11/09/2023 Newsletter

Happenings in Congress

• The House Committee on Natural Resources marked up the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2023, which would extend the economic assistance provisions of the Compacts of Free Association between the United States and Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia for 20 more years.
• Pacific Island Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Ed Case, testified in front of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs about the importance of U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands.

In the News

• The 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Meeting is being held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from November 6 –10, 2023 – The meeting is chaired by the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Honorable Mark Brown and the forum is comprised of 18 island-nation members.
• New data shows that the U.S. topped China's ‘Belt and Road’ spending in the Pacific Islands by 2021 – New data shows that the U.S. quietly surpassed China in terms of aid granted to the Pacific Island nations by 2021.
• The 17th Pacific Games will commence on November 19th, 2023, and will be hosted by the Solomon Islands – The Pacific Games are scheduled to take place in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, and will serve as an Olympic qualifier event for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
• China hands over $5 million security equipment and materials to Solomon Islands Police for the Pacific Games – The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force received aid batches of security equipment and materials totaling SBD$5 million (USD$590,000) for next month’s Pacific Games from China.
• Australia sends 100 police officers to the Solomon Islands for the Pacific Games – The Australian Federal Police sent 100 police officers to the Solomon Islands to boost security for the upcoming Pacific Games.
• How the island of Tokelau became the global capital of cybercrime – Despite having a population of just 1,400, until recently, Tokelau’s “.tk” domain has more than 25 million users.
• Threat of fuel shortage looms for Papua New Guineans – Papua New Guineans are facing the prospect of more petrol rationing after the major supplier Puma Energy warned its stocks are low.
• U.S. Navy hospital ship stops on Oahu ahead of Pacific mission – The U.S. Navy 1,000-bed hospital was in Hawaii as it prepared for deployment to several Pacific Islands as a part of the Navy's Pacific Partnership program.
• Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hold bi-lateral talks that strengthen the Vuvale Partnership – Fiji and Australia strengthened commitments to trade and climate issues in their updated Vuvale partnership agreement.
• Tongan Minister of Health, Dr. Saia Piukala, is nominated as the next WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific – Tongan Minister of Health Dr. Saia Piukala was nominated as the next World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific. It is expected that he will take office on February 1, 2024, for an initial term of 5 years.

Pacific Voices

• On our playlist this week: Josh Tatofi - 'Ouana
• On our watch list this week: 'INKY PINKY PONKY' (full featured film)
• On our reading list this week: Island Girl to Airline Pilot: A story of love, sacrifice and taking flight by Silva Mcleod