PINA

Vanuatu has taken a bold step in the fight for environmental justice by renewing its push for the recognition of ecocide as an independent crime under the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Rome Statute. The Pacific island nation, which first proposed the idea in 2019, is leading the global call for stronger legal mechanisms to hold accountable those responsible for the...

Cook Islands wants to be the country that is at the forefront of the seabed minerals sector, declared Prime Minister Mark Brown. At the opening cocktail event for the 52nd Underwater Minerals Conference being held at the National Auditorium, Brown said “we want to be the country that knows the most about its ocean and its deep-ocean resources”. The cocktail event...

Solomon Islands Minister for Police National Security, Jimson Tanangada attended a ground-breaking ceremony of the China-Pacific Island Training Centre Complex (CPPTC) in Fuzhou, Fujian Police College, on 11 September 11 2024. This centre will allow Pacific Island countries to send in police officers to attend various training courses in China. Minister Tanangada, when delivering his speech on behalf of the eight...

By Nathan Cooper and Leilani Tuala-Warren The recent proposal by Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa to recognise ecocide as a crime against humanity is timely and could provide a global framework of accountability for environmental damage. Ecocide is defined as acts of “unlawful or wanton” environmental destruction, committed in the knowledge of their likely severe, widespread or long-term effects. Last week, the...

The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has shed light on an internal standoff that occurred just days before the Flying Fijians’ Rugby World Cup quarter-final against England, following allegations of corruption and delayed payments made by former captain Waisea Nayacalevu. In an official response, FRU is calling on Nayacalevu to provide specific evidence to support his accusations of corruption at the...

International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) director general, Dr Grethel Aguilar, has called for immediate action to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, highlighting the severe impacts already being felt in Oceania. Addressing conservationists, government officials, and IUCN members from across the region Monday, Aguilar emphasised that 2023 was a critical tipping point, with temperatures reaching...

Over 100 stakeholders and marine minerals experts from all across the globe have gathered for the International Underwater Minerals Conference (UMC) 2024 in Rarotonga this week. The four-day conference, which began in 1970, will be held from Monday to Thursday this week at the National Auditorium, gathering marine minerals experts from over 25 countries. UMC is the world’s largest gathering of...

Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has confirmed that the Forum Troika Plus delegation will visit New Caledonia in October to assess the escalating political situation in the French territory. The mission, which has strong backing from French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to promote dialogue and address the growing tensions on the ground. “In terms of the new political issues in the...

Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has emphasised the importance of unity and collective action to drive sustainable development and economic growth in the Pacific region, during his opening remarks last week at the 8th Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Independent Advisory Board Meeting. Waqa acknowledged the significance of the gathering, calling it a “pivotal moment” in the region’s journey toward fostering...

The produce and catch of the hardworking farmers and fishers of Samoa will be on display at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year. That was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Co-Chair CHOGM Sub-Committee Catering Seuseu Dr Joseph Tauati during the CHOGM preparations Press Conference update held last...