum unity talks underway in Fiji
Fiji today hosts the second day of talks aimed at keeping the Pacific Islands Forum membership intact, with the leaders of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and Cook Islands in the country for meetings with their
PIFS: Japan assures no discharge of treated wastewater if unsafe
Japan’s plans to discharge treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean was the focus of discussions between Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General, Henry Puna and Japan’s Minister for
Debt distress talks at first Pacific debt conference
The First Pacific Regional Debt Conference earlier this month saw Pacific Island Forum Economic Ministers raise the need for urgent talks between Forum Island Countries, creditors, and development partners for proactive
“The game plan from the outside is to divide and conquer”
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna talks Forum unity, the 2050 strategy and his
Regional e-commerce negotiators training begins
Pacific officials have started a four-week training course to help them engage with negotiations and implementation of e-commerce rules. Currently, many Pacific countries require support to negotiate and implement rules
Marshall Islands president calls for Forum ‘peace’
The President of Marshall Islands says not only does he not want the Micronesia area nations to pull out of the Forum, he wants current Secretary General Henry Puna to stay on the job. In a 17 February letter to Nauru
Leadership and the Pacific Way
Will the leadership tussle within the Pacific Islands Forum be resolved using the Pacific Way? Dr Henry Ivarature looks back to a previous era to see if it offers lessons on the current impasse. Reports indicating
Pacific Islands Forum may represent region at G20
Indonesia’s 2022 G20 Presidency will invite the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to represent small island countries at various G20 meetings in the leadup to the main event in Bali later this year. The Caribbean Community
France, the oceans and seabed mining
Pacific leaders have joined a major oceans summit hosted by the French government in the port city of Brest, addressing climate change, illegal fishing, ocean acidification and plastics pollution.
A new Pacific consciousness
Kaliopate Tavola argues that the Pacific Elders Voice has the "soul of the region"
Pacific Islands Forum Chair welcomes Micronesia position
The Pacific Islands Forum Chair, Acting Prime Minister of Fiji Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum says the temporary suspension of the FSM withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum will help the ongoing discussions towards a
Pacific Islands Forum solidarity may survive yet
There has been a reprieve for Pacific regionalism and the unity of the Pacific Islands Forum. And U.S. Secretary of States, Antony Blinken who is currently in Fiji, has welcomed the decision of the Forum’s