PINA

The 98th Meeting of the University of the South Pacific (USP) Council commenced Monday, attracting Ministers and education leaders from across the Pacific to discuss the future of tertiary education in the region. King’s Representative Sir Tom Marsters officially opened the two-day meeting, encouraging the council to look at ways to improve education in the region. Cook Islands Minister of Education,...

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa in Beijing on Tuesday, saying China is willing to make empowering Pacific Island countries to tackle climate change a priority in its cooperation with these countries. China will work with Pacific Island countries to promote the full and effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...

New Zealand has urged France to forge a new constitutional relationship with its troubled external territory New Caledonia, marred by civil unrest. A bungled proposal to widen the voting franchise in the Pacific Island country produced riots in May, resulting in more than a dozen deaths, widespread looting and arrests. The reform derailed the long-standing Noumea Accord, a pledge from Paris...

Negotiating a plastics treaty is an immense task, even more so when you have a myriad of challenges to be addressed in a treaty developed by over 190 governments with varying perspectives. Emissions and Releases is one topic on the table as text is being developed around this. Emissions refers to what is being released into the air when it...

The recent U.S defence agreement with Fiji may not be groundbreaking—Washington has signed similar deals with allies around the world—but it carries strategic weight. According to Jennifer Parker, an expert at the National Security College, it signals that Fiji will likely see more U.S military presence, such as troop rotations, joint exercises, and coastguard missions. “It's a clear sign that we'll...

Media and communications personnel from FFA Members are gathered in Suva for a three-day long training workshop ahead of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC21) that commences from 28 November - 03 December. The workshop aims to build the capacity of fisheries media and communications personnel to effectively cover fisheries policies, promote media relations, and facilitate informed public...

Fiji's Cabinet endorsed that Fiji host the 9th Pacific Tuna Forum in 2025. The Pacific Tuna Forum is a major biennial conference for the Pacific Islands and addresses critical topics such as tuna management, market opportunities, trade barriers, research and development of new products, and the broader prospects for the tuna industry in the Pacific. The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) of...

By Dr Satyendra Prasad, Senior Fellow – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Climate Lead for Abt Global The just concluded COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan was one of those big moments that will shape the Pacific’s well being for a decade if not more. Climate crisis envelops every dimension of Pacific’s existence. Failing root-crop yields across PNG highlands because of rising...

The fifth edition of Netball Australia’s PacificAus Sports Netball Series will return next February with new competition added. The Series will return to Brisbane’s Nissan Arena between 17 – 22,February 2025. Proudly supported by the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports programme, the Series aims to provide teams with high-level competition and exposure to a diverse range of play, improving the...

Ben Aukwai has etched his name in the records of Solomon Islands football history, becoming the first referee from the nation to be nominated for the prestigious International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) World’s Best Referee 2024 award. The announcement, made on Friday, 22 November 2024, places Aukwai among an elite group of 20 match officials from across...