22 Nov 2023 Does Australia’s walk match its talk about helping Pacific women advance? Jessica Collins Big dollars are one thing, meaningful outcomes another.
21 Nov 2023 A Pacific “zone of peace” – what will it entail? Patrick Kaiku , Faith Hope Boie An effort is underway to ensure Pacific concepts are not co-opted by geopolitical competition.
20 Nov 2023 Pacific Aid Map: Big data gaps are skewing the story about women Jessica Collins Better reporting is needed to properly understand which projects are targeting gender issues in the region.
17 Nov 2023 Australian development cooperation: Urgent and important, but “not a priority” Richard Moore Development policy contradictions reveal the failure of the DFAT-AusAID integration.
14 Nov 2023 A Pacific union: Australia-Tuvalu deal goes well beyond climate Donald R Rothwell This tailored arrangement has implications for AUKUS, legal proceedings, as well as the potential resettlement of climate refugees.
1 Nov 2023 Loans, not grants, already proving costly for PNG Maholopa Laveil The latest Pacific Aid Map shows the PNG debt burden is growing and risks loom on the horizon.
31 Oct 2023 Infrastructure for influence: Pacific Islands building spree Meg Keen Even with stabilising debt and higher revenues, the region’s needs still outpace funding. Partnerships are key.
17 Oct 2023 Empowering women in the Pacific: A collaborative effort to confront online abuse Julie Inman Grant A regional symposium was an important step in tackling technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
3 Oct 2023 New Caledonia: Independence leader wins French Senate seat over Macron favourite Denise Fisher An extraordinary result further complicates France’s hope of securing early agreement about the future.
2 Oct 2023 French criticism of nuclear ban treaty highlights Canberra’s dilemma Nic Maclellan Can Australia rebuild a strategic military partnership with France at the same time as independence movements claim Pacific support?
29 Sep 2023 Japan risks its reputation in Oceania with Fukushima discharge Derek Grossman A rollcall of Pacific Island nations have very different views on the release of treated radioactive wastewater.
22 Sep 2023 The US–Pacific Islands Partnership, one year on Meg Keen , Daniel Mandell Recognising that it cannot go it alone, Washington needs to coordinate its development efforts with like-minded partners.
31 Aug 2023 Cultural security in the Pacific: Why it matters for regional security Anna Naupa Of all the complex and evolving threats to the region’s cultural heritage, climate change remains the most calamitous.
30 Aug 2023 The Fix: Talking about the Pacific Jessica Collins An Interpreter weekly feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
28 Aug 2023 Indo-Pacific strategy: Uniting all the players on the board Saba Sattar Trouble in the Pacific shows that an aligned approach across the sub-regions is essential in the contest with China.
21 Aug 2023 Putting a PNG stamp on security Meg Keen , Mihai Sora As world players jostle for influence, the price of admission may be stronger economic engagement.
16 Aug 2023 The Fix: We still really don’t know PNG Maholopa Laveil Your weekly Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
15 Aug 2023 Vanuatu: No confidence, but in whom? Siobhan McDonnell Australian diplomacy must be examined after a supposed security deal leaves the local government teetering.
14 Aug 2023 What does the new International Development Policy mean for the Pacific? Jessica Collins , Meg Keen Australia has outlined its case for being the preferred regional partner, but the Pacific needs less talk and more action.
10 Aug 2023 Young voices on Fiji’s new political era Mere Nailatikau , Lavetanalagi Seru Six months after a democratic transformation, a new government strides ahead – with the biggest hurdles still to come.
7 Aug 2023 For America’s atomic bomb legacy, the past is present Daniel Mandell The fallout of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – as well as nuclear testing in the Pacific – continues to hang over the US regional reputation.
4 Aug 2023 Women belong everywhere and this World Cup proves football can be the great equaliser Jessica Collins Respect for female athletes “tearing it up on the pitch” must translate into respect off the field, too.
2 Aug 2023 The Fix: Long road to inspiration Meg Keen An Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
2 Aug 2023 Can PNG afford more debt? Maholopa Laveil Betting on the potential of future resource wealth has proved a risky strategy. History holds valuable economic lessons.
31 Jul 2023 A call for medical détente in the Pacific Islands Eileen Natuzzi Pooling the expertise and resources of development partners is a win not only for regional healthcare but soft diplomacy.
28 Jul 2023 Solomon Islands: Invest in people and police before military Alan C. Tidwell , Meg Keen , Anna Powles , Jose Sousa-Santos , Anouk Ride Australia and foreign partners should work with existing institutions. A new military capability could make matters worse.
13 Jul 2023 Samoa and the Alliance of Small Islands States show climate security is also about loss and damage George Carter , Athaulla A Rasheed Adaptation and mitigation strategies alone will not be enough to recover from the effects of climate change.
10 Jul 2023 Military hospital ships from China and the US are plying across Pacific Islands. But this growing competition can do more harm than good Eileen Natuzzi Large white hulled ships are big public relations yet do little to address significant health system issues in the region.
30 Jun 2023 The looming fate of Fukushima’s contaminated water Daniel Mandell Environmental concerns in the Pacific also come with political risks for Japan’s prime minister.
23 Jun 2023 Bracing for 3000 Pacific Engagement Visas Natasha Turia , Akka Rimon , Michael Kabuni , Jope Tarai Australia’s new permanent resident scheme must prioritise the people of the Blue Pacific who will be most impacted.
22 Jun 2023 Lowy Poll 2023: Australians still jittery about China in the Pacific Jessica Collins Just like Pacific nations themselves, the public are waiting to see pledges by new government translated into outcomes.
11 May 2023 The disproportionate attention on the Solomons-China security pact Ilan Kiloe A tendency to “securitise” problems via a geopolitical lens only downplays legitimate aspirations of local communities.
4 May 2023 The cost of crime and corruption on Pacific fisheries Jade Lindley The need for a well-funded response to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has never been greater.
4 May 2023 The case for opening the ADF to citizens of Pacific Islands nations David Van The potential benefits in a contested region extend far beyond a military need.
27 Apr 2023 Bringing the Blue Pacific and Indo-Pacific narratives together Sandra Tarte More than a distraction, geopolitical competition shapes the regional security agenda – and that carries opportunity.
20 Apr 2023 Questions about Australian aid to fund the Pacific Games Stephen Howes Australia is backing a sports tournament over urgent development needs, and doing so may break international aid rules.
18 Apr 2023 Not the Indo-Pacific: a Melanesian view on strategic competition Patrick Kaiku The states of the southwest Pacific are not interested in a zero-sum contest between the United States and China.
14 Apr 2023 A strategy for engaging for small developing states Hamish Fejo If Australia is serious about climate change, it needs better relationships with island nations – near and far.
11 Apr 2023 France tightens the screws in New Caledonia Denise Fisher Pro-independence leaders believe time is on their side, but the French government sees little room for compromise.
31 Mar 2023 Climate change: We know what to do, the Pacific needs us to act, now Meg Keen , Hamish Fejo Pacific Island nations are taking legal action as the latest IPCC report reveals things are still getting worse.
30 Mar 2023 Fiji: lessons under a dictator’s heel Ariela Zibiah Laisenia Qarase’s prison memoir after he was deposed in a coup tells a national story to cherish freedoms.
23 Mar 2023 Papua New Guinea: media under threat Thierry Lepani A new draft government policy is set to put journalistic freedoms to the test.
20 Mar 2023 AUKUS in the Pacific: Calm with undercurrents Meg Keen Pacific neighbours understand the drivers behind Australia’s bid for nuclear-powered subs, but still harbour concerns.
8 Mar 2023 “Amplify their voice”: Promoting gender equity in Asia and the Pacific Daniel Flitton The regional head of UN Women has a simple but crucial message on this International Women’s Day.
27 Feb 2023 Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa Akka Rimon , Michael Kabuni , Jope Tarai , Natasha Turia Beyond practicalities, it’s unclear whether this is a genuine “Pacific family” partnership or geopolitical convenience?
30 Jan 2023 Getting it together: Pacific engagement still lacks coordination Meg Keen Showing collective action across countries and sectors is essential to Pacific development and winning friends.
25 Jan 2023 Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing Alexandre Dayant , Meg Keen , Roland Rajah With fewer Chinese finances available and less demand from Pacific countries, geopolitical competition is opening up.
19 Jan 2023 Weaving webs of statecraft in the Pacific Islands Joanne Wallis , Henrietta McNeill , Alan C. Tidwell , Czeslaw Tubilewicz Gaining influence in the region is about tools and techniques, not just the actors.
19 Jan 2023 The acid test: legal moves to force action on climate change Donald R Rothwell Small island states are now adopting a determined strategy of “lawfare” to bring attention to environmental threats.
27 Dec 2022 How to Interpret 2022: Solomon Islands strikes a deal Clare Caldwell Honiara’s foreign policy caused ripples across the region, as we round up highlights of the year from The Interpreter.