Page 7 - IB August 2024

Briefs Briefs

reflect a low prevalence of family and sexual violence. As we remote villages in East Sepik have not yet been arrested. An
all know, victims of such violence often do not come forward estimated 30 young people targeted Tamara, Tambari and
due to fear, stigma, and various other barriers,” said Deputy Agrumara villages over what is believed to have been a land
Police Commissioner, Simpson Deidanang, during a UNDP-led dispute. Hundreds of people have been displaced as a result
training last month. The training program was designed to of the deadly violence.
give officers the skills and knowledge to handle domestic
violence and sexual offences cases more effectively and
compassionately.
Samoa
In Samoa, a comprehensive gun amnesty will run through
September 30 in an attempt to collect illegal firearms in
New Caledonia circulation. This initiative, spearheaded by Samoa’s police
New Caledonia’s mothballed nickel plant in Koniambo has force, follows a successful campaign in 2021 that saw the
sacked some 1200 staff, despite efforts to identify a potential removal of 198 illegal firearms from circulation. During this
buyer. Koniambo (KNS – Koniambo Nickel SAS) operations had period, individuals voluntarily surrendering firearms will
already been mothballed after the announcement in February not face charges. Instead, they will have the opportunity to
by its major financier, Anglo-Swiss giant, Glencore, that it register their weapons.
wanted out. KNS is jointly owned by Glencore (49%) and
New Caledonia’s Northern province (51%). Glencore said that
the plant, in over ten years of operations, had never made Solomon Islands
a profit, but had accumulated a staggering US$14 billion in A recent rapid assessment by UNICEF on the situation of
debt. children working, walking, and living on the streets in
Honiara, Solomon Islands, has unveiled concerning insights
into the hardships faced by vulnerable children. The
assessment included 115 boys and 55 girls, all under the age
Niue of 18. The assessment revealed 60 were found to be working
Starlink’s current operations in Niue are unauthorised. Under in the informal sector, with the youngest worker being just
the Communication Act 1989, citizens of Niue are required six years old. The survey also uncovered alarming instances
to have a licence to operate a transmission and reception of child exploitation: five girls were involved in commercial
installation to receive signals. Minister for Infrastructure, sexual exploitation, and three boys were engaged in the worst
Crossley Tatui, has confirmed there are at least five cases of forms of child labour.
illegal vendors accessing Starlink operations on the island.

Tonga
Palau The proportion of women in business leadership has mostly
Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr., said the government remained steady since 2021 in Tonga, where men still hold
is struggling to manage the influx of solar energy. “One of the over four out of every five board director positions, and
first meetings we had was meeting the Japanese, Taiwanese, the number of boards with no women directors at all has
and the Australians asking them to please stop any other new increased, from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2024, according to a
solar projects for now because if we add new solar projects new report published by the Asian Development Bank. “This
to the grid now, we cannot handle it,” Whipps said at a news signals that continued efforts are required to create more
conference. The President said the island nation is facing inclusive and diverse corporate cultures in Tonga,” said the
challenges integrating renewable energy into its power grid report’s author, PSDI expert, Sarah Boxall.
without sufficient battery storage. Australia has pledged AU$7
million (US$3.31 million) to help Palau build battery capacity,
he said. “There is no question that the idea (renewable Tuvalu
energy) is great but there is only so much energy that we can Tuvalu and thirty other nations have joined the call for
absorb through solar into the system without having 100% a precautionary pause on deep sea mining at the 29th
batteries,” he said. The island is now producing more solar International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly meeting
energy than it can consume, leading to wasted power. in Kingston, Jamaica. The representative for Tuvalu said
the government remained cautious of seabed mining
developments and that there is not enough scientific
Papua New Guinea information to understand the “complex web of life” in the
Papua New Guinea police have arrested five people in deep sea. In 2022, Tuvalu’s government rescinded its support
connection with the brutal attacks in Angoram district that for company Circular Metals Ltd to explore seabed mining in
left around 25 people dead last month. RNZ Pacific reported the country’s waters.
that the ring leaders who initiated the attacks in three

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