Pacific Islands News Roundup – Feb. 23-29, 2024

Political Leadership, Regionalism, Peace and Security

• Guam and American Samoa's PIF membership bid under US federal review (Pacific Island Times )

• US Department of Defense pushes Congress on COFA legislation (Marshall Islands Journal )

• Marshall Islands marks 70 years since Bravo test, calls for justice amid nuclear legacy (Islands Business )

• CNMI Senate president proposes straw poll for US presidential election (Marianas Variety )

• US cautions Pacific after report of Chinese police in Kiribati (RNZ )

• Tuvalu’s prime minister signals plans to revisit security pact with Australia (ABC News )

• Vanuatu Electoral Commission prepares for referendum with new regulation order (Vanuatu Daily Post )

• Papua New Guinea, Indonesia ratify defense deal to expand security cooperation (RNZ )

• Fiji’s traditional leaders consider governance change and welfare of non-iTaukei (Mai TV )

People-Centered Development

• World Bank’s Pacific Women in Power program aims to shift gender dial in energy sector (Fiji Times )

• Guam Education Board delays approval of 2025 budget due to added personnel costs (Guam PDN )

• Report: Hawai?i could lose thousands of affordable housing units in coming years (HPR )

• Concerns arise over low preschool enrollment in Samoa (Samoa Observer )

• Traditional leaders gather in Fiji to discuss the Pacific Traditional Leaders Forum 2024 (SPC )

• ANZ Bank anticipates Fiji population growth as overseas migration slows (Islands Business )

• Papua New Guinea women demand action from MPs amid national crisis (RNZ )

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

• Pacific Ocean commissioner urges collective action for ocean conservation (PACNEWS )

• Study finds coral reefs in remote Micronesia atolls more resilient (RNZ )

• Biden-Harris administration announces over $20M for CNMI water infrastructure upgrades (M Variety )

• Maui fires: Hawai?i governor prioritizes money for victims and housing for survivors (Civil Beat )

• Samoa’s coral reef management enhanced through innovative monitoring program (Samoa Observer )

• Cook Islands parliament makes changes to seabed mining law (Islands Business )

• Niue set to install high-frequency ocean radar for real-time monitoring (RNZ )

• Regional tuna expert cautions against rushing into seabed mining development (Islands Business )

• Pacific trade ministers lead push against unfair fishing subsidies (PACNEWS )

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• IMF urges Pacific Islands to consider debt-for-nature deals (Islands Business )

• Hawaiian Airlines adds new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to fleet (HPR )

• Federated States of Micronesia unveils first-ever citizens budget (Islands Business )

• Guam collaborates with Palau officials to boost tourism (KUAM News )

• Nauru Airlines adds new Boeing 737 aircraft to fleet (RNZ )

• Micronesia advances digital transformation at joint program meeting (Island Times )

• Fiji inflation rate decreases to 3.7% in January (Fiji Village )

• Melanesian Spearhead Group advances efforts to improve cross-border trade (Solomon Star )

Announcement

Calling all voices passionate about the Pacific Islands!

Join our inaugural issue of Visions & Voices as we delve into the theme ‘Tides of Change in the Pacific Islands.’ Share your 800 to 1,200-word submission on any topic relevant to the Pacific Islands region by March 31, 2024.

“As we invite submissions to Visions & Voices, we recognize the urgent need to facilitate communication on issues relevant to the Pacific Islands,” said Dr. Mary Hattori, Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center. “In the vast sea of media, this publication aims to illuminate stories and voices vital to our region.”

Learn more: pireport.org/submissions

The Pacific Islands Report (PIR) is a collaborative project of the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Center and?the Center for Pacific Islands Studies (CPIS) at the University of Hawai?i at Mānoa.

This non-exhaustive news roundup is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.

Subscribe to get our news roundups delivered to your email inbox and explore our archives at pireport.org .?We value your feedback .