Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands Forum offers members tax advice

Five Pacific countries remain on a recently down-sized EU blacklist of nine tax haven nations.

The forum secretariat's deputy secretary general Cristelle Pratt said a meeting with the European Commission next month may provide an opportunity to discuss the issues directly.

"It may well be an issue that could be discussed, and it would be something of course that we would work with our members on if they requested support and assistance in that regard," Ms Pratt said.

The EU said the blacklist was part of a greater plan to promote good tax governance globally.

Linking agritourism and trade changing mindsets in the Pacific

Over the past five years the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation has been helping regional governments to develop agritourism policies and grow trade.

This has been achieved in Samoa and Fiji by linking hotels with the local farmers associations.

In Vanuatu, the government now primarily sources locally produced food for all its official functions and events.

In Solomon Islands work is beginning on developing food tourism and tapping into niche markets like beauty and wellness products.

Pacific Island leaders share climate concerns at COP23

They hope to play a key role in discussions on how to implement the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting carbon emissions and helping to prevent global warming.

NZ climate change policy to align with Pacific aspirations

Under the Paris Agreement, the global commitment is to limit warming to below two degrees above the pre-industrial level, but Pacific countries want the temperature rise to be capped at 1.5 degrees.

Mr Shaw said the new New Zealand government intended to pass a so-called Zero-Carbon Act to help curb global warming.

"In relation to the Pacific's goal of a one-and-a-half degree limit to temperature rises, we believe by New Zealand becoming carbon neutral by 2050 is a goal that is consistent with the Pacific's ambitions," said Mr Shaw.

     

First Pacific regional visit by Taiwan president

Taiwan's foreign ministry announced the president's first visit to the region on Friday.

Taiwan's deputy foreign affairs minister, Francois Wu, said it was hoped the visit would show the importance placed on Taiwan's friendships with the countries.

Six Pacific island countries recognise Taiwan's independence from China and are among 20 nations worldwide who favour links with Taipei over Beijing.

The Pacific visit comes after Panama switched its allegiance to from Taiwan to China in June.

Obesity in Paradise

“I’m so worried for my life because I know I’m too heavy,” he tells SBS Dateline. “I’m so worried because I really love my wife and my kids and my family.”

Tavita is from Apia, the capital of Samoa, where there is an obesity crisis.

A former taxi driver, he would drink two litres of sugary soft drinks each day and regularly eat mutton flaps, a cheap cut of fatty meat imported from New Zealand.

Pacific leadership focused on improving lives of islanders

Gerry Brownlee made this comment after attending the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Apia, where he was standing in for New Zealand's prime minister Bill English.

He told RNZ that the Pacific Islands' leadership is well focused on interacting with other countries to improve living standards for their own people.

Virtual climate centre to improve long-term forecasts

The online centre will be run by the Pacific Meteorological Council, which says a regional perspective will enhance the prediction of long term weather patterns that can cause droughts and cyclones.

The council's chair Andrew Tait said the centre would enable countries to share weather data and improve long-term forecasts.

Tozaka calls for extra efforts ahead of Post-Cotonou negotiations

The Cotonou Partnership Agreement provides the base for the EU – ACP Partnership, and was signed in June 2000 at Cotonou, Benin.

However, the agreement will expire in 2020, with a successor partnership agreement expected to take its place after its expiry.

The EU-ACP Partnership has contributed to a number of developmental programs amongst its ACP partners.  Ranging from Development Financing, to Trade Agreements like the EPAs, Climate Change Programs, as well as, the European Development Fund programs (EDF). 

Australian senate rejects bill to restore ABC shortwave

The bill would have required the ABC to restore its shortwave transmission services which the broadcaster ended in January this year.

This move was described in the bill as having deprived communities in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other parts of the Pacific of access to reliable emergency broadcasting.

Submitters of the bill questioned the ABC's assertions that very few listeners accessed Radio Australia's shortwave service.