PINA

Papua New Guinea's Trade Minister Richard Maru Tuesday asserts the nation's position at the WTO 13th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi. Maru addressed concerns on Fisheries subsidies, saying “The Decision made in Paragraph 4 of the MC12 and the mandate is very clear, the need to have a comprehensive agreement that has disciplines on harmful subsidies that contribute to overcapacity...

Tuvalu's Prime Minister, Feleti Teo has named his cabinet lineup. Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu Falani, in the exercise of authority granted by sections 63, 64, and 68 of Tuvalu's constitution, and acting upon the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed the following individuals to key ministerial positions: *Panapasa Nelesone assumes the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance...

The U.S. government is conducting a policy review to determine whether it would endorse the U.S Pacific territories’ bids to gain membership seats in the Pacific Islands Forum. The Office of the Spokesperson for the Department of State noted that under the U.S Constitution and longstanding practice, the federal government has full responsibility to conduct the foreign relations of all...

The United Nations’ highest court on Monday wrapped up historic proceedings into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought by Palestinians for a future state, with most voices at the hearing arguing against the Israeli government. Over six days, the International Court of Justice heard from an unprecedented number of countries and the majority argued Israel was violating...

Q&A with Natalia Patternot, Solomon Islands Head of Delegation to the WTO-MC13, Director of External Trade, Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade. This is my third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation. When it comes to multilateral trade, it is so important with regards to providing predictability and transparency for our private sector, with trade rules...

A ministerial statement circulated by the six co-coordinators of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) — Australia, Barbados, China, Ecuador, Fiji and Morocco — Tuesday at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) outlines trade-related actions to address the environmental, health and economic impacts of plastics pollution. The statement proposes a series of actions to curb trade...

Pacific Trade Ministers, including Fiji’s Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica, are demanding an end to unjust subsidies fueling illegal fishing. Amidst intense discussions on longstanding disputes over fishery subsidies, Kamikamica stressed the critical juncture at MC 13 to solidify an agreement initiated during MC 12 in Geneva two years ago, now known as “Wave Two.” The fisheries agreement sets its sights...

The country will introduce an export tax for fishing companies using unprocessed fish from PNG waters from July, says International, Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru. “We own the resources, but we keep being used because we have no capacity and we have never really had a vision to rise up,” he said. “We have been used and larger fishing nations...

World Rugby has today unveiled the vibrant new brand, format and fixtures for the reimagined Pacific Nations Cup, a six-team annual competition featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, and USA designed to expand rugby’s reach and accelerate competitiveness within a new global competition structure. Rugby fans can mark the dates for an exciting annual men’s international competition when the Pacific...

The Australian Government and Rugby Australia will partner to deliver a four-year $14.2 million (US$9.29 million) investment to support high-performance Rugby Union across the Pacific through the Australian-Pacific Rugby Union Partnership (APRUP), bringing the region closer together through a shared love of rugby. Funded through the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports program, APRUP will create pathways to increase Pacific representation in...