Rather than another grand initiative for the Pacific, Scott Morrison should join up policy at home for deeper relations.

Pacific leaders are openly despairing of Australia’s climate change policy and markedly differ on security priorities.

RAMSI had no mandate to work on political reform and too few Solomon Islands MPs were interested in using the opportunity to push for much-needed changes in the political system.

There are few topics that divide and unite as much as gender equality. That much is already clear from our (still live) Lowy Institute survey on gender diversity in Australian international relations. Perhaps this is because everybody, in different ways, is a key stakeholder. Our opinions and

Last weekend Fiji's police force arrested six prominent opponents of the ruling party. Their alleged crime was breaching the Public Order Act by making remarks about the constitution at a conference convened by Pacific Dialogue, an NGO, on Fiji's Constitution Day. The arrests were nothing short of a

The images on our television screens last week of police firing live rounds into a crowd of students at the University of Papua New Guinea and injured students being carried into hospital were profoundly shocking. Even for seasoned observers, used to disturbing images coming out of Papua New Guinea

For the last three years, the Lowy Institute's Melanesia Program has hosted the Australia-PNG Emerging Leaders Dialogue under the auspices of the Australia-PNG Network, with the generous support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and also of GE  I’ve been privileged to

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, gave an address at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday. The Prime Minister's address was a great opportunity to spur more awareness of Papua New Guinea, but the Prime Minister did not fully embrace it.  Prime Minister O'Neill's speech was

This editorial in The Age of 4 January argues the Australian government has sacrificed the promotion of good governance in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in order to sustain its asylum seeker policy, at a cost to local populations and Australia's international reputation. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'

The Lowy Institute, with the support of GE and the DFAT-sponsored Australia-PNG Network, is hosting the Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue this week. The Dialogue, which seeks to develop deeper, people-to-people relations between Australia and its nearest neighbour, takes place at

The PNG government brought down the 2016 budget this week, which drew the government back from the edge of a fiscal crisis. Jonathan Pryke provided his immediate reaction to the ABC, and will provide more in depth analysis in the coming days. Australia’s minister for the Pacific and international

The saga over bribery and pardons in Vanuatu has brought out the worst and the best in the Pacific island nation's political-legal class. Vanuatu's Supreme Court found 14 members of parliament guilty of the criminal charge of bribery on 9 October. Later that day, in flagrant disregard for the

John Garnaut continued his commentary on PNG's looming fiscal crisis, while Liam Cochrane revealed some questionable expenditure items in the recent Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The PNG Advantage investment summit will take place on 27 and 28 August. Journalist Ellen Whinnett documents

Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers are meeting in Sydney this week but may struggle for the spotlight as regional attention is focused on the Pacific Games, being hosted by Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby hosted a stunning opening ceremony on 4 July. It was one of several events this year

ABC's 7.30 program revealed this week that Nauru's President and Justice Minister are implicated in allegations of bribery.  Prime Minister Natuman is confident his government is secure despite the motion of no confidence lodged in parliament last week. The motion will be debated tomorrow. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping is traveling to Fiji following the G20 summit to meet with Pacific Island leaders. Philippa Brant was interviewed on Pacific Beat about what this might mean for Chinese aid to the region.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be visiting Fiji to meet with

After eight years of Voreqe Bainimarama's military rule in Fiji, there is much excitement about the prospects for Fiji's return to democracy with elections next week. Seven parties and one independent candidate will contest 50 parliamentary seats. 591,095 Fijians have registered to vote; 120,000

Pacific Island leaders will meet at the annual Pacific Islands Forum meeting next week in Palau. Prime Minister Abbott has cancelled his travel plans in order to focus on the response to the MH17 disaster and is sending Deputy Prime Minister Truss in his stead. Pacific leaders will be disappointed

The Lowy Institute's Melanesia Program convened its second PNG New Voices conference in Port Moresby yesterday. We assembled a group of interesting and passionate young people with strong views about the future of their country. They spoke on a range of topics across three key themes: Papua New