PINA

Papua New Guinea's Attorney-General Dr Eric Kwa has filed a special reference in the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether people convicted by a competent court can contest the General Election. Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa said that the special reference was filed as a result of concerns raised by the public. “The attorney-general is concerned that there are interested parties or...

China is always a trustworthy friend for South Pacific countries, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday. China is willing to work with South Pacific countries to set a new example of mutual support, solidarity and cooperation between countries of different sizes and with different systems, Wang said. Noting that China has helped Tonga when it faced volcano eruptions,...

The first Covid-19 case has been discovered in Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. The case is an Aitutaki resident, and the person is isolating at home. Household contacts are currently being identified and are asked to quarantine. Like Rarotonga, the population on Aitutaki is highly vaccinated and Prime Minister Mark Brown said they are prepared for this. Over the weekend 24 new cases...

The Vanuatu Government has extended the 6pm-6am curfew for Efate and its offshore islands for another 48 hours. The Order to extend the curfew until Thursday was signed by the Minister of Health, Bruno Leingkone, and published in the Official Gazette Tuesday. Vaccination on Efate and offshore islands will be suspended during the curfew period. It will resume after the curfew...

By Ronald Toito'ona A recent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing report released last December revealed that Pacific licensed vessels or fleets are heavily involved in IUU fishing in the region through the misreporting of tuna catch. The Quantification of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Pacific Islands Region Report 2020 also concluded that IUU fishing in the...

The disaster stricken island of Nomuka received a visit last Friday from Tongan Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, who was flown to the island on Australian Defence Force Chinook helicopter with Australia's High Commissioner, Rachael Moore. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that the PM met the people on the island and said that government will do all...

The Fijian Government has congratulated Fiji’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and former President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, who was sworn in as a new Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday at the Seat of the Court in The Hague, The Netherlands. In a historic moment...

Every country relies on imports of skilled labour and expertise however a lot of these countries have been facing pressures on particular sectors and areas where they have not been able to get those skills. According to New Zealand High Commission, Trade Commissioner, Pacific David Dewar, the dynamic has really been very present all around the world with borders being...

By Fatu Tauafiafi As resource owners of the world’s largest and most valuable tuna fisheries, Pacific members zoomed into the 18th annual Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC18) meeting in December 2021 with the principal objective to pass the tropical tuna measure (TTM). The TTM is the crown jewels of the WCPFC fisheries, as it establishes the mechanisms and fishing limits...

Gender equality is the single most important pathway to a sustainable Blue Pacific tomorrow. Our Forum Leaders have emphasized this over the years and the data tells us we rank high when it comes to gender-based violence and low when it comes to women in leadership, it’s clear we have work to do. That work has become increasingly urgent, especially...