PINA

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has given his assurance to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) that police and army personnel going into the autonomous region will do so without guns and ammunitions. Marape made this statement during the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting held early this week in Port Moresby while thanking Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael...

Australia must prepare for “devastating” climate-fueled disruption in the Asia-Pacific, including failed states, forced migration and regional conflicts over water shortages, a stark briefing for federal politicians warns. The Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration thinktank has summarised the potential threats and impacts of the climate crisis in a note targeted at MPs. Breakthrough is seeking to galvanise political debate on...

Dear Pacific Islands Forum leaders and ministers, Pacific greetings to you. As you prepare to convene in the lead up to the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting, we present our requests for your consideration. We hope these requests will be taken into account as you deliberate the region's desired outcomes for this year. To the Pacific Islands Forum leaders: Evidence supports...

Flying Fijians Head Coach Simon Raiwalui continues to test combinations and rotate players as he again names a powerful squad for the test match against Japan on Saturday. Eroni Mawi and Luke Tagi retain their places up front at props while Sam Matavesi comes in at hooker. In the second row, Isoa Nasilasila has been rested after two consecutive outings...

A new agreement signed today will bolster emergency management cooperation between New Zealand and Fiji, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. The Memorandum of Cooperation between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Fiji National Disaster Management Office will help to strengthen disaster resilience, response, and recovery capacities of both countries. “Our countries have had each other’s backs...

In a bid to end the practice of international fisheries decision-making bodies conducting some of their most crucial meetings in secret, the Accountability.Fish advocacy group has applied for "unconditional" observer status for the upcoming Western Central Pacific Fisheries Council (WCPFC)meetings later this year. “International fisheries decisions have far reaching economic and ecological consequences, and the citizens of the WCPFC countries,...

Newly-elected climate chief Jim Skea has been accused of downplaying threats to the Pacific Islands in his first media interviews in the job. The new head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) told The Telegraph in Britain and German news magazine Der Spiegel that heating above 1.5 degrees Celsius was “not an existential threat to humanity”, comments labelled...

Angaur State Government, one of the sixteen (16) states of Palau, represented by its Governor Steven Salii, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Palau government, the United States government, United States contractors, and the Palau Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB) for the alleged violations of Palau environmental laws and the Compact of Free Association agreements over the U.S Tactical...

Noting the distinct challenges besetting the U.S territories and freely associated states, U.S lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill seeking to help federal agencies understand the needs of the jurisdictions with complex political status. H.R. 5001, titled “Special Advisors for Insular Areas Act.” would establish a special advisor for insular areas in each executive department. “Our relationship with each of the...

After three hours of intense negotiations in Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinea Government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) resolved and endorsed five resolutions to move Bougainville’s independence issue forward. Prime Minister James Marape and ABG President Ishmael Toroama, co-chairing the special Joint Supervisory Body meeting at APEC Haus Monday with their respective senior ministerial teams, agreed on matters...