PINA

Marshall Islands President  Hilda Heine has called on Pacific leaders, urging them to adopt intentional, innovative, and bold approaches to tackle the complex challenges of gender inequality in the region. Addressing the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Majuro, President Heine emphasised the need for transformative action: “We must take risks, create new partnerships, and be unwavering in our...

By Rieko Hayakawa On 16 July, exactly two months after the New Caledonia riots that began on May 13, The 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) was held in Tokyo, Japan. The Government of Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) co-organized the meeting. Leaders from across the Pacific, including New Caledonia, held a caucus meeting in the 'margins' of...

Captains from the 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams gathered at the Olympic Village on Monday ahead of what promises to be the most hotly-contested and highly-anticipated rugby sevens event in history. Following rugby sevens’ debut at Rio 2016 and the Covid affected Tokyo 2020 Games, the sport is set to ‘come of age’ on the Olympic stage at its...

Cook Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chair Mark Brown has emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts with various development partners in supporting Pacific Island countries. Speaking last week in Tokyo, PM Brown highlighted the increasing focus on Pacific nations by Japan, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand due to Beijing’s growing influence in the region. Many Pacific nations, economically dependent...

New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million (US$29 million) to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners to further develop and maintain the healthy and...

Cook Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chairman Mark Brown has confirmed that Japan’s discharge of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean does not violate the Rarotonga Treaty. During his visit to Tokyo last week, PM Brown addressed concerns regarding the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. He emphasised that the Pacific leaders had reached a consensus...

The Pacific Islands Forum is sending a high-level delegation to New Caledonia to investigate the current political crisis in the French Territory before the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga next month. Forum Chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown confirmed this during an interview with journalists in Tokyo after the conclusion of the PALM10 meeting on Thursday. “That’s...

In a significant meeting convened to address the controversial issue of Japan’s treated nuclear wastewater discharge into the Pacific Ocean, a consensus was reached among Pacific leaders and Japan. This was confirmed by Cook Islands Prime Minister and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Mark Brown, after the conclusion of the PALM10 Summit in Tokyo on Thursday. The discussions centered...

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders issued a joint statement on Wednesday addressing the decolonisation process and political situation in Kanaky-New Caledonia, proposing an “information visit” and an UN-MSG joint mission to assess the political and socioeconomic status in the French territory. The MSG leaders also committed to playing a constructive role in addressing the situation in Kanaky-New Caledonia. They also...

Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo spoke on Tuesday about the dire impact of climate change on his country on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) in Tokyo, Japan. He emphasised that climate change is Tuvalu's top priority and will remain so indefinitely. “As all Pacific Island countries have collectively declared, climate change and sea level rise pose the...