PINA

New Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on states’ climate change obligations. “This decision has the potential to change...

By Sanjesni Kumar The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has agreed to seek the International Court of Justice’s opinion on the obligations of states regarding climate change and human rights. The resolution passed by consensus on Wednesday this week is historic and is a victory of climate justice for Vanuatu and Pacific youth groups should as it means that major polluters...

A group of Pacific Island students who were instrumental in pushing a UN resolution that should make it easier to hold polluting countries legally accountable for failure to act on the climate crisis have greeted its adoption as historic. “Young people across the world will recall the day when we were able to get the world’s highest court, the international...

New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS say they will tell the French Prime Minister of the Kanak pepole's "sense of humiliation" over the last independence referendum. The pro-independence alliance is set to talk to the French State from 07-15 April. Secretary-general of the Caledonian Union, Pascal Sawa, told La Premiere they need to discuss what happened in the referendum vote in 2021, which...

The World Bank has officially opened a permanent office in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, following several years of an expanding presence and portfolio across the North Pacific. The new regional hub will play a vital role in delivering the near USD half-billion in total support across Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Marshall Islands, and Palau. World Bank assistance...

Queensland’s economic presence in the Pacific will be strengthened by the appointment of Leata Alaimoana as Trade Commissioner for the region. Alaimoana was Impact Investment Manager with Pacific Trade Invest Australia - the trade and investment arm for the Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Trade Commissioner is part of the Pacific Engagement Plan funded under the $150 million (US$100 million) Queensland...

The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) joins the Fijian Media Association (FMA) in welcoming the decision of the Coalition Govt in Fiji to repeal the draconian Media Industry Development Act 2010. On Wednesday, Fijian Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka announced that Cabinet endorsed the ‘total repeal’ of the Media Industry Development Authority (MIDA) Act of 2010 – ending 13 years of...

The World Rugby Pacific Challenge will take place in Samoa as it returns for the first time since 2020. The tournament, contested by the national ‘A’ teams of Fiji, Japan, Tonga and Samoa, will be hosted in Apia from o3-13 May, 2023. After six consecutive editions organised in Fiji (2015-20) since its rebranding as the Pacific Challenge, the World Rugby-funded...

The Pacific Islands Forum Chair, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, has 'warmly welcomed' the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a new UN Resolution asking the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on climate change. The ICJ advisory opinion will address the question of where states have obligations to address climate change, and if they...

With Tuvalu Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Kofe, speaking in Q and A mode in the margins of this week’s Pacific conference on statehood and protection of persons affected by sea level rise. The conference features global and Pacific legal experts and is dealing with “ground-breaking work that will influence a legacy for our children and future generations into perpetuity,”...