Pacific Islands News Roundup – Oct. 18-24, 2024

Political Leadership, Regionalism, Peace and Security

• CHOGM: ‘Let us listen to the voices of the people’ – Samoa PM (RNZ )

• ‘We will be talking about the future of negotiations’: Fiji PM on mission to New Caledonia (RNZ )

• PNG PM: Indonesia to offer amnesty for West Papuans (The National )

• Split in Fiji PM’s party reveals stark reality of Fijian politics (PMN )

• PNG govt to introduce domestic terrorism bill following massacre of bus passengers (Post-Courier )

• Cook Islands PM assures new passport won’t affect constitutional ties with New Zealand (Islands Business/Cook Islands News )

• Fiji PM nominates Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu for president as Katonivere steps down (PACNEWS )

• France’s overseas minister buffeted by New Caledonia crisis (Islands Business )

• Palauans reflect on upcoming elections amid anticipation and concerns (Island Times )

• US military leaders strengthen Indo-Pacific partnerships during Guam, Hawai?i visit (Saipan Tribune )

• 902 talks begin between Northern Mariana Islands and United States (Marianas Variety )

• Kanak activist Christian Tein’s imprisonment reversed by France’s highest court (RNZ )

People-Centered Development

• University of the South Pacific strike: Staff unions continue to demand leadership change (RNZ )

• CHOGM: Calls for stronger action on gender equality (PMN )

• Govt leaders and multisectoral partners unite to tackle noncommunicable diseases and mental health issues in the Commonwealth (PACNEWS/COMSEC )

• Four suspects, including foreigner, questioned over alleged attempted abduction incidents in Honiara (In-Depth Solomons )

• Samoa Citizenship Bill passes second reading in NZ Parliament (Talamua )

• Solomon Islands inclusive education manual unveiled (Solomon Star News )

• Ten additional countries in the Western Pacific region pledge to invest in World Health Org. (PACNEWS/WHO )

• Youthful resilience will be Commonwealth core strength in coming years, Samoa summit declares (Islands Business/PACNEWS/COMSEC )

• More pharmacists needed in PNG, says Pharmaceutical Society (PNG NBC )

• Oceania has ‘the highest rate of child sexual abuse in the world’ — so what can be done? (ABC Australia )

• Food security, local tradition, and fine local cooking highlighted at World Food Day in Pohnpei, FSM (Kaselehlie Press )

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

• HMNZS Manawanui: Containers removed, oil spill cleanup on hold amid CHOGM (PMN )

• Samoan coast where King Charles will visit worries about the future after ship damaged reef (PACNEWS/AP )

• UN climate case could be global circuit breaker: Vanuatu official (PACNEWS/RFA )

• Vulnerable Commonwealth nations threatened by UK, Australia, and Canada driving fossil fuel expansion (Talamua/PR )

• Commonwealth leaders and climate experts call for additional climate finance (Islands Business/COMSEC )

• Apia Ocean Declaration to be crown jewel of CHOGM (Samoa Observer )

• Pacific Islands Forum SG urges global support for Pacific Resilience Facility at CHOGM (PACNEWS )

• Fiji’s deputy PM calls for urgent climate finance action as COP29 delegation prepares for tough negotiations (PACNEWS )

• World needs 300 large protected areas by 2030 to reach ocean protection target – study (RNZ )

• Three weeks away from COP29, Vanuatu’s negotiators get down to business (PACNEWS/SPREP )

• Climate change a “double whammy” for Marshall Islands in wake of nuclear testing trauma (ABC Australia )

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• Solomon Islands govt to address economic stimulus package audit report in parliament (Tavuli News )

• IMF, ADB set sights on damning $37 million Solomon Islands aid audit (Island Times/Benar News )

• ADB approves second funding tranche of USD 53 million to Solomon Islands for maritime connectivity (In-Depth Solomons )

• GAO: US federal employees on Guam, other territories face high living costs, low opportunity (Guam PDN )

• Vanuatu’s poultry sector gains focus through ‘One Country One Priority Product’ Initiative (Vanuatu Daily Post )

• PNG’s progress can be stagnant without proper energy solution: Int’l Trade and Investment Minister Maru (PNG NBC )

• China remains Papua New Guinea’s largest trading partner (Post-Courier )

• Low-emission Juren Ae cargo sailing vessel handover to RMI (Marshall Islands Journal )

• Australia boosts support for Palauan development projects with direct aid grants (Island Times )

• Pacific Air Charters Inc. makes progress on service to American Samoa (Talanei )

Latest Content from the Pacific Islands Report

• Wokbaot Wetem Kalja: Working with Culture in Disaster Risk Management in Vanuatu (Visions & Voices )

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: December 31.

For detailed submission guidelines, please visit: www.pireport.org/submissions

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, featuring open-access information, is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.

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