PINA

Bula Vinaka and a special Iakwe and greetings to you all. I thank you for the invitation to join you today to mark this important day. Unfortunately, Secretary General Henry Puna is not able to join us today – but let me assure you that you do not have a stronger supporter and partner in theses efforts than him....

Experts, ministers and philanthropists from around the world are meeting in Panama this Thursday and Friday in search of funding and new commitments to promote the “blue” economy, expand marine protected areas and confront the threats facing the ocean. “We expect more than 300 new commitments” for the protection of marine resources “in the short, medium and long term,” said...

Fiji’s new Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has taken swift action against figures from the previous regime, comparing them to “cancer”. He made the comment in an exclusive interview with 1News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver. Fiji’s new Government is facing the task of dismantling policies and in a country that’s had 16 years of first military and then authoritarian rule. So far former...

The Digital Economy Report: Pacific Edition of 2022 was launched on 16 February at a regional event hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum. The report offers new research and data on the digital economy and focuses on the development and policy implications of digital transformation in the Pacific. More than 200 policymakers and private sector representatives gathered to discuss how digital...

Over one hundred participants from across the Pacific region will be part of a tailor-made climate resilience for sustainability training programme. The participants represent the private sector in the region and will be beneficiaries to this virtual training programme which focuses on climate change and its impact on Pacific business. Adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as enabling participants to identify...

By Barbara Dreaver, 1News Pacific Correspondent The appointment of Baron Waqa, former President of Nauru, to head the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) next year was a jaw-droppingly poor decision and an insult to everything the regional body is meant to represent. What were the Forum leaders thinking? Here’s the thing, they were probably told he’s the former President of Nauru, he’ll...

---“Let’s get to work!” These were the words of Prime Minister Mark Brown to the Cook Islands delegation supporting his attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Special Leaders Retreat (SLR), on his assumption of Pacific Islands Forum Chair responsibilities at the closing ceremony of the SLR on Friday in Fiji. The Cook Islands delegation included Special Envoy to the...

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders will undertake work to consider the establishment of a permanent PIF Special Envoy Office in the United States. According to the PIF leaders retreat communique, the leaders are recognising the “increased interest in the Blue Pacific region, including at the United Nations level and with the United States of America, Leaders.” The leaders said the PIF...

All Vanuatu government workers have been told to stay home until Tropical Cyclone Judy has left the country. Tuesday, damaging gale-force winds affected the northern provinces of Torba, Sanma, Penama and Malampa. The category three cyclone is bearing down on Vanuatu's northern provinces, moving in a southerly direction. The Vanuatu Met service in its latest cyclone warning said destructive hurricane-force winds of...

The Papua New Guinea leadership tribunal inquiring into misconduct allegations against suspended Madang MP Bryan Kramer today found Kramer guilty on seven of the 12 allegations of misconduct against him. Initially, there was 14 allegations in total but two of the allegations were withdrawn during the course of the trial. The tribunal panel comprising Justice Lawrence Kangwia as Chairman and Magistrates...