Published daily by the Lowy Institute

Pacific Island links: COP21, New Caledonian nickel, PNG education system and more

Published 16 Dec 2015

The outcomes of the Paris climate change talks have been praised by Pacific Island leaders. PNG’s Minister for National Planning, Charles Abel, spoke to Pacific Beat about the results and his goals for the sustainable development of PNG’s economy.
On The Strategist, Tevita Motulalo analyses the broader implications of climate change in the Pacific on global security. For the countries in this region, the non-traditional security threat of climate change poses the biggest danger and will drive strategic calculations.
This set of photos of Kiribati has been on show in Paris to coincide with COP21. It shows a beautiful side to life in the country that is so vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Clive Palmer met with New Caledonian President Philippe Germaine recently to discuss the ramifications of the closure of his nickel refinery in Townsville. Nickel is the largest export for New Caledonia, which is home to about one quarter of the world’s nickel deposits. President Germaine reportedly told Palmer that closure of the refinery would cause social and political upheaval in his country.
Papua New Guinea has offered citizenship to 3000 West Papuan refugees. There are estimated to be 10,000 West Papuan refugees living in PNG, some have been there for more than 30 years.
Anthony Swan has written about the PNG government’s decision to abolish the nationwide exams for grade 8 and 10 students, arguing that independent external assessment is critically important because there is limited formal oversight of schools in PNG.
A recent editorial in The National laments Papua New Guinea’s current state of development.
DFAT’s Innovation Xchange has launched the $2 million Pacific Humanitarian Challenge to rethink the response to climate change and natural disasters in the region.
Miss PNG Abigail Havora’s win in the Miss Pacific Islands contest has been big news this week. The science graduate is the first Papua New Guinean to win the competition. 'My intent is to bring a message that strengthens the bridge between culture and changing times so young people, especially women, are more aware of what they are contributing to and the type of influence they are exerting,' she wrote on Facebook.