PINA

As Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers, we refer to the decision by the Government of Japan to commence on 24 August 2023 with the release of Advanced Liquid Processing Systems (ALPS) treated water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean and continuing over a period of approximately 30 years. For our Blue Pacific Continent, the...

With several high-profile world leaders opting out of the UN General Assembly’s annual opening session next week, Secretary-General António Guterres has said that he cares less about who comes to New York and more about what gets done, especially to revive the lagging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “This is not a Vanity Fair. This is a political body in which...

The existing rules and regulations for fisheries in the Pacific are sufficient to meet the goals of the proposed expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Monument, according to marine scientists at the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council(WPRPFC). The council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee reached such a conclusion after reviewing the Pacific Remote Islands Fishery Ecosystem Plan. The review...

At the halfway mark towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), two-thirds of child-related indicators are off-pace to meet their targets, according to a new UNICEF report released today. Progress on Children's Well-Being: Centring child rights in the 2030 Agenda warns that as of today, only 6 per cent of the child population – or 150 million children – living...

The three former members of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) who resigned and headed back to the polls have all been re-elected as members of the Samoa governing Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party for the remainder of this parliamentary term. The by-elections for the three constituencies of Faleata No.4, Siumu and Va'a-o-Fonoti were held on...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday rallied a diverse cross section of civil society actors to use their passionate voices and energetic grassroots networks to “help rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fight for the better future every person deserves.” With world leaders set to convene this week for the annual high-level opening of the General Assembly, the UN’s...

Forum Chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister says the Forum will elevate talks with Japan in regards to its nuclear waste water discharge into the Pacific Ocean. The decision was taken at the one-day Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM) that was concluded in Fiji Friday. “Firstly, the foreign ministers have agreed on issuing a statement in regards to the Fukushima discharge...

Vulnerable island nations in the Pacific are in urgent need of resources to respond to the worsening climate crisis. Building on the success of mobilising US$67 million in climate finance its first year of operation, the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) is partnering with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to expand capabilities in financing...

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia will meet Vanuatu halfway and address any concerns in a security pact between the two nations. Vanuatu's new prime minister Sato Kilman said he believed the already signed pact would need to be reworked in order to get the support of his parliament. While it has been signed, the agreement needs to be ratified by...

The evenings are always the hardest for Nai Misipeka. Alone with her five children, after cooking and cleaning, she puts them to bed. With Fiji four hours ahead of Western Australia, the time difference means by the time her husband John gets off work their conversations are almost always tinged with sadness. “When he calls he ask how about the children and...