PINA

Partnership and looking to the future are key themes as Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific discuss regional security challenges in Auckland today, New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins says. The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence and Secretaries of Defence from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, France (New Caledonia), Tonga, Chile and...

Kiribati’s Permanent representative to the United Nations, Teburoro Tito, used the platform of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly to call for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council and emphasise the need for collective action in the face of global challenges. Delivering his statement last week in New York, Tito marked Kiribati’s 25th year as a...

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) recently concluded a high-level meeting in New York, combining the Troika Summit with a gathering of Heads of State and Government from the OACPS Bureau of the Council of Ministers. The meeting, held on 23 September, yielded significant outcomes, including a renewed commitment to the organisation's mission and a collective resolve...

Solomon Islands believes, the Paris Agreement is failing humanity and so the world needs a stronger legally binding framework on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on Climate Change signed in 2016. The treaty covers climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance. Head of Solomon Islands delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Minister for Foreign...

Five individuals wanted by French authorities have surrendered in besieged New Caledonia's pro-independence stronghold of Saint Louis. The village, which is part of the town of Mont-Dore, near the capital Nouméa, had been blockaded by French security forces, which had banned the neighbouring provincial road to traffic by installing two checkpoints, effectively blockading the Saint Louis tribe. Since violent riots broke...

The death toll from floods and landslides across Nepal, which has claimed more than 150 lives and counting, is a reminder of the devastation extreme climate events can have on communities. The devastation was felt at the Baravi Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Fiji Monday, where Pacific Climate Change Ministers and officials gathered to discuss the Pacific’s priorities as the...

Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question its claim to be a “member of the Pacific family”, and undermines the Australian case to co-host the 2026 UN climate summit with island nations. Dr Maina Talia said last week’s mine approvals that analysts say could generate more than 1.3bn tonnes of carbon dioxide across...

Leading Pacific Islands academic Dr George Carter has been appointed to the COP29 Presidency Scientific Council. He joins an elite group of scientists from around the world who will advise governments at this year's UN Climate talks in Azerbaijan. “It's an absolute privilege to join this prestigious council,” he said. “It's a team of scientists who assist in negotiations ... some of...

Leaders from the Pacific and Caribbean nations of the 6PAC+ coalition are leading the charge at the Marine Environment Protection Committee(MEPC82), calling for bold and ambitious climate action to protect their very survival. These Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are urging the International Maritime Organisation(MO) to adopt a global emissions levy to drive maritime decarbonisation and protect vulnerable nations from...

Australia could co-host the global climate meeting in 2026 well on the way to emissions targets, and ready to drive fresh momentum. Opinion Kerry Schott and John Connor Australia wishes to co-host the global COP31 UN climate talks in partnership with the Pacific in 2026. This Conference of the Parties is the 31st annual formal meeting of the United Nations Framework...