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☆ Pacific Islands leaders confirm former Nauru president as next top official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nauru President Baron Divavesi Waqa addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The Pacific Islands Forum confirmed the selection of former Nauru President Baron Waqa as the 18-member bloc's next top official at a meeting on Friday in the Cook Islands. Current Nauru President David Adeang had abruptly left the annual leaders meeting a day earlier after objections were raised by at least one Pacific Islands leader over Waqa's nomination. Adeang did not travel with the other leaders to the island of Aitutaki, where meetings resumed on Friday. "I inherited a fractured Pacific forum.

Persons: Baron Divavesi Waqa, Eduardo Munoz, Baron Waqa, bloc's, David Adeang, Adeang, Waqa, Sitiveni Rabuka, Henry Puna, Kirsty Needham, Tom Hogue Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific Islands Forum, Nauru, Fiji, Thomson Locations: Nauru, U.N, New York, U.S, Cook, Aitutaki, Taiwan, China, Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A group of South Pacific leaders was due to travel to the stunning island of Aitutaki on Thursday to discuss climate change and other regional concerns. The forum culminates in a leaders' retreat Friday on Aitutaki, a beautiful island renowned for its picturesque lagoon. Albanese told reporters that Australia had gotten a positive reception in a region where climate change looms as an existential threat for many low-lying islands. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesAlbanese's predecessor Scott Morrison was criticized for dragging his feet on climate change while championing Australia's lucrative coal and gas exports. “I am proud of the hard work and items before you today covering climate change, gender, fisheries, nuclear issues, and trade, among others,” Puna told forum attendees.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Scott Morrison, Henry Puna, ” Organizations: South Pacific, Forum, Australia Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Aitutaki, Cook, Henry, ” Puna, ” New Zealand

☆ Pacific Island Countries to Hold Second Summit Next Week With Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pacific island countries will meet next week with U.S. President Joe Biden for a second summit with his country, the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna said on Monday. Puna made the announcement at an event in New York hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "I'm very hopeful that those outcomes will translate into concrete actions moving forward, because right now, there's a lot of issues and challenges confronting our Pacific region. He said the stance of the Pacific island countries had been clear: "we will engage with any partner who is willing to work with us, rather than around us." Biden hosted a first summit with Pacific island leaders a year ago, at which his administration pledged to help stave off China's "economic coercion," and he promised to work harder with allies and partners to address islanders' needs.

Persons: Joe Biden, Henry Puna, Puna, Biden, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Mark Porter, Andrea Ricci Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Pacific, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Pacific, New York, Puna, Washington, COVID, United States, China

☆ Pacific islands, in spotlight, to push climate change in South Korea summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read moreAustralia's Defence Minister Richard Marles will attend the first Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, his office said on Saturday, adding it would show cooperation between the 18 members of the Pacific Island Forum and South Korea for a secure region. The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a defence agreement with PNG after a Pacific summit there on the same day. The back-to-back meetings with major economies were a "massive boost for recognition of our priorities", said Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna in a statement. The island states, which are seeking greater funding for climate change mitigation, have taken a collective approach to dealing with major powers. In Seoul, climate change, investment and fisheries are expected to feature in talks.

☆ Pacific islands urge Japan to delay release of Fukushima waste over contamination fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Pacific island nations are urging Japan to delay the release of water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant over fears fisheries will be contaminated, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) said on Wednesday. Japan had approved the future release of more than 1 million tonnes of water from the site into the ocean after treatment in April 2021. The United States conducted nuclear testing in the Pacific islands in the 1940s and 1950s and the Marshall Islands continues to campaign for more compensation from Washington over lasting health and environmental effects. France conducted atomic testing between 1966 and 1996 at Mururoa Atoll in French Pacific territories. Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Leaders and representatives from 14 Pacific island states are taking part in the summit. Washington and its allies want to boost maritime security and island states' communication links with countries like Japan, Australia and India, he said. SOLOMON ISLANDS TIES TO CHINAIn a statement on the first day of the talks, Henry Puna, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, said he was confident the islands and the United States "can, and ... will secure and build a partnership." Sogavare has repeatedly appeared to snub the United States, heightening Washington's concerns. Wednesday's talks included a session hosted by U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, who praised Pacific island leaders for a more ambitious global climate target than agreed at the 2015 Paris climate summit.

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