Tongan doctor to head Pacific Community
DOCTOR Paula Vivili has been appointed Director General of the Pacific
SPC
Digital trade challenges
PACIFIC island countries have gathered in Suva, Fiji, to strengthen their capacity to measure and respond to the opportunities and challenges of digital
Marshallese women call for nuclear justice
Women continue to fight for justice, 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused devastation on the people and environment of the Marshall Islands. And as Pacific women gathered on Majuro to
Dealing with dengue: Pacific looks to new tools
Climate change and increased urbanisation are driving an increase in dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases and the Pacific is responding with a suite of new interventions and tactics. The World Health Organization
UNDP, EU, and SPC Collaborate to Enhance Fiji’s Development Minerals Sector
Suva, Fiji: A significant milestone in the advancement of Fiji’s Development Minerals sector has occurred as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji – in
Dropouts declining, but education challenges remain
Analysis of 2021 data on student retention and attrition of students indicates that student dropouts are gradually decreasing in the region. Data collected by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Pacific fights for climate finance at COP28
In the final days of the global climate negotiations in Dubai, countries continue to argue over the “phase out” or “phase down” of fossil fuels. United Arab Emirates, the host nation of the 28th Conference of
Pacific SIDS face uphill battle as negotiator warns of unresolved issues and financial challenges
Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) brace for an uphill battle as a key negotiator issues a warning about remaining unresolved issues and financial hurdles as COP28 negotiations pass midway. Exsley Taloiburi,
Water shocks impact the food chain
“We often think of buckets for food security. But in the Pacific, it means water security,” said Dave Hebblethwaite, the Pacific Community’s Water Security and Governance Coordinator. To illustrate his
Careers in ocean science beckons to young Pacific women
Pacific young women are taking a greater interest in protecting our oceans for the future. At last week’s inaugural conference on ocean science and ocean management in Nadi, Fiji, Tanga Morris Jnr, 26, said that
Pacific region vastly underserved by climate finance: Coral Pasisi
The Pacific region remains vastly underserved by access to climate finance, according to the Pacific Community’s (SPC) director of climate change and sustainability, Coral Pasisi. By her estimation, the region
It’s not time to panic, it’s time to build regional scientific capacity: SPC
The head of the Pacific Community (SPC) says the region should develop scientific capability “that is owned and trusted” to monitor and advise on radioactive isotopes. Speaking on the eve of the likely first
Fish surveys in your pocket
The era of filling out paper forms, mountains of paperwork, and cabinets full of documents containing fish catch surveys could be nearing an end with the increased uptake of the Ikasavea app. The Pacific Community (SPC)
Building a vision for Pacific agriculture
The lack of a regional vision for agriculture and forestry is “one of our biggest challenges”, says the Director of the Land Resources Division of the Pacific Community, Karen Mapusua. But this is poised to change,
PILNA identifies room for improvement
Pacific Island teachers are satisfied and proud of their work, but many of them have high stress levels. This is one of the newly-released findings of the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) for
Tonga wins bid for SPC’s first Polynesian Sub-Regional Office
Tonga has won the bid to host the Pacific Community’s first-ever Polynesian Sub-regional Office. The decision was made by the Pacific Community’s Committee of Representatives of Governments and
Steady progress for Pacific primary education: SPC
Findings from the Pacific’s largest education assessment on literacy and numeracy (PILNA) for years 4 & 6 suggests that countries are “not yet ready to cope with remote learning.” PILNA 2021 findings released
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
Protecting food security in the face of COVID-19
SPC Land Resources DivisionIn a move to help boost food security as the Pacific recovers from COVID-19, The Pacific Community’s (SPC) Land Resources Division (LRD) has established two rapid response projects: The
SPC: Health and wellness resources available for Pacific People
According to the World Health Organization global health survey in 2016, 71% of deaths globally were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the Pacific, NCDs are the leading cause of deaths accounting for 75% of
After COVID- what next for Pacific heath systems?
The Pacific’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to lead to increased scrutiny of health budgets and investments in our region. However first there are the very pressing questions of how to scale up response
Dodging the digital divide
It will be two long months before Fijian children are back at school; classrooms are scheduled to reopen on June 15 Like them, children in many other Pacific nations and territories are learning at home, or taking
Traditional knowledge needs to be at the heart of the Ocean Decade
Harnessing traditional knowledge of the oceans in a way that isn’t exploitative or tokenistic is emerging as a strong theme at a regional ocean meeting currently underway in Noumea. Scientists, policy makers and