PINA

Private and public companies that bid for contracts funded through the Asian Development Bank’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) can expect gender equality component requirements in the bid document. This follows the launch of ADB’s gender equality toolkit for PPPs in November last year. This initiative by the regional multilateral development bank reflects a growing appreciation of the pivotal role gender equality plays...

Innovative and well thought out green monetary policies like green and blue bonds are great to address climate action – but negligible when compared to the speed of damage caused to infrastructure by climate crisis in the Pacific. In some Pacific nations, the damage and loss to GDP is between 30-100 percent. This point was pushed through strongly by Fiji’s deputy...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reformed and positioned itself as the climate bank for the Asia Pacific region. And the bank has matched it with an ambitious pledge to raise USD$100 billion from its own resources by 2030 for climate action – going beyond an earlier USD$80 billion commitment. In November last year, the ADB launched its Climate Change Action...

Limited capacity in human resources – both in numbers and capabilities is one of the three challenges slowing Samoa’s progress towards meeting its sustainable development goals. The other two, according to finance chief executive officer, Maeva Betham Vaai, are the impact of climate change and the two health crises in 2019 that forced a set-back on the island nation’s development...

New Zealand's foreign minister on Friday hit out at China's bid for an increased security presence in the Pacific Islands, warning against actions that could “destabilise” or undermine regional security. “China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors,” Winston Peters said in a speech on relations with China...

A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong said Pasifika voices must be included in the debate on whether or not Aotearoa should join AUKUS. New...

Jeremiah Manele was sworn-in by the Governor General at Government House immediately after his election as the new Prime Minister Solomon Islands Thursday. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the majority of members of the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) in solidarity with the new Prime Minister. Manele was elected by 31 parliamentarians against 18 for his rival Mathew...

Australia will pour almost $500 million (US$328 million) into development projects in the Asia-Pacific region after securing commitments aimed at preventing the participation of Chinese government companies who secure major Pacific Island infrastructure projects by underbidding only to deliver shoddy work. Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy and Foreign Minister Penny Wong inked the new $492 million...

President of the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) and Member of Parliament for Port Vila Constituency, Ishmael Kalsakau, revealed to the Vanuatu Daily Post Thursday that the reason behind his resignation as the Opposition Leader was that he did not want to engage himself in the Opposition leadership rivalry. “I have resigned as the Opposition Leader, but I will continue...

King Tupou VI has expressed his concern about government spending on business ventures and questioned whether the money was used transparently. He also urged government to put an end to illicit drugs use in Tonga, which along with climate change posed “great threats to our children and our lives.” The King’s speech at Tonga’s Legislative Assembly 2023-2024 soft closing session Thursday,...