PINA

Rapa Nui sits at the eastern edge of the Polynesian world but its leaders say the island is becoming increasingly cut off from the Pacific family it belongs to.

Local leaders warn the remote island risks growing more isolated as limited air connections and heavy reliance on mainland Chile make it harder to maintain links with the wider Polynesian region.

Speaking to PMN News during New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ visit to Rapa Nui, the island’s mayor, Elizabeth Arevalo Pakarati, said rebuilding those connections has become a priority.

“For many years, we stopped the connection to the rest of Polynesia. But we are part of the Polynesian people,” Pakarati says.

“So, this is a way for us to start a future cooperation between our cultures and, of course, why not in an economic way we can find with this visit.”

Rapa Nui is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, located about 3700 kilometers west of mainland Chile and roughly 4200 kilometres east of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is just over 7000km from Aotearoa.

Although the island is politically part of Chile, the Rapa Nui people are ethnically Polynesian and share strong cultural and linguistic ties with communities across the Pacific including Aotearoa, Tahiti and Hawai‘i.

Peters’ visit carried symbolic weight. New Zealand sits at the western edge of the Polynesian triangle while Rapa Nui marks its eastern tip, linking one of the largest cultural regions on earth.

During his visit, Peters announced a new training initiative for the island’s tourism sector.

“We are pleased to announce that New Zealand will fund a four-week English Language and Tourism Training Program for Rapa Nui tourism professionals,” Peters said during a lunch held on Rapa Nui.

“The training will take place in New Zealand and will strengthen English language capability alongside business and tourism skills with a particular focus on indigenous enterprise and cultural stewardship.”

The island has a population of of about 8600 people and relies heavily on tourism, which brought.

close to 100,000 visitors a year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Rapa Nui’s extreme isolation means flights are an important lifeline.

The island’s main commercial connection today is a LATAM Airlines route linking Hanga Roa with Santiago, Chile, meaning most travellers must pass through mainland Chile to reach the island.

Before the pandemic, LATAM also operated flights between Rapa Nui and Tahiti, which provided a direct link to the rest of Polynesia.

The route has not resumed, reportedly due to commercial airline decisions and uncertain passenger demand.

For many residents, the reliance on air and sea transport affects daily life. Sofia Olave Huke, who works for Mauhenua, the local organisation that administers the island’s national park, says the pandemic showed how vulnerable the island could be.

“Especially in the pandemic, we could see how left out we were because of the no airplanes and everything,” she told PMN News.

“Now in the summertime, the challenges that come from that are like maybe that things run out, let’s say sugar, flour, whatever, and we depend a lot on the plane or the ship.

“But at the same time, we learn how to live here, as in to grow our own food.”

Local leaders say reconnecting with Polynesia could help the island balance its economic needs with its cultural identity.

For Pakarati, the goal is simple: ensuring Rapa Nui remains part of the wider Pacific community.

“Polynesia is a territory that’s so big and has so much to exchange in tourism, the environment and cultural ties,” she said. “We have to stay connected,” said Pakarati.

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Baron Waqa, has called for stronger legal capacity across the region as Pacific countries engage more deeply in international treaty processes.

Opening the inaugural Workshop on Treaty Law and Practice in the Pacific at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat today, Waqa welcomed regional officials, legal experts and partners gathered to strengthen treaty-making capacity in the region.

“We are, indeed, very privileged to co-host this gathering of practitioners, experts, and partners, committed to strengthening legal capacity in our Blue Pacific region.”

Waqa thanked the Fiji Government and partners for supporting the initiative.

“At the outset, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Fiji as host, and to our partners – the Treaty Section of the UN Office of Legal Affairs, the Government of Austria, and the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore – for their close collaboration in bringing this important initiative to fruition.”

He said international treaty law has grown significantly in recent decades and continues to shape many global issues.

“The International treaty landscape has expanded significantly in recent decades, producing a complex but significant and evolving body of international law that shapes many matters of international concern.”

Waqa highlighted the Pacific’s contribution to international treaty frameworks, including the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which marks 40 years since entering into force in 2026.

“Our region has contributed meaningfully to this architecture – from the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty) – which marks its 40th year of entry into force in 2026, to the recently concluded Agreement to Establish the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF Treaty), which will be discussed later today.”

He stressed that improving knowledge of treaty law is critical for Pacific nations.

“Deepening our understanding of treaty law and practice is essential if the Pacific is to engage effectively, and meaningfully, in treaty making processes.”

“Doing so secures our regional interests and ensures that binding agreements are properly domesticated.”

Waqa said this work supports the region’s long-term development vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

“This is central to the vision articulated in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent – a vision grounded in regional unity, collective action, and the preservation of a rules-based international order that supports peace, security, and sustainable prosperity.”

He warned that the global environment is becoming increasingly complex.

“The global environment in which we operate today is increasingly complex, and dynamic, characterised by rising geopolitical tensions, rapid technological advancements, and pressures on multilateralism.”

“In such times, our commitment to unity and the principle of international law becomes even more vital.”

Waqa said no Pacific country can address these challenges alone.

“No single Member can address these challenges alone. For our Blue Pacific, our strength lies in coordinated regional leadership, informed by shared priorities, grounded in the 2050 Strategy.”

He described the workshop as a timely opportunity for practical capacity building.

“This workshop offers timely and practical capacity building to support that endeavour.”

Participants will discuss treaty processes and key agreements affecting the region, including the Pacific Resilience Facility Treaty (PRF) and the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

“Over the coming days, you will examine key areas of treaty practice — from registration and depositary procedures under the UN Charter, to the implementation of new instruments of particular significance for our region, including the PRF Treaty and the BBNJ Agreement.”

“These developments represent important achievements for the Blue Pacific and the wider global community.”

Waqa urged participants to actively engage during the programme.

“Knowledge gained during this workshop will undoubtedly enable you, as representatives of our Forum Members, to more effectively negotiate, implement, and uphold our obligations to international and regional agreements, whilst strengthening our national systems and the collective influence of the Blue Pacific on the global stage.”

“I encourage you to engage actively and openly throughout this programme.”

“Your national and regional experience, your Pacific perspectives, and your commitment to advancing the rule of law in our region and beyond, are essential,” said SG Waqa.