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© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

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    Showing 9 of 254 news items in Policy & Governance
    'United we stand, divided we fall:' Pacific island nations urged to create collective seabed regulations
    Policy & GovernanceJanuary 7, 2026

    'United we stand, divided we fall:' Pacific island nations urged to create collective seabed regulations

    Excerpt from pacificislandtimes.com Recognizing that the march toward the use of seabed resources is nearly unstoppable at this point, a new paper urges Pacific island nations to create a “underwater constitution” to regulate resource extraction, safeguard their sovereignty and ensure that these countries share in the ocean’s riches. The policy paper, titled “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” argues for a practical approach in the face of a rush for the Pacific seabed—a Pacific Seabed Stewardship Statement — to help countries agree on shared principles and guide future cooperation on sustainable seabed development.

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    The Transition from Small Island Developing States to Large Ocean States: The Promise and Problems in Pursuing the Blue Economy
    Policy & GovernanceJanuary 7, 2026

    The Transition from Small Island Developing States to Large Ocean States: The Promise and Problems in Pursuing the Blue Economy

    Excerpt and Photo Credit: saisreview.sais.jhu.edu The earliest formal designation of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a distinct group of developing countries with their own set of specific challenges occurred in 1992 at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is commonly referred to as the Earth Summit. There, the UN recognized the sustainable development challenges facing SIDS and the need to implement programs and measures to support them. Preceding the conference, small island states established the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Comprising nearly 20% of UN membership, the AOSIS provides SIDS a platform to pursue collective goals. They used this entity to lobby for the first UN conference devoted exclusively to SIDS in 1994 in Barbados, with the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. Since then, the UN has continued to focus attention on these countries as a “special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities,” with its most recent conference on SIDS taking place in May 2024 on St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.

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    Nauru moves to change its name in break from colonial past
    Policy & GovernanceMay 21, 2026

    Nauru moves to change its name in break from colonial past

    Excerpt and Photo credit: dw.com The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru will hold a referendum over a government decision to change its official name. The Nauruan parliament on Tuesday passed a constitutional amendment to rename the country "Naoero," New Zealand broadcaster RNZ reported, as the government looks to shed what it sees as a relic from the tiny nation's colonial past. The referendum is required to validate the constitutional change. President David Adeang first tabled the proposal in January.

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    Canada’s Arctic security depends on more than defence — here’s how immigration could help
    Policy & GovernanceMay 21, 2026

    Canada’s Arctic security depends on more than defence — here’s how immigration could help

    Excerpt from news.mongabay.com As winter comes to the Canadian Arctic, muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) abandon the valleys and head to higher ground, where winds sweep away the snow. That’s where we go to find them, Allen Niptanatiak, chairman of the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization, tells Mongabay in a video call. The Inuit harvesters focus on culling the younger cows and bulls, leaving the breeding animals alone. It takes a couple hours to skin, butcher and load up the sleds, the older and younger generations working together in -30° Celsius to -35°C (-22° Fahrenheit to -35°F), weather that is “just perfect,” says Niptanatiak, an Inuk hunter and trapper from Nunavut, who is also a retired conservation officer. “Then we eat and have a big meal and just enjoy it and talk and say, ‘Oh, this is a blessing,’” he says. Muskoxen are an integral part of Arctic ecology and, with their thick shaggy coats, are synonymous with the Far North. Nearly driven to extinction by commercial hunting in the early 1900s, surviving in just a few pockets in Canada, they began to recover following a 1917 hunting ban. By the 1990s, the Canadian population was estimated at 108,600. About 70% of the Canadian population was on Victoria and Banks islands, in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago — large islands with a combined area of nearly 290,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles), about the size of Italy.

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    Greenland and the New Frontier of Eco-Geopolitics
    Policy & GovernanceMay 12, 2026

    Greenland and the New Frontier of Eco-Geopolitics

    Excerpt from fairobserver.com As the Arctic ice diminishes, Greenland evolves from a “peripheral” region to a focal point in international affairs. It is progressively recognized as a contested area of strategic significance. Previously an inaccessible, icy territory, Greenland now holds a central role in the security considerations of Washington, Brussels, Beijing and Moscow.  Greenland is not just entering global politics — it is reshaping it. Greenland’s rising geopolitical significance Beneath its ice lie vital minerals indispensable to tech-driven economic development and defense infrastructures. Concurrently, Arctic thawing offers potentially new maritime routes, military corridors and other strategic advantages. For the US, reducing dependence on China’s dominance in rare-earth processing has become a national security priority. For China, the Arctic represents an extension of its “Polar Silk Road,” a space for future trade and influence. Russia, meanwhile, is expanding its Arctic military capabilities and seeking control over northern sea routes. For NATO member countries on both sides of the Atlantic, the Arctic has been a vital military buffer since the Second World War.

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    ‘Floating University’ sets sail again
    Policy & GovernanceMay 7, 2026

    ‘Floating University’ sets sail again

    Excerpt from EurekAlert.org Photo credit: Barbara Dombrowski via EurekAlert.org A total of 2,840 nautical miles lie ahead of the 14 Master’s students in the West African Master’s programme ‘Climate Change and Marine Sciences’. Tomorrow they will set off on expedition PS154/2 aboard the research vessel POLARSTERN, travelling from Mindelo, Cabo Verde, to Bremerhaven, Germany. This is their first voyage on a research vessel. While on board, they will conduct research in close collaboration with ten experienced scientists, learning how to operate scientific instruments such as the rosette water sampler and filtration systems. Following their arrival in Germany, many of the students will continue with a research stay at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, where they will further develop their scientific projects.

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    How Caribbean States Became Climate Mobility Policy Innovators
    Policy & GovernanceMay 7, 2026

    How Caribbean States Became Climate Mobility Policy Innovators

    Photo credit: Marica van der Meer / Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images / CarnegieEndowment.org Excerpt from CarnegieEndowment.org In a world increasingly dominated by narratives about the importance of border security and restrictive migration policies, regional integration models such as that of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) offer a contrasting vision—one that views human mobility as a driver of economic growth, social development, and shared prosperity. Across many parts of the world, free movement agreements (FMAs) have become central to regional integration, enabling citizens to enter, work, and even settle in participating states. FMAs are provisions typically included in bilateral or multilateral economic trade and integration schemes, and over the past few decades, they have become standard policy tools through which states regulate cross-border movement with relative ease. While the European Union’s Schengen Area is world-renowned and remains the most well-known example, FMAs are far from limited to Europe. Since the 1985 Schengen Agreement, regional and subregional integration initiatives containing free movement provisions have grown significantly, now involving over 110 states. The legal instruments underpinning such provisions have grown exponentially, and the rights they guarantee have also expanded accordingly. Today, FMAs are an important tool for enabling safe, orderly, and regular migration.

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    UN Climate Resolution Carries Major Importance for Mauritius and Vulnerable Island Nations
    Policy & GovernanceApril 6, 2026

    UN Climate Resolution Carries Major Importance for Mauritius and Vulnerable Island Nations

    Excerpt and Photo from [lexpress.mu](https://lexpress.mu/s/un-climate-resolution-carries-major-importance-for-mauritius-and-vulnerable-island-nations-558461) A landmark resolution adopted on the 20th of May by the United Nations General Assembly is being qualified as a major turning point in the global fight against climate change particularly for vulnerable island nations such as Mauritius. The resolution, adopted with overwhelming international support, received 141 votes in favour, including the vote of Mauritius. The strong backing reflects growing recognition that climate change is no longer only an environmental issue, but also a matter of international law, justice, accountability, and human rights. The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, described the resolution as “a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice and science”, stressing that countries can no longer ignore the escalating dangers posed by climate change. The resolution comes at a particularly significant moment following a landmark advisory opinion delivered in July 2025 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial body of the United Nations. In the said historic ruling, the Court declared that States have obligations under international law to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions and environmental harm. The decision was widely welcomed across the world, with Secretary General Guterres describing it as “a victory for our planet”. Importantly, the ICJ also stated that where States fail to meet these obligations, they may be held legally responsible. Countries breaching their environmental duties may be required to stop the harmful conduct, guarantee that such actions will not be repeated, and in some circumstances provide reparations for the damage caused. For Mauritius, these developments carry particular importance. As a Small Island Developing State, Mauritius contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it remains highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, coastal erosions, stronger cyclones, flash floods, coral bleaching, biodiversity loss, and changing rainfall patterns already pose serious risks to the country’s environment, economy, and population.

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    Brakes on Santorini’s Urban Sprawl
    Policy & GovernanceDecember 8, 2025

    Brakes on Santorini’s Urban Sprawl

    Excerpt from greekcitytimes.com In a bold move to safeguard one of Greece’s most iconic destinations, the Environment Ministry is finalizing a groundbreaking urban plan for Santorini. Set to be reviewed by the Council of State—marking the first such zoning proposal to reach the nation’s highest court—the initiative aims to shield the island’s stunning volcanic landscapes from unchecked development. Santorini, celebrated for its dramatic caldera views and whitewashed cliffs, has faced mounting pressure from decades of rampant building and surging tourism. This special plan prioritizes environmental preservation and curbs the unchecked growth of visitor infrastructure, ensuring the island’s natural allure endures for future generations.

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