Features Archive June 2022
Small Island States Call for Broader Legal Rules, Stronger Partnerships to Sustainably Manage Oceans
Small island developing States stressed that international law, strong partnerships and honoured commitments chart the way to sustainable ocean management, calling for broader legal rules and demanding greater action from those responsible for increased pressure on marine ecosystems as high-level discussion continued in the historic maritime city.
IMF Staff Concludes Virtual Visit to Solomon Islands
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Mr. Jarkko Turunen conducted a virtual mission to Solomon Islands during 14 to 24 June 2022 to discuss recent economic developments and policy plans. At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Turunen issued the following statement:
Tuvalu Withdraws From UN Oceans Conference After China Blocks Delegates
The Tuvalu Government has withdrawn from a UN Oceans Conference in Portugal after China has blocked Taiwanese delegates in its team.
Culture as a Foundation for Development in the Pacific
During the pandemic there have been extraordinary signs of resilience in Pacific Island states. This is despite the economic hardship caused by over two years of border closures in some countries.
Pacific Islands Adjusting Their Policies On China?
Geostrategic competition between China and traditional powers is intensifying in the Pacific. A closer look at the proposed agreements will reveal much about China’s motives and can help explain Pacific Islands’ refusal to enter into the agreements.
Solomon Islands First Female Rangers Help Save Leatherback Turtles
Sasakolo beach looks like any other in the South Pacific: a strip of sand buttressed by coconut palms, low green hill rising in the distance.
Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the Difference is Migration Policy
During her recent visit to Fiji, new Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the Australian government would create a Pacific Engagement Visa, providing a pathway to permanent residency for Pacific Islanders and their families.
ADB Appoints Warren Evans as Special Senior Advisor for Climate Change
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today announced the appointment of Warren Evans as Special Senior Advisor (Climate Change), Office of the President.
A Proposal For a New Regional Compact to Promote People Mobility
The call for Australia to offer more labour mobility access to the Pacific has been a common theme of commentators (e.g. from the Lowy Interpreter and ASPI Strategist), as a key part of a response to recent geopolitical maneuvering in the Pacific.
Four Takeaways From China’s Tour of the Pacific Islands
As U.S.-China competition in the region heats up, Pacific Island nations want to ensure engagement with both powers is on their own terms.
New Australian Government Confirms its New Pacific Migration Policies
Australia’s new foreign minister Penny Wong has wasted no time visiting Fiji, Samoa and Tonga in a whirlwind tour, in which she outlined the incoming Labor government’s new Pacific migration policies.
PSO Launches Mobile Platform for Legal Information Through Multi-stakeholder Partnership
The launch of a new mobile platform by the Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) means that over 460,000 mobile users in Solomon Islands, representing 66.3 percent of the population, will be able to access legal information at their own convenience from their own communities.
Solomon Islands PSO Digitalization Enhances Inclusive Access to Legal Information
A new website for the Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) will make free legal information available to support Solomon Islanders address their justice issues.
Why Is the Constituency Fund Audit Proof?
Someone just asked this big time question and it deserves our time and effort given the significant resources involved.
