Fiame Naomi Mata‘afa’s tumultuous tenure has ended — what’s next?
Samoa's Head of State, His Highness Tuimaleali’ifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, has officially dissolved Samoa’s Parliament, effective 3 June 2025, following the defeat of the government's 2025–26 budget. This action,
Navigating waters of change: Solomon Islands’ LDC graduation
The Solomon Islands is on the cusp of a significant transition as it graduates from least developed country (LDC) status in 2027. To ensure a seamless transition, the nation adopted a Smooth Transition Strategy in April
Pacific environmental expert condemns Coca-Cola’s switch to plastic in Samoa
The United Nations as published a letter to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, expressing concerns over the multinational bottling company’s transition from reusable glass packaging to plastic bottles in Samoa, an island
The ‘Big’ Winners and the ‘Sorry’ Losers
The recent political upheaval that unfolded following the dramatic walkout of 10 Members of Parliament—including political heavyweights Manasseh Sogavare and Manasseh Maelanga—threw Solomon Islands into yet another
Moving beyond donor dependency: lessons from PNA
For decades, the Pacific Islands region has been reliant on donor funding to support development, governance, and capacity-building initiatives. While donor support has played a role in strengthening institutions, it
Major parties are promising big on the Pacific this election. What does the region think?
If you walk down a street in Honiara, Port Moresby or Nuku'alofa and ask about the federal election in Australia, you might well draw a polite — but blank —
How resource-rich is Papua New Guinea really?
Papua New Guinea is often described as a “resource-rich” country. The phrase appears on government websites, media reports and statements from international organisations. Prime Minister James Marape stated at the
Fresh details emerge on Australia’s new climate migration visa for Tuvalu residents. An expert explains
Australia has announced a new visa allowing Tuvaluan citizens to permanently migrate, as part of a 2023 treaty focused on shared security and climate
Trump’s tariffs and the Pacific
Most Pacific island countries got off relatively lightly with last week’s Trump “reciprocal” tariff
Supporting Commentary: Charting our own course with hope, dignity and purpose
To reduce reliance on external aid, the Pacific must strengthen regional integration through existing and new frameworks that promote economic resilience, people mobility, and sovereign
Do U.S tariffs signal an end to business as usual for Pacific
President Trump's 2025 withdrawal from the Paris Climate Treaty signaled a disregard for international commitments, potentially encouraging other nations to act with similar
‘No more excuses: real climate action now’
Vanuatu supports 6PAC+ at IMO, demanding urgent climate action and accountability for
Counter Terrorism Act: Facebook shutdown exposes Trojan horse for authoritarianism in PNG
Legal immunity for security forces, vague use-of-force provisions, spying on citizens all add up to legal overreach. Commentary by Michael Kabuni When Facebook was shut down by Papua New Guinea’s
Poll position: What Australia’s election holds for the Pacific
Australia’s policies toward the Pacific will continue to be primarily driven by China’s resurgence, no matter who is elected. Commentary by Tess Newton Cain When Solomon Islands and China signed a
Breaking the cycle of donor dependency in the Pacific
For decades, the Pacific Islands region has been heavily reliant on donor funding to support development, governance, and capacity-building initiatives. While donor support has played a role in strengthening
2025 Australian aid update
Australia’s foreign aid (Official Development Assistance or ODA) for 2025-26 is budgeted at $5.097 billion as announced in Tuesday evening’s Federal Budget, a 2.7% increase over the 2024-25 aid budget of $4.961
Decades after the U.S. buried nuclear waste abroad, climate change could unearth it
A new report says melting ice sheets and rising seas could disturb waste from U.S. nuclear projects in Greenland and the Marshall Islands. Ariana Tibon was in college at the University of Hawaiʻi in 2017 when she saw
Rongelap evacuation changed course of history
The late Member of Parliament Jeton Anjain and the people of the nuclear test-affected Rongelap Atoll changed the course of the history of the Marshall Islands by using Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ship to
A Silver Linings Playbook for the aid sector in 2025
In the midst of the swift and brutal dismantling of USAID there has been a swell of voices in defence of aid. They have pointed to the good that aid does for the world’s most vulnerable; the importance of aid to U.S
Welkam fren’: New Vanuatu PM sets homegrown tone for US relations
Jotham Napat wants the US to step up, rather than step away, despite Trump’s rejection of the ParisAgreement and aid freeze. Vanuatu’s newly elected Prime Minister Jotham Napat is known as a sharp and media-savvy
Opinion: A “National Interest Analysis” would strengthen PNG’s foreign policy
Robust domestic procedures are crucial, not least to improve public understanding of government actions. One practical innovation in ensuring the robustness of foreign relations is mandatory use of national interest
Aid on ice: How Trump’s freeze hurts the Pacific and Southeast Asia
The outlook is anything but reassuring. The US aid freeze won’t break the Pacific, but it will create unnecessary disruptions. For Southeast Asia, the consequences are mixed, likely to hit Myanmar and Cambodia
Opinion: What will US aid cuts mean for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific?
The Trump Administration’s freeze on foreign aid will be felt around the world, including in Papua NewGuinea. While the Trump Administration’s freeze on foreign aid will have an impact around the world, the decision
