Pacific Islands News Roundup – Apr. 19-25, 2024

Political Leadership, Regionalism, Peace and Security

• No start date for incoming Pacific Islands Forum head yet, Baron Waqa negotiating (RNZ)

• PIF membership efforts proceeding as planned, American Samoa admin reports (Samoa News)

• Palau’s president defends Taiwan relations amid Chinese pressure (Pacific Island Times)

• As protests grow in New Caledonia, Australia backs France’s Indo-Pacific strategy (Islands Business)

• Papua New Guinea’s PM hails advancements in PNG-China relations, signs MOUs (Post-Courier)

• Australia and PNG PMs commemorate Anzac Day after walking Kokoda Track (ABC)

• Solomon Islands caretaker PM defends seat for seventh consecutive time (Tavuli News)

• US president’s cannibal remarks send US-PNG relations to ‘low point’ (PACNEWS)

• US Congress-UN Foundation delegation depart Tonga after key meetings (Kaniva Tonga)

• Former Hawaiʻi Governor George Ariyoshi honored for Pacific statecraft (EWC)

People-Centered Development

• Pacific disability inclusion efforts gain momentum amid challenges (SPC)

• RMI president tours hospital, highlights need for resources (Marshall Islands Journal)

• Micronesian ministers for women prioritize gender equality at regional conference (Island Times)

• Dengue cases in Samoa expected to rise with climate change, says medical advisor (RNZ)

• Samoa and India resume medical treatment scheme, patient transfers (Talamua)

• Eight women secure seats in Solomon Islands joint elections (In-depth Solomons)

• Fiji’s minister for health announces major salary adjustments for nurses (FBC News)

• US Congress-UN Foundation delegation visit Fiji maternity units (Fiji One News)

• Cook Islands LGBTQIA+ community celebrates ‘progress, inclusivity, unity’ (RNZ)

• Hawaiʻi lawmakers aim to increase gender diversity in police ranks (Civil Beat)

Climate Change and Disasters, Ocean and Environment

• Pacific Islands collaborate to map seagrass ecosystems, assess carbon storage (Island Times)

• Pacific Community Heads of Fisheries Meeting addresses overfishing, climate change (Samoa News)

• Pacific Islands negotiators urged to be strategic at UN meeting on plastic pollution (Fiji One News)

• Palau’s president calls for halt on deep-sea mining at Our Ocean Conference (Island Times)

• Guam receives $62.4 million in US EPA funding for solar programs (Pacific Daily News)

• Prolonged drought now impacting food, water across Micronesia subregion (Cook Islands News)

• Vanuatu’s finance minister attends V20 Ministerial Dialogue on climate finance (Vanuatu Daily Post)

• Adaptation Fund board approves $5.7 million for nature-based seawall project in Fiji (SPC)

• Papua New Guinea loses K1.2 billion annually due to illegal fishing (Post-Courier)

• US Congress-UN Foundation delegation visit tsunami-affected community in Tonga (Matangi Tonga)

Resources and Economic Development, Technology and Connectivity

• High-level dialogue on decent work and 2050 Strategy underway in Suva (Fiji Times)

• China’s president pledges more infrastructure investments, economic aid for FSM (Pacific Island Times)

• Government of Guam Retirement Fund’s unfunded liability increases to $1.2 billion (Pacific Daily News)

• Palau’s Koror State secures loan to bolster annual budget after years of delays (Island Times)

• New Caledonia Congress forms committee to examine controversial nickel pact (RNZ)

• PNG aims to boost trade with China through potential free trade agreement (PNG Loop)

• Reserve Bank of Fiji warns against illegal cryptocurrency investments (Fiji Times)

• Central Bank of Solomon Islands governor calls for government support of export sector (Island Sun)

• Cook Islands justice minister raises concerns over cryptocurrency bill (Fiji One News)

• American Samoa receives $2.5 million in US federal grants across various sectors (Samoa News)

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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 Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

This non-exhaustive news roundup is organized with the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and its implementation plan.

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