PINA

French Polynesia says France failed to heed warnings of unrest in New Caledonia and Paris needs to soften its diplomacy in the crisis-hit Pacific territory. The future of New Caledonia is a hot topic at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, this week. Unrest in New Caledonia over voting reforms imposed by France led to huge destruction...

The island nations of the Pacific are “showing the way” to protect the planet from the ravages of climate change and now the rest of the world needs to step up with more support, the UN chief said on Monday. Secretary-General António Guterres was addressing the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, telling leaders that while much of...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, the outgoing chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, is delighted to officially hand over the chairmanship of the region’s political decision-making body to his successor, the Prime Minister of Tonga, at the 53rd Leaders Meeting starting today in Nuku’alofa. At a press conference before departing for Tonga, PM Brown said he would now have...

Western nations, including the United States and New Zealand, failed to understand swiftly enough the geopolitical importance of island nations in the South Pacific, leaving a power vacuum that allowed other countries to increase their diplomatic influence, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. Peters made the remark in an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in...

By Nic Maclellan “We’ve been mindful that our region is of great interest from a geopolitical perspective over the last few years or so,” says Prime Minister of Cook Islands Mark Brown. “But the security issues that are seen by our bigger development partners are not the same security issues that we consider as important. For us in the Pacific,...

Defending champions Fiji opened the Pacific Nations Cup with a resounding 42-16 victory over Samoa Friday. There might have been some anxiety at the National Stadium in Suva when the visitors turned with a 16-15 deficit at halftime. Instead, Fiji scored 27 unanswered points, a Samoan rut setting in when D’Angelo Leuila dispatched a kick-off to start the second half out...

  By Dr Satyendra Prasad Tonga – the 6th most climate vulnerable nation in the World hosts Pacific leaders this week. Tonga grabbed international attention last in 2021 in the aftermath of the tragic eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha-apai Volcano. Deaths, injuries and the scale of damage to its infrastructure shocked the World. Since then Tonga has been hit by several...

United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres issued a stern warning Thursday during his visit to Samoa, declaring that the Pacific must not be a battleground for global powers. He called for international action to support Pacific nations against the mounting challenges of climate change and urged the world to respect the sovereignty and leadership of the islanders in managing their region. Many...

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Tonga next week to meet with Pacific leaders on priority regional issues, including climate change, security and development. The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Week brings together leaders from 18 Pacific countries, including New Zealand. “This meeting is our region’s opportunity to come together and help chart...

A newly elected MP in Kiribati says the incumbent government's decision to re-establish bilateral relations with China in 2019 at Taiwan's expense has so far proved beneficial. Ruth Cross Kwansing was one of five women elected into the 45-seat Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Parliament) this week. Kwansing, who contested for a seat in Teinainano Urban Council (South Tarawa), was one of three...