PINA

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$150 million in loans to help Fiji recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and build resilience against climate and disaster risks. The loan agreements were signed today in Suva by Fiji’s Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office in Fiji Aaron Batten. “This programme builds on...

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Thursday he expects to see more U.S cabinet-level officials visiting Pacific island countries as the United States steps up its engagement in the region to counter China. Speaking at a Centre for Strategic and International Studies event in Washington, Campbell said the United States needed more diplomatic facilities across the region, and...

The sentencing of four Bangladesh nationals implicated in what has been dubbed the biggest human trafficking case in Vanuatu as well as the region was handed down this week, after four years of battle in court. The man behind Mr Price, Sekdah Somon, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment and VT60, 000 (US$511) fine while his wife Buxoo Nabilah Bibi...

Commonwealth Secretariat and The NO MORE Foundation Launch New Guidelines to Help Reduce Violence Against Women and Girls in 54 Commonwealth Member Countries At a special event coinciding with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Commonwealth Secretariat and The NO MORE Foundation were joined by HRH Duchess of Cornwall for the launch of new guidelines for the 54...

Toea Wisil captured her second gold of this year’s Pacific Mini Games as she steered Papua New Guinea to women’s 4x100 metres relay success in Saipan. After winning the women’s 100m title on Tuesday (June 21), the 34-year-old sprinter teamed up with Adrine Monagi, Isila Apkup and Leonie Beu to claim relay gold in a time of 45.85 secs. They powered...

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) prepares to ease entry restrictions and accept international travelers when it reopens the nation's borders on 01 August 2022. “It has been two and a half years since our nation closed its borders. I have done everything I can to keep this country safe during this pandemic since 31 January, 2020," FSM President David...

Opinion by Adam Wolfenden, Campaigner Pacific Network on Globalisation As Ministers celebrated the conclusion the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation and an agreement on fisheries subsidies trade rules, 17,000 kilometers away in the Pacific Ocean, eight women were also being celebrated as the first all-women deck crew on a tuna longline fishing vessel in Fiji, the...

Ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference, we check in with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. 1. The rallying cry of the UN Ocean Conference is “Save our Ocean, Protect our Future”. What does this theme mean to you? Answer: You may have heard my daily mantra, “No healthy planet without a healthy ocean, and the ocean’s...

Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force in January last year must prioritise and address the impacts of nuclear testing legacies on people and the environment in the Pacific Islands. The Pacific- Australia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands- hosted over 400 nuclear tests by France, United Kingdom, and the United States of...

-Ministers from Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Solomon Islands met via Zoom from 15-17 June 2022 for their 17th Annual Meeting, to consider a range of priority issues related to the sustainable management and development of PNA fisheries. Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, and Tokelau were represented by senior Officials. The meeting was chaired by...