Saving the sea

Australia can uphold the rules-based order of the law of the sea and enhance the ecological security of our oceans by investing in key UN institutional mechanisms to ensure a more sustainable and secure Indo-Pacific region.

Safeguarding Pacific tuna

A transformative US$107 million grant has been secured by Conservation International and the Pacific Community to support 14 Pacific Island countries to safeguard the economic and social benefits they receive from tuna against the impacts of climate change.

Boosting Pacific cyber-security

Australia needs to gather like-minded partners, such as Japan, France and India, to coordinate investment in Pacific cybersecurity and ensure the region is equipped with the necessary tools and expertise to counter the growing sophistication of cyber adversaries.

Debt and democracy in the Solomon Islands

Political strife, corruption and a fast-growing population mean a rocky road may lie ahead for the Solomon Islands.

Open the embassies

The Trump administration should restructure the American diplomatic effort across the Pacific to boost the President’s stated aims of increasing both strategic influence and administrative efficiency.

Pacific security in 2025

2025 will be a big year for Pacific security as Pacific island nations grapple with upcoming elections, disaster recovery, watching the situation in New Caledonia and navigating geopolitical tensions.

Albanese drops the ball on rugby league diplomacy with PNG

Papua New Guinea will have its own team in Australia’s national rugby league competition from 2028, but questions around its finance and implications remain.

Sharing the cake

While strategic alliances appear to offer significant advantages, the tangible impacts for Pacific nations remain negligible, so unless these partnerships are grounded in good faith and genuine sustainable development, the grassroots consequences of geopolitics-as-usual will not change.

The Pacific’s stable instability

Despite the recent dissolution of parliament in Vanuatu and motions of no confidence in Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Solomon Islands, political instability in the Pacific isn’t significantly increasing. It just feels like it.

Shallow promises

Pacific states are turning to deep-sea mining for economic reasons, despite the economic costs ​of​​ oceanic pollution ​associated with ​mining​​ ​in the long-term.

Stirring the mud

Conflicting interests and geopolitical competition are complicating proposals for deep sea mining in the Pacific.

Small is beautiful for China

Australia’s efforts to curry favour in the Pacific by investing in smaller projects and firms are already facing competition from China.