Meeting

According to the U.S State Department, Mr Blinken will be in Fiji on Friday to discuss a range of issues, including "the climate crisis, ending the Covid-19 pandemic, [and] disaster assistance".

The talks will also include America and the Pacific's "shared commitment to democracy, regional solidarity, and prosperity in the Pacific."

Fiji's acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the country is looking forward to welcoming the Secretary of State.

The Chairman of the Pacific Games Organizing Committee said he is excited to welcome the CDM envoy to Samoa and hopes that the meeting will be a fruitful and successful one.

The group was brought together in 2011 to seek a future for Polynesian peoples and to maintain and protect the importance of cultures, traditions and languages.

It was set up as the Melanesian Spearhead Group gained more prominence and a Micronesian leaders group was established by the nations that are also members of the Pacific Islands Forum.

The Funafuti meeting will also review a draft charter for the group and discuss the establishment of its secretariat.

American Samoa is to offer to host the meeting in 2019.

President of the Motu Koitabu Rugby League Association (MKRLA), Pipi Dae Boe, said the purpose of the meeting is for the interim executives and committee to talk about the 2017 season proper competition, the affiliation criteria or requirements for each club, and the career pathway for players and officials.

The meeting will take place at the NCDC City Hall and will run from 12pm-1pm.

“An official invitation letter will be delivered to all concerned. Please bring along the invitation letter to gain access through the securities at main reception area,” said Boe.

RNZ reports Women's Affairs Ministers from around the Commonwealth have ended their gathering in Samoa stressing the need to work together on the Sustainable Development Goals set at the UN a year ago.

The SDGs, as they are known, aim to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said the Secretariat was already looking at an office for civil and criminal justice reform for all Commonwealth countries to draw from.

This announcement was made by Attorney-General and Minister of Communications Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum following a meeting with Digicel Board Chairman Denis O’Brien in Suva yesterday.                                  

A government statement said the AG emphasised the need for more expansive and robust telecommunications infrastructure to meet the increased demands from consumers for both greater wireless internet access and faster download speeds.

Over 200 participants from 21 countries will be involved in the discussions that will cover all modes of transportation and are highly technical in nature.

The Transportation Working Group (TPTWG) has four main experts groups, which are aviation, maritime, land and intermodal and intelligent transport systems. 

Under the main experts groups are seven sub-groups. There’ll also be side meetings held on specific matters, such as women in transportation and APEC port services network.

The Dialogue “Enhancing Macroeconomic Resilience to Natural Disasters in the Pacific Islands” will build on previous conferences held in Samoa and Vanuatu and recent IMF analytical work on this topic. It will bring together leading policymakers from 13 Pacific Island nations, as well as representatives from regional development partners, international financial organizations and think tanks.