Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sa'ilele Malielegaoi with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Pacific Islands Forum earlier this month. Tuilaepa is a prime mover of the proposed new Polynesian group. Photo: Alex Perrottet / PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By John Andrews for Scoop

New Zealand may be invited to join Pacific Island countries in a ginger group promoting Polynesia’s interests.

For years the idea of a Polynesian-oriented grouping has been debated by Polynesian leaders at the annual Pacific Islands Forum summit. Now a few of them have decided to do something about it.

At the behest of Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, one of the prime movers pushing for the formation of the group, five leaders met privately in the City Life Hotel on the eve of the forum summit in Auckland earlier this month. Read more »

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna .... declares marine park in support of Oceanscape. Photo: Nigel Moffiet / PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Nigel Moffiet

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna has declared almost half of the country’s exclusive economic zone as a marine park to demonstrate his country’s commitment to the Pacific Oceanscape project.

The Pacific Oceanscape, a collaborative initiative between 15 Pacific Island nations within a 38.5 million sq km area, was first proposed by Kiribati President Anote Tong in 2009. It began last year with great support from Pacific leaders.

President Tong said the initiative – which covers issues such as ocean health and security, sustainability, governance, scientific research and investment – is a much needed step to protect the region. Read more »

Aitutaki Lagoon ... fragile ecosystems target for sustainability research. Photo: Cook Islands

Environmental groups gather data on issues including solid waste management, septic tank systems, coral reef health, water quality analysis and farming practices. They are looking for solutions.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Nigel Moffiet

A short educational film, Sky to Sea: The Water Story, has been a bonus outcome for the Cook Islands Lagoon Day. It was shown to local communities and hundreds of school children.

“Wetland’s for healthy islands” was the theme this year – the third year that the event has been held on the main island of Rarotonga.

Along with government departments and local businesses, the event also brought together several environmental groups whose ongoing work is looking to promote sustainability in the islands. Read more »

NZ Prime Minister John Key’s chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum ... under a cloud over criticism of the forum’s accountability and NZ’s development aid policies. Photo: Alexander Winkler/PMC

“If the the forum’s leaders had implemented half the commitments they had made, the Pacific Islands would be the best run countries on earth. Alas, in general, neither is true and the commitments are rarely kept.”  – Dr Roman Grynberg

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alexander Winkler

While New Zealand Prime Minister John Key was talking up the importance of the Pacific Islands Forum this week, an article by a former executive criticising the organisation’s procedures and demanding more accountability from the leaders has caused ripples ahead of next month’s summit in Auckland.

The publication of an article by the forum’s former director of economic governance, Dr Roman Grynberg,  in the latest edition of Fiji-based  Islands Business magazine, has challenged the views of Key in a speech at Auckland University yesterday.

In an address about the Pacific Plan, Key emphasised the importance of sustainable economic development in the Pacific. Read more »

NZ Prime Minister John Key speaking at Auckland University's Fale Pasifika yesterday. Photo: Henry Yamo/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo

Leadership in development, donor coordination and sustainable economic activities in the Pacific are poised to top the agenda at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in Auckland next month.

This was highlighted by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key during his pre-forum 40th anniversary PIF leaders lecture series speech hosted by Auckland University yesterday.

Key said New Zealand would be hosting the 42nd PIF meeting against the backdrop of one of the biggest events in this part of the globe – the Rugby World Cup. Read more »

Pacific seasonal labour ... critically important for New Zealand to prepare for migration. Photo: Devzone

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Taberannang Korauaba

New Zealand needs to plan quickly for the future before population growth problems in neighbouring countries get out of hand, says a leading Pacific demographer.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor Research of AUT University, Professor Richard Bedford, said the problems stemming from population growth were becoming serious in Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

“In Kiribati, of the 100,000 population, 50 percent live in urban Tarawa while in Solomon Islands of its 500, 000 population, 20 percent live in urban areas,’ Dr Bedford said. Read more »

Oxfam launched its GROW campaign for the Pacific in Auckland. Featured in the street theatre are "trader" Tim McPoland and "farmer" Maria Vai. Photo: Glenn Welch

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Yvonne Brill

The Pacific region is at risk of falling victim to a “broken food system” with supplies being hit by environmental crises such as climate change, says Oxfam in a new global campaign.

Barry Coates, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, said there was a growing global crisis in the world’s food system.

This view was supported by evidence from a new report released yesterday in conjunction with the launch of Oxfam’s GROW campaign. Read more »

Cars swept away in dramatic tsunami scenes in Sendai, north-eastern Japan. Photo: RT

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Pacific Media Watch

Many South Pacific countries and territories have lifted tsunami warnings after Japan’s catastrophic 8.9 magnitude earthquake, but Tahiti is still ordering many residents to stay ashore.

The death toll from Friday’s 8.9 magnitude earthquake reached 202 on Saturday in nine prefectures, including Tokyo, with the toll likely to rise to well over 1000 as some areas suffered devastating damage, according to the National Police Agency.

Emergencies were declared at two nuclear power plants crippled by the quake. Read more »

Barbara Dreaver at the MIJT Conference.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Hamish Fletcher.

Although the obstacles facing investigative reporting in the Pacific loom large, it is an essential practice in challenging corruption and injustice in the region, says TVNZ’s Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver.

Speaking at this weekend’s Media, Investigative Journalism and Technology Conference at AUT University, Dreaver stressed the importance of investigative journalism in confronting Pacific “carpetbaggers, scam-artists and questionable deals”. Read more »

All smiles: Cook Islands Party leader Henry Puna (left) and Norman George. Photo: Cook Islands News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – PMC news desk

Democratic Party domination of Cook Islands politics for the past decade has been overturned with a decisive victory by the opposition Cook Islands Party in today’s general election, according to early news agency reports.

CIP leader Henry Puna is expected to head the new government with his party reportedly winning 15 of the Parliament’s 24 seats, according to preliminary results cited by Radio New Zealand International.

Only one of nine women candidates – three of them sitting MPs – appears to have won a seat in Parliament. Read more »