PINA

Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts Tuesday pledged robust support for Pacific digital infrastructure at the Telstra Pacific Islands Telecommunications Strategy Forum in Sydney, highlighting Australia’s multi-million-dollar investment in undersea cables as a lifeline for Pacific connectivity. Addressing regional leaders and industry representatives, Watts acknowledged the crucial need for secure, resilient digital networks across the Blue Pacific, emphasising...

Acting Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Desna Solofa this week urged Forum Island Countries (FICs) to embrace investment opportunities from Japan as critical drivers for post-COVID economic recovery. “The Pacific is open for business, and this partnership with Japan is a cornerstone for our shared future.” With trade, investment, and tourism high on the agenda, Solofa highlighted that...

Japan's Director-General for Trade Policy and Economic Cooperation, Yasuji Komiyama has laid out an ambitious vision for the Pacific, promising that Japan is ready to be a strong partner in the region's economic development. Japan sees the Pacific as a critical partner for sustainable development and economic growth. Komiyama highlighted the Pacific’s “rich natural resources, diverse cultures, and tremendous economic potential”...

By Nic McLellan in Noumea, New Caledonia On the final day of the Pacific Islands Forum mission to New Caledonia, the delegation of Forum leaders’ broke bread with church and community elders at a working breakfast. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka thanked the hosts for their welcome, in the presence of senior church leaders like the Catholic Archbishop of Noumea,...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for decisive action to restore harmony with nature, warning that environmental crises are pushing humanity toward tipping points that threaten ecosystems, livelihoods and global stability. Speaking at the opening of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), he emphasised that “making peace with nature is the...

Pacific nations need anti-doping programmes to be able to support their athletes and get on level terms with top nations. This was discussed at the first-ever Pacific Sports Ministers at the Tanoa Hotel. The President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Witold Banka said the anti-doping topic is really important. They are here to discuss what they have to offer to athletes...

By Nic Maclellan in Noumea, New Caledonia President Louis Mapou and the Government of New Caledonia has met with a visiting mission of Pacific Islands Forum leaders, with the Kanak politician noting “New Caledonia is at a turning point in its evolution, and the political, economic and social system that’s existed for many years has reached its end.” The French...

Fiji’s Attorney-General Graham Leung has urged Pacific law officers to address the region's pressing legal challenges, highlighting climate change, digital transformation, and rising authoritarianism as critical issues for the Pacific's legal framework. “This meeting isn’t just about sharing experiences; it’s a chance to deepen our collaboration on issues that profoundly affect the daily lives of Pacific Islanders,” Leung said in...

In a decisive push for a stronger, more integrated Pacific, the Pacific Community’s deputy director for Disaster and Community Resilience Programme (DCRP), Exsley Taloiburi, urged regional leaders and experts to turn ideas into action at the Second Regional Co-Design Workshop for Integrate Pasifika. “This isn’t just another project; it’s a fundamental shift in how we approach regional collaboration and knowledge...

Many of the world’s most biodiverse areas are found within the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC) and comprise of diverse ecosystems maintained through customary laws, spiritual values and traditional practices. Vanuatu and Fiji showcased IPLC leadership in protecting and managing high biodiversity areas in a range of initiatives in their countries, sharing with a global audience...