PINA

She has created history for her nation as the first and only woman of 195 district representatives across the Fiji Islands – now Lavenia Naivalu is making waves across the spaces she is in at her first global climate meeting. Naivalu is Fiji’s first female mata-ni-tikina of Nacula district in the Yasawa Island group. She is part of a traditional...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Fiji's Ambassador to Indonesia and lead negotiator on climate change, Amena Yauvoli, has provided a frank assessment of the current state of play at the COP28 negotiations in Dubai, emphasising the importance of effective communication on critical issues. Ambassador Yauvoli acknowledged the completion of the first week of COP28. He highlighted both progress and...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai The SPC Deputy Director for the Disaster and Community Resilience Programme Exsley Taloiburi has provided an update on the Loss and Damage Fund at the COP28 negotiation in Dubai. “This is an issue that, as we all know, is also really, really critical to us in the Pacific. "Fortunately, this is an issue that...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) brace for an uphill battle as a key negotiator issues a warning about remaining unresolved issues and financial hurdles as COP28 negotiations pass midway. Exsley Taloiburi, SPC Deputy Director for the Disaster and Community Resilience Programme, in a media briefing in Dubai gave an update on the...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai Fiji’s former Ambassador to the UN, Satyendra Prasad, has stressed the critical role of oceans in the fight against climate change at COP negotiation. Advocating for the integration of oceans into the main climate change agenda at COP, Ambassador Prasad emphasised the urgency of addressing the ocean and climate nexus. “The ocean provides one...

The Australian government has pledged AUD$150m (US$99.04 million) climate finance for Pacific countries but has not contributed to a newly created global loss and damage fund. Nearly 200 countries reached an historic consensus agreement on the first day of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai to set up the loss and damage fund to help the world’s poorest and most...

By Elenoa Dimaira Tuvalu, a nation heavily reliant on tuna fishing for revenue, is hopeful that the 20th session of the Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission (WCPFC) will address key issues related to longline fisheries. Samuela Finekaso, the Director of Fisheries in Tuvalu, has emphasised the need to address the compliance gaps in purse seine fishing and long line fishing,...

By Elenoa Dimaira The 20th session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission currently meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands must put in measures that would ensure the sustainability of our fisheries, says WWF Western and Central Pacific Tuna Programme Manager, Bubba Cook. “Now, is the time to put measures in place that ensure the longevity of the fisheries. I've...

By Elenoa Dimaira Civil society organisations remain hopeful and optimistic that the outcomes of the 20th session of the Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission (WCPFC) in Rarotonga, Cook Islands would include measures that would curb regional challenges such illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. WWF Pacific Western and Central Pacific Tuna Programme manager, Bubba Cook said discussions since the first day...

By Elenoa Dimaira There are high expectations of a new Tropical Tuna Measure when the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting concludes on Friday this week in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Forum Fisheries Commission Glen Joseph said while there was a wide ranging of views, the 17 member countries of the Forum Fisheries Agency were concerned with the compliance gaps between...