By Euan Moyle, an intern with the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands Program.
- The Lowy Institute has released Papua New Guinea: Seven Snapshots of a Nation, which analyses PNG’s political, social, economic and security trends.
- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has kicked off his four-day visit to New Caledonia with a visit to the grave of independence activist Jean-Marie Tjibaou and an address to the territory’s congress. The PM’s trip is part of the preparations for the 2018 independence referendum.
- Meanwhile, Philippe Germain has been re-elected as New Caledonia’s President, after a three-month impasse between pro- and anti-independence politicians forced the territory to rely on a caretaker government.
- After more than 30 years of local activism, Papua New Guinea has declared the Managalas Plateau a conservation area, making it the largest conservation area in the country.
- The Pacific Mini Games has opened in Vanuatu, with 5000 people filling the Korman Stadium in Port Vila to watch the opening ceremony.
- Kiribati is expected to suffer some of the worst consequences of climate change, with the UN estimating the nation could disappear in less than 50 years. DW looks at what the nation’s inhabitants are doing to prevent their nation from being lost to rising sea levels:
