PINA

By Nic Maclellan, in Noumea, New Caledonia After months of delay, a high-level Pacific Islands Forum mission has arrived in New Caledonia for three days of dialogue and information sharing. In a busy program, the delegation will meet with members of New Caledonia’s Government and Congress, the French High Commission, two of three provincial presidents, as well as civil society,...

Op-ed by Maureen Penjueli Fiji’s noble banner blue has always flown high at the international level. We have enjoyed the status of a country with a population of less than a million, and as a smaller island developing state, we have punched well above our weight internationally. From the Chair of the G77, President of the United Nations (UN)...

Britain's King Charles said on Friday the Commonwealth should acknowledge its “painful” history, as African and Caribbean nations continue to advocate for reparations for the country's role in the transatlantic slave trade. Representatives of 56 countries, most with roots in Britain's empire, are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that began in Samoa on Monday. “I understand from listening...

Late drama has unfolded in the Kiribati presidential election with one of the three candidates from the ruling party breaking away to form his own alliance, challenging incumbent president Taneti Mamau. Mamau had used his party's overwhelming majority after the election in August to block nominations for presidency from the opposition party. Voting is already underway with polls opening at 8am...

Following the mandate of Forum Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga in August, the high-level Forum Troika Plus Mission to New Caledonia will take place from 27-29 October. The mission is strictly observational in line with the request of the Government of New Caledonia and will follow the Terms of Reference, agreed by the French State,...

Two months after the electoral process began in Kiribati, voters return to the polls today to elect their Beretitenti or President. The parliament was chosen by the people in August, with the ruling Tobwaan Kiribati Party, or TKP, set to continue after its numbers were boosted by independents. There are three candidates for President: the man who has held the role...

Two significant tuna fisheries, Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) skipjack and North Pacific albacore, have achieved major milestones in sustainable fisheries management by successfully implementing rigorous harvest strategies that ensure the long-term health of these tuna stocks. Following the implementation of a robust and precautionary harvest strategy in December 2023, and the subsequent annual discussion between Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs)...

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to take a leadership role on climate change at a Commonwealth summit that is splitting over who should pay to cut emissions, as Pacific leaders blame Australia for exporting coal and gas. Albanese said he wanted action on climate at the Commonwealth gathering in Samoa, saying it was an existential threat to Pacific...

Thursday 24 October 2024 will forever resonate in the hearts of the Moata'a community in Samoa. This was the day British monarch King Charles III was hailed the King of Taumeasina. After months of preparation, the close-knit village embraced the opportunity to express gratitude to King Charles and Queen Camilla. As the royal convoy arrived, untitled men and matai lined the road,...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted he wants to “look forward” rather than have “very long endless discussions about reparations on the past” in his first comments on the issue before the Commonwealth summit. The prime minister is under pressure to discuss reparatory justice with Commonwealth countries, most of which are former UK colonies, in Samoa this week. Speaking to...