PINA

Cook Islands foreign secretary, Tepaeru Herrmann and Chair of the 2024 Pacific ACP (PACP) Officials Meeting Monday highlighted the urgent issues facing the region, from climate change and natural disasters to a growing debt crisis and intensifying geopolitical competition. “As we meet today, our region continues to struggle with the impact of climate change, frequency of natural disasters, and a...

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have held formal talks Monday in Wellington. “New Zealand and Vanuatu have a long-standing friendship, underpinned by the New Zealand-Vanuatu Mauri Statement of Partnership,” PM Luxon said. “Prime Minister Salwai and I talked about how our two countries can build this relationship even further, and I reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment as...

The Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has proudly announced its achievement of the ISO 27001 certification, an international standard for managing information security. This milestone emphasised the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the data and information of its Secretariat and member states. “We are pleased to share that Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has achieved the ISO 27001 certification,” the FFA said. “This marks a...

Officials and delegates at the Fourth Clean Pacific Roundtable (4CPRT) have been urged to develop tailor-made waste disposal and management measures that are of practical use and application to circumstances in Pacific countries. The call came from Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, when he opened the Fourth Clean Pacific Roundtable (4CPRT) at the Rt. Hon. Dr Sir Tomasi Puapua...

Following the much-discussed switch of Solomon Islands long-distance runner Sharon Firisua from her marathon event to the Women’s 100m Sprint at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands (NOCSI) President Martin Rara has provided clarity and addressed concerns surrounding the decision. Rara emphasised that the change was driven by procedural necessities and not by arbitrary decisions. “Sharon...

The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) hosted a lunch reception in Paris to celebrate sport and sustainable development as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games get underway. The reception was hosted at New Zealand House at the Paris Mariott Champs Elysees in partnership with the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Saturday 27th July 2024, just one day after the Opening Ceremony...

Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) last week considered an update on Pacific Strengthening Correspondent Banking Relationship (CBR) Project, developed by the World Bank and other development partners. They emphasised the importance of integrating Pacific knowledge and context into the project. The ministers voiced serious concerns over the negative socioeconomic impacts of derisking and debanking in the region. They highlighted the...

Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking the ocean of peace concept through the Pacific Island Forum consultation process. This has been highlighted by Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka while updating parliament on the development of the concept. Rabuka said there is a need to preserve the region from acts of militarisation, the arms race, and, above...

The Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting is scheduled to commence this week in Suva. Key agenda items include the review of the regional architecture and the Forum’s partnership mechanisms, progress of the 2050 Strategy, climate change initiatives, and regional security. PACNEWS understands that the Forum Troika, comprising Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, and incoming Forum Chair...

Five men have been arrested in relation to the series of murders, rapes and property destruction in Angoram, East Sepik in Papua New Guinea. The five young men who have so far been arrested have complied with lawful direction of police and are behind bars,” Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr said. Assistant police commissioner Perou N’dranou confirmed the five arrests. From a...