PINA

The next steps in the journey to implement the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) programme, to strengthen the Pacific region’s ability to anticipate, plan for, and respond to high impact and extreme weather, water, and ocean events, were highlighted at the 31st SPREP Meeting of Officials in Samoa. These steps include the development of a Governance structure and an Implementation Plan...

The new prime minister of Vanuatu has flagged he wants to rewrite a security pact his predecessor signed with Australia, saying parliament is unlikely to ratify the agreement in its current form. Sato Kilman — who has served as prime minister of Vanuatu four times previously — was elected on Monday after a court in Vanuatu upheld the results of...

Fiji and Australia cooperation and friendship will be elevated to new levels through the first review of the Vuvale Partnership to strengthen engagements in important areas of development such as “economic and trade, labour mobility, skills development and visa access, climate change actions, infrastructure, development priorities, defence and security cooperation, and regional cooperation.” The first review of the Vuvale Partnership...

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) of Indonesia held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown, on Monday at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. During the meeting, Prime Minister Mark Brown conveyed his greetings and appreciation to Indonesia for its efforts to bring ASEAN closer to the Pacific. “The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands extends his...

The Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea inaugurated its embassy in Jerusalem on Tuesday, becoming the fifth nation to maintain a diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital city. The move by the strongly Christian Pacific nation north of Australia—the fruition of faith-based diplomacy with an eye on Israeli investment—comes as both Paraguay and Sierra Leone announced their intention to relocate their...

A special Pacific Islands Fisheries Ministerial dialogue was held in Kokopo, East New Britain Province, on the commitment of Fisheries Ministers of certain Pacific Island countries agreeing to achieve Forum Leaders vision in the 2050 strategy by leveraging their shared tuna resources. Ministers from Palau, Solomon Islands and 14 other Pacific Island countries including Australia and New Zealand attended the...

Tuvalu has been appointed Chair of the 31st SPREP Meeting of Officials taking place at Taumeasina Island Resort in Samoa. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs, Government of Tuvalu, Dr Tauisi M. Taupo, takes over the role from the outgoing Chair of the 30th SPREP Meeting, the Kingdom of Tonga. The Republic of Marshall...

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and other dignitaries gathered in Paris on Monday, four days before France and New Zealand get Rugby World Cup 2023 underway at the Stade de France. French Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, World Rugby Chief Executive Officer Alan Gilpin, Jacques Rivoal, Chairman of Rugby World Cup France 2023 and Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR)...

World Rugby has today announced the team of Emirates Match Officials selected for the upcoming September and October women’s internationals and three-level inaugural WXV competition to be held in New Zealand, South Africa and Dubai between 13 October to 4 November. A total of 19 match officials representing 13 nations will take charge of the 10 warm-up fixtures in September...

The Government of Japan has been criticised by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat for using the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report to justify what it calls the ‘mischievous and at worst, disingenuous’ discharge of treated nuclear waste water into the Pacific Ocean. A statement released Monday by its MSG Director General, Leonard Louma claimed that, “Nowhere in the...