Features Archive March 2021

Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 situation is worsening. As vaccines arrive, PNG battles disinformation, confusion, and resistance to the vaccine.

Since the establishment of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in 2007, Pacific seasonal workers in New Zealand have largely been locked out of the benefits of superannuation schemes that facilitate long-term savings for retirement.

The tumultuous dispute over the selection of the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which led to Micronesian countries deciding to withdraw from the premier regional organisation, provides an opportunity to re-examine the idea and vision of Pacific regionalism and the concept of the “Pacific Way”.

A PNG Member of Parliament died from COVID-19 this week, but it still wasn’t enough to convince many Papua New Guineans that the virus is real and is probably out of control in their country.

Supporting good governance is the cornerstone of international development assistance.

A year after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Papua New Guinea, the first week of March 2021 has seen the highest weekly increase in reported cases in the country. This blog summarizes the current situation in PNG, and the risks that lie ahead in tackling the current outbreak.

At Korona logging base on San Jorge island in Solomon Islands’ Isabel province, the logging machinery lay quiet.

From education to entrepreneurship, global recovery efforts need to pay particular attention to the needs of women and girls.

The issue with gender data in the Solomon Islands is not only that we have so little, but that the data we do have does not accurately reflect reality.

It was with deep sadness that I received the news of the death of the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare, the founding father of Papua New Guinea and a warrior of the Pacific.