COVID-19 – the Pacific response: 2 December
Fiji continues with plans to open borders despite the emergence of the Omicron variant, whilst new analysis has warned that some Pacific countries may not be fully vaccinated for years. The emergence of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 has created worldwide uncertainty over nations’ pathway out of the pandemic. There is little known about the…
Blog
Jose Sousa-Santos - 30 Nov 2021
The dark side of reopening borders in the Pacific
As the Pacific reopens to the world after COVID-19, it faces serious risks from transnational crime, Jose Sousa-Santos writes. When Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced Fiji would open its borders to international travellers on 1 December 2021, much of the focus was inevitably on the revival of the tourist sector, which comprises 40 per…
Blog
Kalafi Moala - 26 Nov 2021
Independents the winners in Tongan election
Is the party over? Tonga’s election has seen support for the country’s two major parties disintegrate, in favour of a large new cohort of independents, Kalafi Moala writes. The people have spoken and voted for change. On 18 November, Tongans elected nine new people’s representatives and three new nobles’ representatives. Only eight incumbent people’s representatives…
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Elizabeth Kopel - 25 Nov 2021
Why is Delta out of control in PNG?
The Papua New Guinea Government needs to take decisive action to stop the spread of COVID-19, Elizabeth Kopel writes. A recent Delta variant outbreak is having devastating impact on Papua New Guinea (PNG). Whilst governments around the globe have struggled to manage the variant, this outbreak has been made worse by low compliance with COVID-19…
Blog
Denise Fisher - 22 Nov 2021
New Caledonia’s thirty-year referendum process may fall at the final hurdle
France’s decision to maintain a December date for New Caledonia’s third independence referendum undermines the legitimacy of this decisive vote, Denise Fisher writes. France is going ahead with the 12 December 2021 date for New Caledonia’s final referendum vote, despite the opposition of the mainly Indigenous independence parties. This undermines the legitimacy of the final step in…
COVID-19 – the Pacific response: 19 November
Our fortnightly update on COVID-19 in the Pacific Fiji has taken the first step in reopening its international borders, and Papua New Guinea has seen a reduction in new official case numbers. Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s COVID-19 outbreak has improved slightly since the last update, with the country recording 812 cases in the past week,…
