Pacific Parliamentarians from 11 Pacific Island countries were reminded today that embracing the principles of human rights such as transparency, accountability, non-discrimination and participation into parliamentary systems will promote good governance and result in improved development outcomes for the region. The 23 members of Parliament are in Nadi this week attending the first day of…
RNZI: A five-day blockade that cut fuel supplies to Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, and forced some power stations to close has ended. The blockade was imposed by villagers from Hanuabada last week after two betel nut vendors were allegedly shot by police when they fired into a crowd. Our correspondent, Todagia Kelola, says…
OCTA – Pacific Island Country trade officials will meet in Vanuatu to negotiate a new comprehensive regional trade agreement that will deepen economic links in the Pacific. The tenth inter-sessional meeting on the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus negotiations will be held from 22-27 March at the Pacifik Farea Convention Centre at…
The Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), Michael Forrest, Permanent Secretary of the FLNKS External Unit officially opened the two-day MSG Senior Officials Meeting which ended yesterday at the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Mr Forrest welcomed senior officials from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu…
RNZI – The government in Vanuatu says it’s looking for partners to help modernise the state broadcaster, and fix radio transmission problems to the outer-islands. Communities rely on the radio broadcast of cyclone warnings during cyclone season. Worries have been raised over the on-going failure of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) to transmit…
SPTO – The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has announced the appointment of Makelesi Muloilagi as its new Marketing Officer. SPTO Chief Executive Ilisoni Vuidreketi said Muloilagi’s inclusion was timely as the marketing division gears up for another year of competitive destination promotion and marketing in 2015for its 16 member countries. “A strong and vibrant…
AP – The terrorism threat level for Australian police has been elevated to high. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the change was a result of intelligence and discussions with its partners, and was in line with the broader threat level for the community. “Recent events in France, Canada and Australia serve as a sobering…
FBC NEWS – Fiji’s annual visitor arrival number reached a new high of 692, 630 last year. This was 2.6 percent more than the previous record of 675, 050 in 2011. It also represents a significant 5.3 percent increase over the 2013 arrival number of 657, 706. The significant increases in arrivals were recorded from…
SPC – The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is optimistic that cheaper oil prices will not reduce the Pacific region’s momentum towards a renewable energy and energy efficient future. Falling global oil prices have given some relief to Pacific Islands’ consumers who pay among the highest prices in the world at the petrol pump,…
COMSEC – The Commonwealth Secretariat’s upgraded software for managing public debt is a “powerful” and “invaluable” tool for many countries, Deodat Maharaj, Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, has said. Maharaj was speaking at the launch of the Train the Trainer Workshop for the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Debt Recording and Management System (CS-DRMS) 2.0, which was released…