By Harriet Smith, an intern with the Lowy Institute's Melanesia Program.
- The outcomes document from the 2016 GE Aus-PNG Emerging Leaders Dialogue is now available on the Aus-PNG Network website. You can view a photo essay of the Dialogue here.
- Human Rights Watch has released its World Report for 2017, which highlights Papua New Guinea's failure to adequately address a number of human rights violations. Read the full chapter on Papua New Guinea here.
- With the PNG national election mid-year and Rugby League World Cup matches in Port Moresby later in 2017, politics and sport will dominate life in that nation this year. Get the full lowdown in this interview with the Lowy Institute's Jonathan Pryke on the ABC's Pacific Beat.
- Still in Papua New Guinea, this Devpolicy blog post explores delays in school funding. The problems with the O’Neill government’s flagship Tuition Fee Free (TFF) policy have prompted some to wonder if this fourth attempt at free education will go the same way as the previous failures.
- The Solomon Islands government is expanding its urban agenda to address the rapidly growing informal settlements in Honiara caused by high land and housing costs.
- Activist and PhD candidate Jane Alver believes 'coalitions across diversity' are one way to progress gender equality in the Pacific. Read here how she saw these playing out at the inaugural Pacific Feminist Forum in Suva, Fiji, last year.
- In the World Bank’s Pacific Possible campaign, one of Fiji’s youngest leaders, Latileta Qoro, explains how greater gender equality can help end poverty in Fiji.
- Latileta attended the 2015 Melanesia New Voices conference, from which an outcomes document was published by the Lowy Institute.
Main photo of PNG school students courtesy of Flickr user Asian Development Bank
