PINA

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow The link between the ocean and climate is vital for survival of this Blue Planet, says Pacific Ocean Commissioner and Forum Secretary General Henry Puna. At the UN Ocean Decade event by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission on Wednesday, Puna gave a timely reminder that the “Decade of Ocean Science is one of our best chances,...

by Greg Fry When he announced the new AUKUS security partnership, Prime Minister Morrison claimed that it will “enhance our contribution to our growing network of partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region”, including “our dear Pacific family”. It won’t. Initial Pacific responses to the AUKUS security partnership note that it undermines the Pacific community’s deep commitment to keeping...

The United Kingdom has welcomed Samoa’s on-going engagement with the United Nation Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. This engagement includes fully implementing recommendations from the 2016 UPR, such as ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and acceding to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The UK...

A Samoan medicinal plant may be as effective as ibuprofen for treating inflammation, according to a new study that combines traditional community knowledge with a modern scientific approach. Psychotria insularum, locally known as matalafi, is a small tree about 2m in height with small white flowers and glossy red berries, and is used to treat different forms of...

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow Despite the fallout, between members of the Micronesian sub region of the Pacific Islands Forum, it seems the region is committed to work in unison in the fight against the impact of climate change at the COP26 meeting underway in Glasgow. Samoan Permanent representative to the United Nations and Chair of Pacific Small Island Developing States...

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow The inaction of world emitters to reach an agreement on the rapid reductions of fossil fuels has annoyed Pacific island nations on the front lines of climate change. Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr, told world leaders at the COP26 in Glasgow, that his island nation is threatened by increasing sea level rise due to the use...

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano says his people are living with the reality of climate change every day. “Right now, 40 percent of the central district of Tuvalu’s capital Funafuti is already below sea level at highest tide measures. These are not predicted future measures; this is the reality we are living with today. We...

The Pacific voice rang loud and clear when Pacific climate activist Brianna Fruean, took the stage at the opening ceremony of the World Leaders Summit at COP26 in Glasgow Monday Sounding the warrior call of Pacific youth, she declared that “We are not drowning, we are fighting.” Speaking after the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Fruean reminded world leaders that they...

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow Fiji’s Prime Minister and current chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Frank Bainimarama has thanked his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in the creation of Infrastructure Resilience for Small Island States, IRIS in a side-event on the second day of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. Being the brainchild of the Indian-led Coalition of...

By Pita Ligaiula in Glasgow “To all leaders here; the message of the Pacific is simple: Our canoe is sinking. “Pick up your buckets and start bailing now before it’s too late.” That simple message of canoe voyaging and the urgency to bail water was Frank Bainimarama’s message to world leaders that are currently in Glasgow, Scotland this week for COP26. As...