Sunday, May 3, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Pacific Community Wire
Global Community in Busan to Define Sustainable Future for Life Under Water
“As the son of a haenyeo, a traditional Korean female diver, I grew up by the sea, often watching the ocean with my mother. Captivated by the beauty and majesty of the sea, I chose to study marine science and have devoted my entire career to the ocean,” said Do-hyung Kang, Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.
Korea’s Troubled Waters: Traditional Women Divers Protecting an Ocean in Crisis
Ahead of the 10th Our Ocean Conference, with the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action," comes a global call to protect the world's oceans.
Small Island States Put Faith in International Court’s ‘Wayfinding’ Advisory Opinion
The “crazy, weird and at some point (what seemed like) insurmountable” plan to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the obligations of UN member states regarding climate change was a success, Vishal Prasad, a representative for the. Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) said at a post-hearing press conference today (December 13).
‘We Will Not Go Quietly Into the Rising Sea,’ Tuvalu Tells International Court of Justice
Rising sea level caused by greenhouse gas emission-fueled climate change is threatening existence in coastal communities and island nations. At the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on Thursday, December 12, 2024, small island states, including Tuvalu and a Pacific-based fisheries agency detailed their ongoing existential threats caused by the climate change-induced sea level rise and impacts on fishery-based livelihood.
No State Is Truly Independent if It Suffers Significant Injury Without Consequence—Palau
After many decades of colonial rule, Palau was the last country to emerge from the UN Trusteeship. Palau celebrated 30 years of independence in October 2024 “and takes seriously the rights and responsibilities of independence. Independence should mean that Palau is free to build its own future and be responsible for the security, safety, and well-being of its own people,” said Gustav N. Aitaro, the Minister of State of the Republic of Palau at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Pacific Community Calls Out Urgency of Climate Loss and Damage Finance for Frontline Island Nations
Advancing development of the new Climate Loss and Damage Fund was a key call by Pacific Island nations at the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Azerbaijan in November. For Pacific Island Countries and Territories, the fund represents a critical step towards addressing what they consider a gross climate injustice: despite contributing less than 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they bear the brunt of climate change's devastating impacts.
‘For the Human Race, Ignoring the Climate Emergency Is No Longer an Option’
At the International Court of Justice (ICJ), no matter if the country had high Himalayas, was a small island nation or was experiencing armed conflict, they all agreed that the due diligence principle and the obligation of states to prevent harm caused by climate change, especially for high greenhouse gas emitters, were non-negotiable.
Climate Finance Not Charity, But Obligation, International Court of Justice hears
Developing nations should not bear the brunt of the climate crisis caused by the industrialized world's historical emissions. This was the resounding message as the Solomon Islands, India, and Iran, among others, presented their cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
States Individually Accountable For Contributions to Climate Change—Fiji
At The Hague, the United Nation’s highest court heard Fiji, a small island nation, lay out its arguments on the threat posed by climate change and the legal obligations, especially those of developed nations.
Small Island States Urge International Court to Look Beyond Climate Treaties
A few UN member states responsible for the majority of emissions have breached international law, Ralph Regenvanu, a special climate envoy from Vanuatu, told the International Court of Justice in the Hague in his opening address.
Youth-Led Landmark Climate Change Case Starts in The Hague
The intersection of law, diplomacy, and science will come under the spotlight at the International Court of Justice hearings starting today (Monday, December 2, 2024) in The Hague as the court starts its deliberations into the obligations under international law of UN member states to protect people and ecosystems from climate change.
Building Water Security for the Next Generation in the Pacific Territories
The Pacific Islands region is both the frontline of the wrath that climate change is lashing on the environment and human life and the drive for innovation and solutions to stem the destruction and strengthen island environments for the future. The survival of life, even nations, in the Pacific depends on it.
COP 29: High Stakes for Small Islands Fighting for Climate Finance
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are experiencing the most severe impacts of climate change. When leaders of those islands met in Antigua and Barbuda in May, they let the world know that achieving climate justice hinges on comprehensive climate finance.
Using Education To Stop the Generational Cycle of Violence Against Women in the Pacific
Parliamentary representation by women in Pacific Island countries remains stubbornly low at 8.4 percent. Yet women leaders across the region have been meeting every year for the past four decades to discuss goals and drive action to address gender inequality and the most pressing development challenges in the Pacific.
In Tonga the UN Secretary-General Declares a Global Climate Emergency
Three months ahead of the COP29 United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for an emergency response from the international community as new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reveals a critical deterioration in the state of the climate.
UN Secretary General Warns of ‘Brutal’ Impacts of Climate Change for Pacific Islands
UN General Secretary General António Guterres warned of the wide-ranging impacts of climate change on a visit to the Pacific islands of Samoa and Tonga. "(Climate change) spells disaster: wide-ranging and brutal impacts, coming far thicker and faster than we can adapt to them—destroying entire coastal communities,” said Guterres, speaking at a meeting of Pacific Island leaders in Tonga.
Pacific Community Photographic Winners Bring Impacts of Climate Change to Life
The Pacific Community’s photographic competition winners reflect the devastating climate impacts on beautiful and sensitive environments, documenting the most pressing issues the communities who live on the islands face today.
Kanak Political Grievances Are Fed by Deep Inequality in New Caledonia
New Caledonia, a French overseas territory of about 290,000 people in the southwest Pacific, is facing a challenging recovery from weeks of civil unrest that erupted in mid-May, leaving an aftermath of destruction and political turmoil.
Germany’s Climate Envoy Talks Partnerships with SIDS; Urges G20 Nations to Step Up Emissions Reductions
Germany’s State Secretary and Special Envoy on International Climate Action, Jennifer Morgan, has emphasized the need for urgent climate action and called on G20 nations to do more to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The G20 comprises 19 developed and developing nations, the European Union and, since 2023, the African Union. It represents the world’s biggest economies, totaling 85 percent of the global GDP.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Calls for Concrete Finance Commitments for Small Island Developing States
Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland is calling for concrete commitments to climate finance that will acknowledge the multi-dimensional vulnerability faced by the world’s small island developing states (SIDS).
UN, International Partners Coordinate Aid to Papua New Guinea Landslide Disaster
As the communities of Enga province in Papua New Guinea contend with the landslide that has devastated the residents of Yambani, the United Nations and its partners have been active on the ground addressing the immediate humanitarian needs, according to agencies.Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, James Marape, says “extraordinary rainfall” and weather pattern changes were responsible for multiple disasters in the Pacific Island nation this year, including the landslide last Friday.
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Pacific Community Wire
The Pacific region faces devastating effects of climate change, its communities vulnerable to rising sea levels, drought, coastal flooding, changes in rainfall with its associated impacts on the lives and livelihoods of the people who live there.
With an expected rise in temperatures of between 1.4 and 3.7 degrees Celsius and a sea-level rise of 120 to 200cm by 2100, the community will face severe vulnerabilities.
Apart from the high frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones, there is a fear that the changes could affect food production, especially from near-shore marine ecosystems.
The changing geography will come with infrastructure costs, and the many islands in the region could experience large-scale displacement of households due to rising sea levels.
The COVID-19 pandemic added economic distress to the area. The Pacific Community has seen economies in the region shattered by the effects of border closures, internal lockdowns, and international tourism and trade demise.
Despite these threats, the community is actively seeking a secured future through innovative climate-smart practices that combine traditional methods with scientific advancements to mitigate the effects of global warming.
Leaders from the area have been instrumental in shaping climate politics and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Many of the small island developing states in the region have included ambitious mitigation targets in the climate plans – despite having a small footprint. Many communities are turning to climate-smart agricultural and traditional practices they believe will assist the region in adapting to and mitigating global warming.
Inter Press Service (IPS) reporting and publication of opinion editorials highlight the threats and successes of the region.
This collection brings together a broad range of features, opinion pieces and video highlighting the issues in the area.
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