PINA

Samoans could elect their first woman prime minister later this month in the rerun of an April general election that was overshadowed by controversy over the use of gender quota rules in the small Pacific island nation. A new party led by Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, who was bidding to become Samoa’s first female premier, had been headed for a one-seat...

Samoans woke up to the news today that they will go back to the polls in just over two-weeks’ time, on 21 May 2021. Calling for fresh elections was the best legal way forward for the Head of State, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, after he met with the leaders of the two major political parties, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi of Human...

https://youtu.be/NW3NqY4hr_0 Statement from the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres to mark World Press Freedom Day 2021. Happy #WPFD2021 The global challenges we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the critical role of reliable, verified and universally accessible information in saving lives and building strong, resilient societies. During the pandemic, and in other crises including the climate emergency, journalists and...

One of the hallmarks of a democratic society is free and independent media. As we celebrate this year's World Press Freedom Day, with the theme “Information as a Public Good,” the Palau Media Council is calling on the government to champion free and independent media. Palau Media Council calls on the government to ensure a fair playing field by providing equal...

As we join the global community in marking the UNESCO 2021 World Press Freedom Day today, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) acknowledges the great sacrifice and commitment of our media workers in covering the COVID19 pandemic and related issues. While our health workers have been rightfully recognised as ‘frontliners’ in the fight against COVID19, the critical frontline efforts of...

The Fijian Media Association takes this moment on World Press Freedom Day to thank and pay tribute to its members for their courageous and committed reporting on the Covid- 19 pandemic which has played a key role in keeping Fijians safe from the virus. We thank you for the sacrifices you have made, the long hours endured, for taking the...

Written by Greg Fry At the centre of the recent crisis in Pacific regionalism has been a high stakes tussle over the appointment of the next Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General. As is the case with the United Nations Secretary-General, the role of the Forum Secretary General has expanded significantly beyond the narrow managerial role prescribed in the founding...

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown have today announced that, pending final confirmation by New Zealand’s Director-General of Health and the Cook Islands Secretary of Health, two-way quarantine-free travel will commence between the two countries on 17 May (NZT). “Two-way quarantine-free travel is a significant step in both countries’ COVID-19 recovery, and a...

The attack on police and burning of 13 police houses in Milne Bay last week is an act of terrorism and will be dealt with swiftly and strongly, says Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner David Manning. “These are not your common criminals but are terrorists and will be dealt with as such,” he said adding that the terrorists had declared...

Marking World Press Freedom Day 2021, the Pacific Anti-Corruption Journalists Network (PACJN) has called for a regional Pacific commitment to boost media freedom and help increase reporting on activities at risk of corruption. PACJN coordinator, Samisoni Pareti, welcomed the focus on media freedom on 3 May and called for a greater focus on how to implement that freedom. “Pacific journalists need...