PINA

The Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA),Commonwealth Lawyers Association(CLA) and Commonwealth Legal Education Association(CLEA) are deeply concerned about the attempted deportation from Kiribati and current arbitrary detention of High Court Judge David Lambourne, following the withdrawal of the Attorney General’s appeal against the decision of the High Court in the constitutional claim brought by Judge Lambourne in November 2021. The...

The Pacific region needs human climate security, not submarines, warships or army bases, said Vanuatu Minister of Finance, Johnny Koanapo. While lives and livelihoods are under threat in the Pacific due to climate change, trillions are being mobilised globally for militarisation, he stressed. “It is critical that the Pacific scales up sustainable climate finance to build our collective resilience and recovery....

The cost of a snap election, similar to a Vanuatu general election is over VT100 million (approximately over US$860,000). Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Edward Kaltamat, who disclosed the above said at present there is no budget for a snap election. Chairman Kaltamat said recently they spent over VT7 million (US$60,00) for the Presidential election, but this was budgeted for. They are...

Forum Economic Ministers have met with regional development partners in Vanuatu to call for greater financing and partnership to implement the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, Pacific Resilience Facility, and other regional economic priorities. In a FEMM 2022 roundtable event on 12 August, chaired by Vanuatu’s Minister for Finance and Economic Management, the Honourable Johnny Koanapo Rasou, partners...

The Pacific has a friend in Australia when it comes to addressing plastic pollution. That was the message delivered at the opening of the Pacific Regional Preparatory Workshop for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics Resolution by Paul Wilson, Chargé d’Affaires for the Australian High Commission in Suva, Fiji. The Government of Australia has partnered with the Secretariat of the Pacific...

The 27 Members of Parliament (MPs) who are signatories to both a request for Parliament to meet in extraordinary session and a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, have asked the President of Vanuatu, Nikenike Vurobaravu, not to dissolve the Parliament. In their letter dated 14 August, 2022, the MPs urged the President not to dissolve the Parliament,...

The Vanuatu prime minister Bob Loughman has confirmed he will attend the next sitting of an extra-ordinary parliament session on Friday to face a motion of no-confidence in his leadership. Loughman and 20MPs loyal to his government boycotted parliament on Tuesday morning forcing an adjournment to Friday because of a lack of a quorum; and effectively thwarting the opposition's attempt...

The European Union is working to boost its presence in the Pacific through economic ties and new security commitments as geostrategic competition in the region intensifies, the bloc’s ambassador to Pacific Island nations said on Tuesday. Ambassador Sujiro Seam told Reuters in an interview during a visit to New Zealand the EU had long been seen as a development partner...

The Kiribati Government has withdrawn its appeal case against the judicial biased judgement of then Chief Justice Hastings in relation to the life-term appointment of David Lambourne as Puisne Judge last week. A report from the Office of the President said the action was taken in light of a recall and nullification of the original warrant appointing David Lambourne as...

The goal to effectively manage protected and conserved areas in the Pacific has taken an important step forward with the soft launch of the Comparative Analysis of Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) evaluation tools for the region. PAME Evaluations are tools to assess how well protected and conserved areas are being managed, primarily the degree to which management is safeguarding...