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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
    Seychelles launches new project to strengthen disaster response systems
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 14, 2025

    Seychelles launches new project to strengthen disaster response systems

    On Friday 4th July 2025, the Government of Seychelles, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), officially launched the Tailored Integrated Approach for Early Warning Systems (TIAEWS SYC) project to enhance the country’s disaster preparedness and response. A symbolic signing ceremony marked the launch, with the Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr Errol Fonseka, the Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, H.E. Lin Nan, and the Resident Representative for Mauritius Seychelles, Ms Amanda Serumaga, formally endorsing the project. The event was attended by several senior officials, including the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment; the Principal Secretary for Environment; and the CEO of Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD) and other partners in disaster management.

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    Antigua and Barbuda renews call for stronger air connectivity between Africa and Caribbean
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 14, 2025

    Antigua and Barbuda renews call for stronger air connectivity between Africa and Caribbean

    MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica–The government of Antigua and Barbuda has renewed its call for the establishment of direct air links between the Caribbean and the African continent, urging fellow Caribbean Community CARICOM Member States to collectively support this transformative initiative at the upcoming Second Africa-CARICOM Summit, scheduled for September 7, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Speaking during the final plenary session of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Prime Minister Gaston Browne underscored the immense potential for enhanced collaboration and economic partnerships between Africa and the Caribbean. “There are tremendous opportunities for our region to deepen cooperation with Africa – particularly in trade, e-commerce, agriculture and sports. But most critically, the establishment of direct air links will serve as the catalyst for unlocking these possibilities,” Prime Minister Browne stated.

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    African and Pacific delegations air “big concerns” over COP30 accommodation
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 7, 2025

    African and Pacific delegations air “big concerns” over COP30 accommodation

    **Photo credit:** [Climate Change News](https://cdn.climatechangenews.com/files/2025/07/2025-03-28T103058Z_1592182540_RC2AOCAGSUCW_RTRMADP_3_CLIMATE-COP30-BRAZIL-HOTELS-1440x960.jpg) via REUTERS / Adriano Machado With less than five months to go until COP30 kicks off in the Amazon city of Belém, African and Pacific island nations have told the Brazilian government they are worried that the sky-high cost of lodgings could compromise their participation in the UN climate talks in November. Speaking at a press conference last week in Bonn, where countries gathered for mid-year talks, Richard Muyungi, chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), said the issue of accommodation in Belém was causing “big concerns” for several delegations, including some countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. “I have written a letter to the COP presidency expressing our concerns. We have had discussions with the COP presidency with the assurance that they are going to look at how they can accommodate our concerns,” said the Tanzanian negotiator. Ilana Seid, chair of the AOSIS group of small island states, said in a statement that their representatives -who are already facing travel challenges – “have not received firm solutions to address the issue of astronomical costs of the already limited accommodation options”.

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    Saint Martin environmental NGOs sign cross-border conservation partnership
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 7, 2025

    Saint Martin environmental NGOs sign cross-border conservation partnership

    Two leading environmental NGOs on the island of Saint Martin have signed a landmark agreement to enhance cross-border conservation efforts. The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten (NFSXM) and l’Association de Gestion de la Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin (AGRNSM) are thrilled to announce the long-anticipated signature of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their organizations. Though signed internally in March, the formal agreement was publicly celebrated at a ceremony held at the Great Salt Pond’s birding platform on the morning of June 30, 2025. The official partnership allows for systematic, long-term collaboration between the two principal nature reserve managers on Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin. The organizations can now easily share human resources, exchange critical data, and carry out scientific research and educational programming together.

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    Tuvalu’s traditional development partners and allies: are they doing enough?
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 1, 2025

    Tuvalu’s traditional development partners and allies: are they doing enough?

    Photo credit: Talofa Studio / [Devpolicy.org](https://devpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tuvalu_Boats-e1749640578122.jpg) Tuvalu, a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, faces unique challenges as it strives for economic development and sustainability. With a population of [almost 10,000](https://stats.gov.tv/) and a land area of about 26 square kilometres, its geographic isolation and modest size limit traditional avenues for growth. Despite these constraints, Tuvalu possesses a vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) spanning [nearly a million square kilometres](https://pacific.un.org/en/about/tuvalu) rich with marine resources that could serve as a cornerstone for economic progress. The nation’s traditional development partners and allies, such as Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, have provided support over many years. The recent and unique [Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty](https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/tuvalu/australia-tuvalu-falepili-union) is an example of a partnership that is much needed by Tuvalu. But questions linger about whether the efforts of Tuvalu’s partners and allies are sufficient to unlock the island’s potential, especially in critical industries like fisheries. In the Falepili Union Treaty, under component four, “Uplifting Our Partnership”, the sectors listed are telecommunications, education, fiscal support, connectivity and health. That leaves out Tuvalu’s biggest revenue generator and asset.

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    Partnerships between midwives from Australia and Papua New Guinea help to improve infant and maternal outcomes
    Policy & GovernanceJuly 1, 2025

    Partnerships between midwives from Australia and Papua New Guinea help to improve infant and maternal outcomes

    Image source: [International Confederation of Midwives](https://internationalmidwives.org/wp-content/uploads/20250408_PG_015-750x500.jpg) Although they are close neighbours, the experience of pregnancy and birth for women in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is vastly different from Australia.  In PNG there are numerous barriers to accessing quality maternity care and this results in a high rate of preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. In April this year, seven Australian midwives visited PNG to collaborate with local midwives as part of the PNG Midwifery Leadership Buddy Program (Buddy Program). The aim of the program is to build leadership skills so that midwives have the confidence to drive initiatives that will result in better health outcomes. The Buddy Program is funded and managed by the Rotary Club of Morialta (South Australia) and The Rotary Club of Port Moresby (PNG), in partnership with PNG Midwifery Society and the Australian College of Midwives.

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    Who will finance global climate solutions? Not the West
    Policy & GovernanceJune 24, 2025

    Who will finance global climate solutions? Not the West

    Image credit: Wagner Meier / Getty Images via [Grist](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GettyImages-2185449733.jpg?quality=75&strip=all) International climate action has long rested on the consequential distinction between the Global North and the Global South. Wealthier, earlier-to-industrialize nations contributed the most to a warming planet while developing countries bear the brunt of the climate crisis. As a result, developed countries have been called on to help developing nations reduce their carbon emissions and adapt to climate change by providing financial assistance, technology, and other resources. This essential premise has been embedded in various climate agreements signed since the 1990s, including the most recent pact inked at the 29th Conference of Parties, or COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, late last year. There, wealthy countries agreed to provide $300 billion per year to developing nations by 2035.

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    Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: The French Southern and Antarctic Lands
    Policy & GovernanceJune 24, 2025

    Reframing the French Indo-Pacific: The French Southern and Antarctic Lands

    As Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his visits to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore – where he delivered the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue at the end of May – the French president reaffirmed the Indo-Pacific’s strategic importance for both France and Europe. In a context of growing geopolitical uncertainty and renewed unilateralism, Macron emphasized France’s commitment to a stable, multipolar order grounded in international law, freedom of navigation, and inclusive multilateralism – an international posture shared with key partners such as India, Japan, and ASEAN. Building on this common strategic vision, and as the only remaining European Union (EU) member state with sovereign territories in the Indo-Pacific, France seeks to position its diplomacy not only as a national actor but also as a standard-bearer for European engagement in the region. The exercise of sovereignty is precisely what underpins France’s specificity and credibility as a resident power. The French Indo-Pacific overseas collectivities (FIPOCs) – La Réunion, Mayotte, les TAAF (or South Antarctic Lands), New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, and Clipperton – which together have a population of 1.65 million inhabitants, play a central role in the construction and elaboration of a [credible strategy.](https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/en_dcp_a4_indopacifique_022022_v1-4_web_cle878143.pdf)

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    Tyler Oroanu is set to amplify young voices in New Zealand Youth Parliament
    Policy & GovernanceJune 16, 2025

    Tyler Oroanu is set to amplify young voices in New Zealand Youth Parliament

    Photo: Supplied via PMN ([pmn.co.nz](https://pmn.co.nz)) In less than a month, over 150 young people from across New Zealand will gather in Wellington for Youth Parliament, and Tyler Oroanu will be among them. He will represent Labour MP Jenny Salesa at the two-day event in Parliament. Speaking on Pacific Mornings, Oroanu shares that his passion for politics developed during the Covid-19 lockdown. “I’ve always been like an eternal politics nerd,” Oroanu says. “There were quite a few people encouraging me to put my hand up when applications came around for Youth Parliament. I wasn’t convinced I was going to get it.” Oroanu is driven to represent the voices of young people, particularly Pacific youth from his home community of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu. “My opinion has always been that if I’m not going to do it, I don’t know who else will.”

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