Results for Pacific Islands

UPDATE: A tropical cyclone alert and strong wind warning remains in force for Vava‘u and Ha‘apai as a tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Ian Category 1, located halfway between Vava‘u, Tonga, and Lifuka, Fiji, this morning. Tonga's Fua’amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre issued a third Tropical Cyclone Advisory at 4:30pm today, January 6, 2014 as Cyclone Ian slowly moves closer to Tonga.

The rescheduling of Tonga's T$119 million loan from China for the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa has not been decided, according to Xu Zhiguang, the first Secretary of the Chinese Embassy, Nuku'alofa this afternoon, December 3.

The World Bank has announced that it has setup a US$5 million support operation to aid Tonga’s recovering economy.

Tonga’s former Attorney General John Cauchi accepted that the Government of Tonga had created circumstances that forced him to resign, which was the basis of his evidence in chief given at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa, on Wednesday November 20.

A more targeted and mutually accountable Regional Partnership that clearly sets out the specific areas of the Republic of Korea's assistance was agreed upon during a 2nd Korea-Pacific Islands Senior Officials Meeting held in Seoul this week.

The power distribution network of villages in Tongatapu will be upgraded in the continuation of a Tonga Village Network Upgrade Project funded by New Zealand with $32 million pa’anga, its single biggest energy commitment in the Pacific to date.

The new Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme, Haoliang Xu, says it is time to have an honest dialogue with some of its government partners so that they see UNDP, not as a donor, but rather as a trusted development partner: “If we don’t find a breakthrough in this regard, UNDP’s potential to add value to their national development agenda cannot be fully materialized.”

This week’s Pacific Islands Forum focuses on: “Marshalling a Pacific Response to Climate Change” when the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum will propose the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership, to galvanize a new wave of climate action. At this critical time in the history of the Pacific, it is essential the discussion goes beyond words and pledges and results in concrete actions and commitments, from all actors, to combat climate change. - World Bank Group.

The New Zealand Government stepped up its travel advisory for visitors to Tonga, as the MA-60 aircraft, operated by REAL Tonga started commercial passenger flights to Vava‘u on Saturday August 10.