Pacific Islands News Roundup: July 19-25, 2024

Political Leadership, Regionalism, Peace and Security

• Pacific Islands Forum Leaders endorse high-level mission to New Caledonia (PACNEWS)

• Desecrated Kanak monument and church burnings heighten tensions in New Caledonia (ABC Australia)

• New US embassy in Vanuatu to make visa process easier and strengthen relations (Vanuatu Daily Post)

• New Zealand urged to take bolder stand on New Caledonia’s third referendum (RNZ)

• Guam residents urged by governor to ask questions regarding missile defense tests (Pacific Island Times)

• US Indo-Pacific Command’s commander joins Liberation events, meets with Guam officials on missile defense (Guam PDN)

• Nauru president talks about diplomatic shift toward China (Island Times)

• PALM10 Declaration commits to Japan’s Pacific bond (kizuna) policy and its alignment to the 2050 Strategy (SIBC)

• 2025 proposed as year of Bougainville’s declaration of its internal independence readiness (Vanuatu Daily Post)

• Weeks out from elections, difficult to get information out of Kiribati (RNZ)

• Olympics: Surfing event in Tahiti looks for the right security balance (RNZ)

People-Centered Development

• Marshall Islands president urges bold action on gender equality at Pacific women’s conference (PACNEWS)

• Calls for gender-responsive climate justice at Pacific Women Triennial Conference 2024 (SPC)

• Tonga highlights need for increased access to sexual health services during Pacific women conference (Talanoa ?o Tonga)

• Niue on the verge of becoming first Pacific nation to eliminate hepatitis B (RNZ)

• Vanuatu official calls for prioritizing children’s welfare (Islands Business)

• Solomon Islands ministry of health clarifies specialist doctors are being reengaged (Sunday Isles)

• HIV/AIDS deaths in Fiji double in a year (Fiji Sun)

• United Nations urge justice for East Sepik victims in Papua New Guinea (PNG Haus-Bung)

• Yap’s unique culture featured at the 3rd Micronesia Expo in Chuuk (SPTO)

• Dengue cases continue to rise in Samoa (Samoa Observer)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

• Japan, Pacific Islands deepen partnership on climate change, development (Island Times)

• Japan’s nuclear wastewater discharge not a breach of Rarotonga Treaty, confirms Cook Islands PM (PACNEWS)

• Tuvalu PM urges Pacific men to address gender inequality in climate action (PACNEWS)

• Solomon Islands PM remains skeptical of Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater (In-Depth Solomons)

• India to apply for licenses to scout Pacific ocean for critical minerals (Islands Business)

• Marshallese women call for nuclear justice at 15th Pacific Women Triennial Conference (Tavuli News)

• Kiribati enhancing climate resilience through the upgrading of its national building codes (SPC)

• Vanuatu’s plastic ban shows impressive results; next phase targets beverage containers (Talanoa ?o Tonga)

• Papua New Guinea landslide tragedy survivors continue sleeping on a mass grave – community leader (RNZ)

• A closer look at US military emissions during RIMPAC and beyond (HPR)

• Young plaintiffs across the US draw inspiration from Hawai?i’s Navahine climate lawsuit (HPR)

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting held in Honiara (SIBC)

• Chinese govt may fund extension of Honiara Airport to cater to larger long-haul aircrafts (In-Depth Solomons)

• India and Republic of the Marshall Islands agree on aid plan in Tokyo (Marshall Islands Journal)

• Chinese govt to assist Solomon Islands with SBD 170 million in budgetary support (Sunday Isles)

• US Office of Insular Affairs announces over $232 million contribution to FSM Compact Trust (Marianas Variety)

• Samoa PM cautious on Japan labor mobility but supports sending more workers to Am Samoa (Talanei)

• Air Niugini’s Boeing 737 resume flights to Melanesian countries (EMTV)

• Fiji replaces Vanuatu as top sending country in Australia’s PALM labor mobility scheme (DevPolicy)

• Pacific youth want Australian energy commitments ahead of Pacific leaders meeting (PACNEWS)

• Japan donates new tugboat to Tonga, strengthening maritime capacity (Talanoa ?o Tonga)

• United Airlines to end Guam-Fukuoka service (Pacific Island Times)

• Chinese province donates equipment to Cook Islands, eyes broader cooperation (Cook Islands News)

• Tonga grants Starlink “provisional temporary permit” to offer local services (Islands Business)

• Off-island company wins new Guam military construction contract; awards continue to trickle out (MBJ Guam)

Call for Submissions: Visions & Voices Quarterly Publication

The Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) invites students, scholars, researchers, and professionals to submit work to Visions & Voices, a quarterly publication dedicated to the Pacific Islands region.

Submissions of essays, articles, commentaries, and concise pieces that pertain to the Pacific Islands are welcomed. Next deadline: September 30.

For detailed submission guidelines, please visit the Pacific Islands Report website.

The Pacific Islands Report (PIR) is a 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.