PINA

-An Australian helicopter pilot and two locals kidnapped in a remote part of Papua New Guinea have been released unharmed. The pilot and two Digicel contractors landed at a telecommunications site where they were taken at gunpoint during a scheduled stop near Mt Sisa on Monday afternoon. They were released hours later. “The quick response by our (Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary)...

Ministers formally approved the WTO membership terms of Comoros and Timor-Leste at a special ceremony held at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The respective governments said the ceremony marked a historic day for both least-developed countries (LDCs) and a significant step in their quest to accelerate economic and political reforms. Trade ministers unanimously welcomed both...

IMF Deputy Managing Director Bo li has highlighted the region's diversity but acknowledged shared vulnerabilities, particularly to global shocks. Bo Li addressed the IMF Pacific Islands Conference in Nadi Monday, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to gather after the COVID-19 hiatus. “It is a pleasure to join you all for this year’s IMF Pacific Islands Conference, our first in the region...

Eight WTO members deposited their instruments of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on 26 February at the opening of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), putting the historic agreement for ocean sustainability on track for entry into force at record pace. Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Chad, Malaysia, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo, and Türkiye presented their instruments of acceptance...

Op Ed by Maureen Penjueli On February the 7th, the European Union (EU) Parliament voted against Norway’s recent decision to advance deep-sea mining in the Arctic by reaffirming its moratorium position and called for the European Commission and its member states to promote an international moratorium on deep-sea mining. Here in the Pacific, on the 13th of February the...

In line with the Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027 and following on from the decision taken by the FIFA Council in December 2022, FIFA will implement the pilot phase of the FIFA Series during the upcoming Men’s International Match Calendar window in March 2024. From the Oceania Football Confederation, the men’s teams from Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea...

At the 25 February meeting of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed high-level officials’ efforts and leadership to boost their actions to address climate change. The meeting of the coalition, which counts Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Morocco as the newest members, was held at the margins of the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13)...

Vanuatu Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to receive financial support of up to VT1 million (US$ 8,343) each to strengthen and support the National Referendum 'Yes' campaign. This was confirmed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Johnny Koanapo, adding that this fund is part of the VT350 million (US$2.9 million) appropriated by Parliament for referendum awareness efforts. Koanapo explained that...

Fiji had the honour of chairing the African, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) Group Ministerial Meeting on the eve of the 13th World Trade Organisation - WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communication, Manoa Kamikamica, as Chair of the meeting, facilitated discussions on the ACP’s interests and priorities...

Feleti Teo secured the position of Tuvalu’ new Prime Minister without facing any opposition Monday. He was elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu after the 2024 general election in January. Tuvalu MP Simon Kofe took to Twitter to announce the unprecedented development, expressing congratulations to Feleti Teo. Kofe highlighted that it marked the first instance in Tuvalu's history where a Prime Minister...