PINA

Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat says the upcoming climate opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be a “defining moment in the global climate justice movement,” as the world awaits the court’s ruling on 23 July. “We eagerly await the landmark opinion of the world's highest court on the greatest existential challenge facing our planet: the climate crisis....

By Nic Maclellan Meeting in France, New Caledonian political leaders have signed an agreement on the political and economic future of the French Pacific dependency. The signing of the Bougival Accord on 12 July, described as “historic” by French President Emmanuel Macron, came after ten days of closed-doors talks in the town of Bougival, on the outskirts of Paris. After years of...

France on Saturday announced a “historic” accord with New Caledonia in which the overseas territory, rocked by deadly separatist violence last year, would remain French but be declared a new state. “A State of New Caledonia within the Republic: it's a bet on trust,” French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X, hailing a “historic”" agreement. Receiving the signatories later, the president...

-Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has launched the official theme and logo for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM), during a special ceremony last Wednesday. Scheduled for 08 to 12 September 2025, the Forum Leaders Meeting marks a proud and significant moment for Solomon Islands to host the region, reaffirming national commitment to Pacific unity and shared...

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has announced a landmark development in PNG–United States relations following a historic first-ever bilateral meeting at the White House between Prime Minister and a U.S Vice President. This milestone meeting, held during Prime Minister Marape’s official visit to Washington DC, took place at the White House with U.S Vice President J.D Vance, and...

The Cook Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are separated by around 6,000 kilometres of Pacific Ocean Despite the vast stretch of water between them, the two small island nations share a common challenge: how to protect their people from rising seas and extreme weather. Climate change is an ever-present reality for these two countries – and all other island...

Australia has reaffirmed its commitment to working with Pacific island countries to secure a legally binding, meaningful and effective global treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. Representatives progressed efforts during the Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting, held this week in Apia, Samoa, in the lead up to the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to...

Tonga’s deputy Prime Minister, Taniela Fusimalohi, is visiting New Zealand to address challenges related to labour mobility, public services, and the economy. In an interview on PMN Tonga, Fusimalohi says the visit is part of a broader effort to strengthen engagement with the Tongan diaspora, a community that contributes an estimated one billion Tongan pa’anga (NZ$700 million). Fusimalohi is accompanied by...

Pacific countries have taken a critical step to finalise their priorities as they ramp up the call for a high-ambition treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastic. Ahead of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2) in...

Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Pacific nations have “already been doing” their part to back Australia’s bid to host the COP31 global climate summit, even as Turkiye refuses to withdraw from the race. “The Pacific remains extremely supportive of our bid… they’ve written to Turkiye, they’ve offered to do more when and if they can,” he...