PINA

By Pita Ligaiula in Seoul Pacific countries support for South Korea’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030, will be a sovereign decision for each member countries to make, says Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna. The issue is expected to be raised at the Inaugural Korea – Pacific Summit Monday. PACNEWS understand Korea will be asking the Pacific...

By Pita Ligaiula in Seoul Climate change remains Pacific priorities despite geopolitical interest and security for the Indo Pacific from global superpowers, says Forum Secretary General Henry Puna. Pacific island leaders are meeting South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul today for the inaugural Korea – Pacific Summit, as the region seeks stronger action on climate change. In an interview...

By Pita Ligaiula in Seoul Pacific civil society groups have written to Pacific Leaders ahead of the inaugural Korea- Pacific Summit Monday requesting that they use this opportunity to request Korea to withdraw its financial and political support for fossil fuel projects in Australia. The first Korea-Pacific Islands Summit on Monday between Forum Leaders and South Korea President Yoon Suk...

By Pita Ligaiula in Seoul Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General and Ocean Commissioner Henry Puna says ‘ocean conservation is vital to our survival, our way of life, our economies, and absolutely essential in addressing climate change.’ In his remarks at the World Climate Industry Expo in Busan attended by Pacific and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) leaders including Belize and Bahamas,...

By Pita Ligaiula Fiji has called on global community to reach an effective legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. The second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC2) is taking place in Paris, France from 29 May - 02 June. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for...

By Stephen Howes Fresh off their meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi in PNG, Pacific leaders are this coming week gathering in Seoul for the inaugural South Korea-Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting. It is not hard to be sceptical about the value of these summits but, that said, they are not going to go away. Normally, they focus on aid....

Pacific Islands Forum Leaders are driving new global momentum for climate change and other collective priorities in a week of meetings with India, the US, and South Korea. The 1st Korea-Pacific Islands Summit on 29 May  between Forum Leaders and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol is co-hosted by the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans...

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says Papua New Guinea has a “healthy relationship” with China. “They also are important and a big trading partner,” he said. Marape was responding to criticisms over the signing of defence cooperation agreements with the United States in Port Moresby on Monday, with some seeing it as putting at risk the PNG-China relationship. “But we...

The Turaga Bale Na Vunivalu Na Tui Kaba, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau is adamant of a positive outcome as Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) reconvened today for the first time after 16 years since its suspension in 2007. In an interview, Ratu Epenisa stressed the need for GCC to evolve and adapt to the changing times and the diverse population...

Prime Minister James Marape says Papua New Guinea hopes to adopt India’s electronic voting system and biometric identification during General Election 2027. “They (India) are one of the biggest democratic nations and they deliver voting results in one day,” he said. “With a population of 1.4 billion people, and about 800 million eligible voters, they are able to vote and get...