Pacific

Australian officials have become increasingly worried about the Pacific's vulnerability to cyber attacks, even as they face mounting questions about Australia's own capacity to deter criminal organisations and foreign governments targeting critical infrastructure, businesses and households across the country.

Leaders enthusiastically endorsed the 2050 strategy's implementation plan, outlining specific goals and regional actions across key thematic areas. Notable achievements include the Pacific Partnerships for prosperity, aimed at mobilizing resources for transformative national and regional development.

Commitment to implement the Paris Agreement and acting on the IPCC’s report marked the leaders' resolve. Support for the Pacific Resilience Facility, a member-owned community resilience financing facility, was also reaffirmed.

Mata'afa is arguing that countries like hers should not be seen merely as "outposts" which "grow" labourers for developed nations.

Key points:

It is reported that on average, 77 percent of children in the Pacific experience physical violence (Source: UNICEF) while 2 out of three Pacific women are impacted by gender-based violence.

OFC is committed to working towards a safer and inclusive future in football having already seen a positive impact from their integrated safeguarding programme.

With Australia and New Zealand excluded, it has retained its position in the coveted Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

As the only university from the Pacific to achieve this distinction, USP secured a place in the 1001-1200 band on the THE rankings, further enhancing its global standing.

Through increasing trade and investment; providing assistance to strengthen enabling environments, infrastructure, and macroeconomic stability; and continued support for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

These include:

Potential tsunami threats were issued for Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a warning of a marine threat for Lord Howe Island, off Australia's east coast, after the earthquake on Friday afternoon.

"So far, a 22-centimetre tsunami wave has been observed near New Caledonia," the BOM said in its warning notice on Friday afternoon.

The region’s trade and investment promotion agency graduated the group from the four-month professional development scholarship program.

Applications for the final cohort for business professionals in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga will open shortly on Monday, July 4^th.

The Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the latest donation to COVAX will also support vaccination programmes in developing countries, including in parts of the Pacific and in Africa where immunisation rates are low.

New Zealand is contributing a further 7.3 million vaccines to COVAX including 5.8 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and 1.5 million doses of Janssen vaccine.

Through New Zealand's Advance Purchase Agreement (APA) with Pfizer, paediatric vaccine doses are also being provided to countries in Polynesia.

People in developing nations are generally missing out due to accessibility issues, a slow roll out of vaccines, difficulties getting to remote areas, a lack health of resources and misinformation resulting in vaccine hesitancy.

But ChildFund director of programmes Quenelda Clegg said developed countries need to support the Pacific and also stop hoarding vaccines.

The organisation has been raising awareness about vaccine inequity and the issues happening in the Pacific.