UNDP and the Pacific Community signed a Letter of Agreement, cementing their mutual commitment to work together to improve Tuvalu’s resilience to coastal flooding under the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation…  Read more

A mapping of formal justice and police services across the country was launched today by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs Ethel Sigimanu to guide planning and policy…  Read more

Renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, hydro and biofuel are under-utilized to meet the energy requirements in Vanuatu. According to Vanuatu’s Acting Director-General for the Ministry of…  Read more

A pilot service delivery tracking system, launched this week, will ensure citizens are able to track and monitor their applications for services offered by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty…  Read more

The REACH Project which set out a target of reaching 4,000 Fijians has managed to reach more than double the targeted figure in facilitating citizen’s access to essential Government services.  Read more

Central Bank of Samoa’s Governor, Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari has been appointed as the Pacific Representative to the United Nations’ newly launched Task Force on Digital Financing of the…  Read more

Water and sanitation is everybody’s business” from “ridge to reef” and “from community to cabinet.” Under Secretary to the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification Daniel Rove made the…  Read more

To assist Members of Parliament of the Republic of Fiji gain a deeper understanding of their main functions of scrutiny, oversight and representation, a three-day retreat for MPs in the new term is…  Read more

More than 200 youth from across Western and Choiseul provinces will return to their communities motivated to tackle persistent issues following the Youth Peacebuilding Innovation Forum in Gizo this…  Read more

Women from 24 electoral districts in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) are currently attending a two-day preparatory session for the second Practice Parliament for Women, in a proactive move…  Read more

Young social entrepreneurs from Malaita Province advanced their ventures to address community challenges through a business training in Auki this week.  Read more

Strengthening genuine and effective partnerships is vital to achieving integrity in the Pacific and parliamentarians, youth and civil society organisations need to scale up their work to achieve…  Read more

In an effort to empower youth to develop new approaches to social issues, nearly 100 young people from across Western Province gathered in Gizo for a social innovation and entrepreneurship workshop…  Read more

Mandatory audit committees within government agencies combined with a confidential Phones-Against-Corruption tool for citizens are among a multi-pronged approach being taken against corruption in…  Read more

Given the fact that 60 percent of Pacific people are youth, involving young people in the fight against corruption is essential, says a Solomon Islands youth representative at the 18th International…  Read more

A new initiative designed to support marine ecotourism and the Sustainable Development Goal 14 was launched today, marking a new era in marine conservation. The South Pacific Tourism Organisation in…  Read more

As part of efforts to engage youth in national politics, 50 young women and men are currently gathered in Honiara for the 4th National Youth Parliament.  Read more

The mobile money platform allows registered users to use their mobile phone like a bank account or debit card. The new service can be used to access banking services such as sending and receiving…  Read more

Accessibility and the belief that they cannot afford to save, have been two of Samoa’s biggest impediments to financial inclusion in Samoa. With only 39% of the population having any form of access to…  Read more

With its informal sector making up about 80% of the working population, Vanuatu is the latest Pacific Island Country that is looking into the introduction of pension products for ni-Vanuatu working in…  Read more

For most Samoans, funeral payments are one of the biggest expenses in life, which can create severe financial stress on traditional obligations that can cost families up to $50,000 WST.  Read more

Women representing wards across Western Province highlighted key provincial women’s priorities and made recommendations on how to address them during a dialogue with Members of the Provincial Assembly…  Read more

Fiji, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga remain in the High Human Development category of the latest Human Development Index and are joined by the Republic of Marshall Islands which is included in the index for…  Read more

The development of political parties that can represent citizens in an inclusive and accountable manner is one credible pathway to a stable and effective political system.  Read more

The Government of Japan and UNDP provided the Government of Vanuatu with critical equipment today, which can be deployed for rebuilding community infrastructure for people relocating to surrounding…  Read more

Recognising that well-structured, appropriately staffed and resourced parliaments are essential for vibrant democracies, over 20 participants from nine Pacific parliaments graduated from a Corporate…  Read more

The Youth Peacebuilding Innovation Forum in Auki, Malaita Province aimed at helping young people use innovation to spark change in their communities concluded yesterday.  Read more

In response to the need for new approaches to address social issues, more than 200 young people from across Malaita Province are in Auki to attend the Youth Peacebuilding Innovation Forum this week.  Read more

The Parliament of the Republic of Fiji, in partnership with the UNDP and McGill University of Canada is currently hosting regional participants to a two-week intensive management course specifically…  Read more

Ensuring early access to justice in Fiji and building police capacity to deliver such justice are key objectives of a five-day regional training organised by the Fiji Police Force including members of…  Read more

Helen Clark, former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, yesterday ended her four-day visit to Solomon Islands. During the visit, Ms.…  Read more

The small Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu faces several energy challenges, arising mainly from the lack of indigenous fossil fuel sources and remoteness.  Read more

Addressing low usage, cost of travel and lack of opportunities to transact, the National Bank of Vanuatu has announced the migration of close to 30,000 of its rural customers to electronic and mobile…  Read more

A two-day seminar aimed at recognising and promoting the significant role that Members of Parliament play in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will be held in Samoa on the 22 – 23…  Read more

In recognising the significant role of Parliamentary Committees in scrutinising legislation and providing oversight, the Secretariat for the Parliament of Vanuatu benefited from a two-day capacity…  Read more

Officials from the Bank of Sierra Leone, a West African state, are in Fiji this week to observe and share knowledge with the Reserve Bank of Fiji on the development of regulatory sandboxes.  Read more

This is an exciting opportunity to flag issues of interest, for the attention of all, so that we can be aware of them, learn from your expertise, and do more research into these very important…  Read more

“Financial Education may start in the classroom, but it has the potential to benefit whole families”, Erik Scholte, Second Secretary at the Australian High Commission, said while closing a week-long…  Read more

The United Nation’s Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) has announced the launch of its 2018 Reuben James Summerlin (RJS) Scholarship for Pacific Islanders active in the Financial Inclusion…  Read more

The announcement of the Fiji 2018 – 2019 budget has been met with encouragement by the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme as direct actions are being made to deepen financial access in Fiji.  Read more

More than 20 women representing different communities in Tuvalu are engaged in a five-day capacity building session that aims to increase the interest and the level of participation of women in the…  Read more

The four-day workshop will facilitate a business-to-business knowledge exchange on quarry management best-practices to improve the performance of the sector and contribute toward inclusive and…  Read more

Thirty-eight teachers from three Rural Training Centres of the Anglican Church of Melanesia participated in a second round of financial education training on 21 July at the Garanga Rural Training…  Read more

Seventeen Pacific representatives traveled to Roorkee, India for a one-month intensive and specialized training as part of UNDP's Climate Early Warning Systems in Pacific Island Countries Project.  Read more

Western Highlands Provincial Administration and the United Nation’s Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme have formalised a partnership that will see financial education embedded into the curriculum…  Read more

Following the successful pilot project last year, the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) has announced a nationwide roll-out of their micropension account for Solomon Islanders active in…  Read more

In recognizing the importance of budget transparency and the role of civil society’s ability to analyse budgets and effectively participate in the National Budget process, more than 90 representatives…  Read more

project which will link biodiversity conservation to sustainable economic activity in Palau has been launched today with the signing of a partnership between the Government of the Republic of Palau…  Read more

A commitment of USD$2.25 million made by the Government of New Zealand towards supporting the work of the Vanuatu Electoral Office will support the capacity development of the Electoral Office and the…  Read more

50 enthusiastic women across the eight Provinces of the Solomon Islands mostly met as strangers but now leave the Capital more enthused and empowered to participate as candidates in any general…  Read more

A new two-year project to strengthen the capacity of the Electoral Commission and create a more inclusive and transparent electoral process was announced today by the Electoral Commission of Nauru and…  Read more

As a response to gender norms that continue to work against women’s entry into politics, 50 women across the eight provinces of the Solomon Islands are currently gathered in Honiara for the Second…  Read more

When informed that his application was approved, Sekove Lili looked over his new farm and breathed a long sigh of relief. He will soon be assisted by a social welfare scheme provided by the…  Read more

The Pacific Community and UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji through the Wake Up! Project are launching a graphic design contest for youth from the Pacific to raise awareness on NCDs and their risk factors.  Read more

The Fiji Meteorological Office’s daily tasks to provide accurate and timely weather and climate information received a boost with the official handover of equipment that will ensure that the country’s…  Read more

A country challenged with disasters triggered by various types of natural hazards, the Government of Vanuatu welcomes the opportunity to strengthen strategic planning for the recovery phase of natural…  Read more

Representatives of Pacific Island governments are part of a regional workshop this week learning how to determine the economic and social costs of disasters that can then inform recovery strategies to…  Read more

The Government of Kiribati today signed an agreement with UNDP on an initiative that will seek to foster income generation for poor rural households, improve the livelihoods, overall income and…  Read more

Lessons from the budget analysis model applied by the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji has been replicated in the National Parliament of the Solomon Islands. The support during the 2018 budget…  Read more

Over 25 participants gathered in Majuro today to officially launch two national projects as part of the Global Environment Facility Pacific Ridge to Reef programme.  Read more

With the establishment of the Women Parliamentarians Caucus, Cook Islands aims to further advance the effective participation of women at the highest decision-making body: the legislature.  Read more

Parliaments throughout the Pacific including Australia and New Zealand with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have rallied behind the Tonga Legislative Assembly to ensure…  Read more

The rationale for the Access to Justice Assessment is data collection and analysis across the justice sector, which will serve as the foundation for an evidence-based approach to justice reform and…  Read more

A tsunami drill in Suva, Fiji, this week provided an opportunity for school management, disaster management officials, government officials and local enforcement agencies to test preparedness and…  Read more

The Government of Japan today signed a USD$5.2m agreement with the United Nations Development Programme which will allow its current parliamentary development work to be scaled up and replicated to…  Read more

A new study has found that people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Pacific islands are experiencing high levels of stigma and discrimination, resulting in social exclusion and…  Read more

Many Pacific Islanders depend on coastal fisheries for both food and income but the sector is vulnerable to natural disasters, including cyclones, which can expose them to severe risks.  Read more

The Chairpersons and Deputies of the 17 Permanent Committees of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Parliament, are currently engaged in a two-day capacity and knowledge building workshop that aims to enhance…  Read more

Policymakers discussed the preliminary findings and recommendations from the Solomon Islands’ Development finance assessment (DFA) at a workshop held in Honiara this month  Read more

When the vulnerability of small island countries to climate change is reported in international media, it is often accompanied by images of houses and roads inundated with seawater, families standing…  Read more

Following the success of the first Parliament Speaker’s Debate on the Sustainable Development Goals, a second debate, on Thursday 8th February, brought together people to openly discuss issues around…  Read more

A two-day capacity building workshop designed for Members of the Cook Islands Parliament, provided the platform for open and robust discussions on the soon to be tabled Maritime Zones Bill and the…  Read more

Vanuatu has become the fifth country in the Pacific to receive support from the United Nations Development Programme through a three-year Parliament strengthening project with funding from the New…  Read more

Representatives of community resource owners from the Central and Western Division of Fiji are currently gathered in Nadi for a five-day, training of the trainers (ToT) workshop on enterprise skills,…  Read more

A two-day validation workshop convened select male Members of Parliament (MPs), from 10 Pacific Islands countries, to build on existing gender equality activities that makes the participation of women…  Read more

The island country faces a range of disaster threats including typhoons, droughts and storm surges, and the two-day workshop aimed to strengthen the community and government’s understanding of…  Read more

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Hon. Rick Hou has welcomed a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss their support to the Government and the People of Solomon Islands…  Read more

A two-day capacity building seminar for PAC members from the Parliaments of Cook Islands, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Samoa with the aim of building the capacity of the committee leadership and…  Read more

To effectively control HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in the Pacific there is a need to strengthen overall health systems. This includes, equipping medical professionals with the required tools and skills…  Read more

The UN based Better than Cash Alliance (BTCA) are in the Pacific this week to advocate government ministries in Fiji and the Solomon Islands to transition from cash to digital payments to advance…  Read more

The complexity of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) itself and the lack of easily gauged data, have been identified as major challenges, particularly for Pacific Island Countries.  Read more

Business leaders, government officials, representatives from the United Nations and Pacific regional agencies gathered in Bonn for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23), showcased successful…  Read more

The fourth batch of youths graduated this week in the peacebuilding and livelihood skills training, delivered in close partnership with the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace,…  Read more

UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the Vanuatu Youth Council and the Vanuatu Young Entrepreneurs Council, hosted a three-day National Dialogue on Youth…  Read more

The first tsunami drill at schools in the Solomon Islands mobilized nearly 400 students and teachers, testing the schools’ emergency management plans and newly constructed evacuation routes.  Read more

Staff members of all the United Nations (UN) agencies in Solomon Islands came together at the UN Joint Presence Office (UNJPO) located at the ANZ Haus, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the UN.  Read more

The crucial role of Hansard in supporting Parliaments in many countries to undertake their full constitutional mandate in representing the interests of citizens, legislating and providing oversight of…  Read more

Ensuring early access to justice in Fiji, and enhancing the capacity of the Fiji Police Force to deliver such justice to all Fijians, are key objectives of the five-day training-of-trainers for the…  Read more

More than 250 young people attended Solomon Islands’ first ever ‘Youth Peacebuilding Innovation Forum’ held this week at the National Auditorium, Museum grounds in Honiara. The 3-day event has been…  Read more

A south-south learning exchange between the staff of the Fale Alea ‘o Tonga (Parliament of Tonga) and the staff of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji is currently underway with the overall aim to…  Read more

The United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Project, in partnership with the Pacific Integrity Network and the Office of the OmbudsmanTonga, opened a three-day Advanced Investigations Training…  Read more

A new partnership between two United Nations programmes is expected to yield innovative and cost-effective insurance solutions for Pacific Islanders and small businesses in the region.  Read more

The success of a democracy is measured in the everyday interactions between political institutions and the citizens they represent. Therefore, the participation of citizens in political parties offers…  Read more

Findings from a new joint study by the UNDP, UNICEF and the University of New South Wales indicate an urgent need for reforms in Pacific island countries to adequately address HIV and STIs among…  Read more