Pacific

Pacific summit to strengthen response to non-communicable diseases crisis

NCDs – primarily heart disease, cancers, lung disease and diabetes – are the leading cause of death in the Pacific, with life expectancy declining in some Pacific Island countries as a result of NCD-related premature deaths.

Pacific to push for reform at World Humanitarian Summit

RNZI reports the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has convened the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul as part of his call for humanity to be placed at the heart of global decision-making.

The Executive Director of PIANGO, Emele Duituturaga, is among civil society groups attending from the Pacific.

Pacific nations want more say in climate programmes

A Scholar for the Islands Society, Genevieve Neilson, said climate change funding for Pacific countries is improving with the US contributing $US500 million to the Green Climate Fund, and new programmes starting in the region.

But she said Pacific states would like greater opportunity to make decisions about how the money was spent.

"If it's being decided in a boardroom somewhere which programmes are being run or how programmes are going to be run or funded then that can really take away from the closer needs of the community."

Pacific islands boost electoral standards with Commonwealth support

The senior electoral representatives will be supported by the Commonwealth Electoral Network, the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network, and the Fijian Elections Office as they seek to increase awareness of globally-recognised standards for credible and inclusive elections.

Historic step to monitor Healthy Islands vision and progress in the Pacific

The decision to create a Healthy Islands Monitoring Framework follows deliberations by senior health officials from 22 Pacific Island countries and territories at the Fourth Heads of Health meeting in Suva, Fiji, last week, based on an outcome of the Pacific Health Ministers meeting held in Fiji last year. 

Pacific teams gather for league showdown

RNZI reports Gold Coast Titans players David Mead and Nene Macdonald are included in Papua New Guinea's squad along with Wests' second rower Rod Griffin.

Despite the loss of Semi Radradra to Australian duties, Fiji has exciting and experienced outside backs in the form of Sisa Waqa, Akuila Uate and Kevin Naiqama.

Study on internet affordability in Pacific island countries

The study has listed Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea as having expensive internet service.

According to Network Strategies of New Zealand, the last updated report on internet access affordability on Pacific Islands was three years ago.

“Technological progress in Internet access is slowly but surely being felt in the Pacific.”

It states that ADSL and/or fixed wireless broadband is available in all the countries they have included in their analysis including newcomer Nauru.

US pulls out of Pacific fisheries treaty

According to the terms of the nearly 30-year old deal with the islands region, the move will take effect in 12 months.

It is likely to hurt budgets of the island countries involved who had benefited from the annual payment of over US$80 million from the US government and industry.

The US State Department this week advised the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)that it had officially communicated to the Papua New Guinea government - which is the depository for the treaty - that it is withdrawing from the treaty.

Fiji trade delegation eyes PNG market

PNG has the biggest economy and consumer base in the Pacific, apart from Australia and New Zealand.    

It was revealed during the formal bilateral meeting between Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru, and Fiji’s Minister for Public Enterprises, Industry, Trade and Tourism Faiyaz Koya that a Fiji trade delegation will visit PNG.

The leaders meeting was held last week in Suva with trade and investment as the main point of discussion.

Hunter to Kerry: Help save US tuna jobs

In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, given to The San Diego Union-Tribune on Monday, Hunter writes that the U.S. government must act fast to help the tuna fleet.

Last week, administrators of the South Pacific Tuna Treaty — a 27-year-old accord among 17 nations governing waters in the western Pacific — refused to issue 2016 licenses on Jan. 1. It said American boats must pay millions of dollars in fees, they agreed to in August, to fish international waters.