UN approves landmark ocean treaty. Photo: AFP / Colin Simpfendoreer/Simon Fraser University/James Cook University
Pacific - UN treaty
A historic UN ocean treaty that protects the high seas has finally been agreed on in New York after almost 20 years of negotiations.
The agreement, which covers nearly two-thirds of the world's oceans, aims to ensure the conservation of biological diverse areas beyond national jurisdictions.
The treaty keeps in line with the 30x30 pledge to protect a third of the sea by 2030 made by countries at the UN Biodiversity Conference in December.
A Greenpeace spokesperson said the treaty was a monumental win for ocean protection but governments must ensure it is put into practice in an effective way for it to be considered truly ambitious.
Vanuatu/France - passport
France has lifted the requirement for Vanuatu passport holders to have a visa to enter New Caledonia.
The change was announced by the French interior minister Gerald Darmanin when he visited the Vanuatu capital on Sunday.
He said the liberalisation has come at the behest of the French president.
The minister said in a next step Paris will lobby the European Union to restore freedom of movement.
The restrictions were imposed because Vanuatu sells its citizenship, which raised concerns in Europe about the identity of the buyers.
Solomon Islands - Least Developed Country status
Solomon Islands Cabinet has endorsed an extension for its Least Developed Country status.
In 2018, Solomon Islands was recommended by the UN's Committee for Development Policy to graduate from the category status by 2024.
But a UN Joint technical mission assessment conducted in January 2023 concluded that Solomon Islands remains above the graduation thresholds.
The country is not ready for graduation in 2024, as it has lost three critical years of preparation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the November 2021 civil unrest, and due to multiple crises and two earthquakes between 2020 and 2022.
Nauru - Micronesian Islands Forum
Nauru has been inducted to the Micronesian Islands Forum during the February meeting of the region's leaders.
This annual summit brings together the six governors and three presidents of the Micronesia region.
The other members of the forum are Guam, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Meanwhile, the Island Times reports Kiribati continues to be in receipt of a standing invitation to join the Forum "at its discretion and interest".
French Polyneisa - Oscar Temaru
The appeal hearing of French Polynesia's pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru, for allegedly exerting undue influence, has ended and a verdict will be made public on May 24.
The prosecution wants the court to uphold the six-month suspended prison sentence given by the criminal court in 2019.
Temaru had also been fined $US50,000 after the court had found that, as mayor of Faaa, he funded Radio Tefana to benefit his Tavini Huiraatira party.
The radio station had regularly opposed France's nuclear weapons tests in the region, but the defence says no recording has been produced to prove it was propaganda.
The defence said the French state lied to the local population about the weapons tests for 50 years.
The Tavini party said the real reason for his conviction was that in the eyes of France, Temaru committed treason by taking French presidents to the International Criminal Court over the tests.
Kiribati - human bones
A US archaeologist has told Kiribati the human bones he has been studying belonged to a young Polynesian woman who lived there 1000 years ago.
Dr Fredrik Hiebert was in Tarawa to return to the Kiribati Cultural Museum, 'Te Umwanibong', samples of bones he borrowed in 2019.
He told Radio Kiribati News he took the bones back to the States for scientific research and to see if they belonged to American pilot Amelia Earhart, who was reported to have had her plane lost at Nikumaroro, one of Kiribati islands in the Phoenix Group.
He said the DNA clearly indicated that the samples were not Amelia's but from a much earlier navigator, a young Polynesian woman lived in Kiribati 1000 years ago.
PNG - methamphetamine
Two Malaysians and two Papua New Guineans are facing court after police uncovered 117kg of methamphetamine.
The Post Courier reports the National Drugs and Vice Squad were alerted to the movement of the drugs via small packages at FedEx.
Deputy Commissioner of Police specialist operations Donald Yamasombi said police monitored the FedEx office when they apprehended a taxi driver and passenger.
Police then found 170g of methamphetamine in sealed small packages, packed as documents.
He said both cooperated and took police to a housing estate, where 117kg of meth was uncovered.
Palau - missing boat
A missing boat carrying a medical team in Palau has been found.
The boat was transporting the medical team from the Health Ministry from Angaur State to Peleliu.
A search operation was activated when the boat and passengers were reported missing.
The Bureau of Public Safety said the medical team and boat operator were found and were enroute to Koror.
Fiji - forestry meeting
Fiji is hosting regional meetings on forestry and agriculture this week.
The Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry is a bi-annual event.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization will host several side-events, including on Pacific good practices in implementing and monitoring forest and landscape restoration; and promoting ecologically-based alternatives to highly hazardous pesticides.
This year's theme for the week is "Growing Together: Transforming Pacific Agriculture and Forestry".
Pacific/Japan - legislature
The Japanese government and the United Nations Development Programme have signed a new funding agreement to support the institutional strengthening of legislatures in six Pacific countries.
The project, which is part of Japan's commitment to sustainable development in the Pacific, aims to enhance the capacity of the legislative bodies in Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
It is intended to promote good governance, strengthen democracy, and improve public service delivery.
The intervention, which builds on the successes of the first phase of the project that ran between 2018 and 2022, will provide technical assistance, training, and capacity-building support as well as strengthen cooperation and exchange among the parliaments at the regional level.
Japan's Ambassador to Fiji Fumihiro Kawakami said Japan is firmly committed to supporting the development of the Pacific region.
He said it believes that strengthening the capacities of legislative bodies is critical to achieving sustainable development.
New Caledonia - provincial election
The French interior minister Gerald Darmanin says next year's provincial election cannot go ahead with the rolls of 1998.
Under the Noumea Accord, only indigenous Kanaks and those resident for 10 years by 1998 are allowed to vote.
Speaking in Noumea, the minister said he hopes a political solution can be found to give more people voting rights.
The pro-independence parties oppose changes to the rolls, which are the basis for New Caledonian citizenship.
After the rejection of full sovereignty in three referendums, anti-independence parties say the rolls must be opened to give all citizens the right to vote.
The minister said in the absence of an agreement, the French state will act.
He said Paris is prepared to have bilateral talks with the pro-independence FLNKS in order to prepare broader meetings with other partners by May or June.
He said that by September a consensus could be found to make constitutional changes in 2024.
New Caledonia - blockade
The blockade of the Kouaoua mining site of New Caledonia's SLN nickel company has been lifted.
Three of the four unions at the site had been on strike since late February, claiming there hadn't been proper discussions about the proposed cut of 53 jobs.
Reports say a solution has been found to resume work, with nickel production this year back on target.
Last month, SLN secured an $US43 million emergency loan from the French state to stave off insolvency after using up a $US600 million loan granted in 2016.
Northern Marianas - transnational cirme
Homeland Security in the Northern Marianas has created a new task force specifically to curb the rise of methamphetamine smuggling.
Homeland Security Investigations Honolulu special-agent-in-charge John Tobon said they have seen a large increase in the amount of transnational crimes in the Marianas, primarily methamphetamine.
He said this has been something they have been tracking for many years.
In the last few weeks alone, a number of investigations have been launched into mail parcels containing the drug.
Tobon said the newly created task force, in collaboration with local authorities, continues to investigate the origins and receivers of those parcels.
Most of the parcels contained drugs shipped from the United States.