Results for Pacific Islands

The proportion of women in business leadership has mostly remained steady since 2021, in Tonga, where men still hold over four out of every five board director positions, and the number of boards with no women directors at all has increased, from 22% in 2021 to 31% in 2024, according to a new report published by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB’s) Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI).

Tonga is still in progress with preparations for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting to be held on 26 - 30 August, in Nuku'alofa.

A new research on heart health care in New Zealand showed there are many longstanding barriers that continue to affect Pacific and Māori people with heart related conditions, hence a call to action to increase the Pacific and Māori health workforce.

University of Canterbury master’s student Tamara Stratton is transforming her academic research into practical solutions to enhance drinking water quality in Tonga. Stratton's project involves developing and testing bio-sand filters with coral sand from Tonga to determine their effectiveness and practicality.

A workshop for migration administrators, from the Pacific Islands including Tonga, has been held this week from 20-24 May 2024, in Nadi, Fiji, aiming to build the capacity of Pacific government focal points in the design, negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs).

Pacific filmmakers are invited to submit films for the upcoming 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) to be held from 6 - 16 June, in Hawai'i. The announcement was made by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) who are leading the Film and New Media program as part of FestPAC.

Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku met with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, along with the Governor-General of Tuvalu, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The purpose of the meeting was so that Azerbaijan could gather resources, and be familiar with island nations and their voices, as Azerbaijan prepares to host the 2024 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP29).

Australia has allocated to Tonga a total of 150 new Pacific Engagement Visas for 2024, through an online ballot process set to open on 3 June. The Pacific Engagement Visa is a new permanent resident visa for participating countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, with up to 3,000 visas opportunity to be given every year.

The right to good health for all people is more important than ever. Countries in the Western Pacific need to accelerate action towards universal health coverage, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated on World Health Day in April. By 2048, an estimated 21 million people in the Western Pacific are expected to die each year from NCDs, accounting for nine out of 10 deaths in the region. Nearly one in four children over the age of 5 years and nearly two in five adults in the Western Pacific are now overweight or obese.