Papua New Guinea National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop says Port Moresby is ready to receive people from Melanesian countries for their 5th Festival of Art and Culture. “The festival is a celebration of Melanesian arts, culture and music and I am looking forward to a successful celebration,” said Parkop. Parkop who opened the…
Fiji Airways has shortlisted two new Asian destinations, one of which the national airline plans to start flying to after the arrival of another new Airbus A330 in 2016. Fiji Airways managing director/chief executive, Stefan Pichler, confirmed this to Sun Business. Pichler, however, said he could not reveal the names of these two destinations at…
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last Friday to reinforce cooperation between the two organizations. MSG Director General, Mr Peter Forau said, “the MOU between the MSG and IUCN only formalizes the collaboration that the two organisations already have had…
Seventy nine member states of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group and 28 members of the European Union declared their joint support for a strong overarching global framework that seeks to achieve poverty eradication and sustainable development, while also addressing the challenges and unique vulnerabilities of ACP countries. The declaration was endorsed at the…
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) entered into an agreement last Friday declaring their commitment to collaborate on initiatives related to sustainable development, particularly in advancing the concept of a green economy. PIDF and IUCN collaborated on several activities in the past year including the establishment…
Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority has stepped up in its efforts to comply with the recent ‘yellow card’ issued by European Union to Papua New Guinea relating to illegal fishing in our waters. Last Thursday, the authority launched its inshore patrol craft Gabut in Vanimo, West Sepik, to protect the country against illegal fishing. …
The New Zealand Government has announced a $1 million investment into Samoa’s tourism sector. The announcement was made during Prime Minister John Key’s visit to the country earlier this month.Announcing the investment, Mr Key said, “This funding will help the Samoa Tourism Authority to upgrade a number of important visitor attractions, and improve information and…
(SPC), Nadi, Fiji – The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF) last week made a commitment to work together to address issues relating to sustainable development in the Pacific region. This follows the signing of a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between SPC’s Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, and…
APIA, SAMOA – Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice-President Lakshmi Venkatachalam and Samoan Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi last week launched an AgriBusiness Support Project that will provide business support services and financing to agribusinesses in Samoa. “Agribusinesses provide jobs and income, so their development will play a critical role in promoting…
Benny Wenda’s Story Early life As a young child in the 1970s, Benny Wenda’s world was his village in the remote highlands of West Papua. Life consisted of tending gardens with his mother among the Lani people who, he says, ‘lived at peace with nature in the mountains’. In 1977 that life changed dramatically. That…