French Polynesia has highest Covid-19 cases in the Pacific

French Polynesia continues to have the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the Pacific, with the current total recorded at 18,060 according to figures published by the Pacific Data Hub. As of January, 131 people have died in French Polynesia from Covid-19.

Islands apart: Competing campaigns risk Pacific consensus for top job – The Interpreter

Next Wednesday, 3 February, leaders from 18 Pacific states and territories will convene online for a Pacific Islands Forum “Special” Leaders Retreat. The agenda is a brief one – to appoint a new Secretary General of the Forum to replace the formidable Dame Meg Taylor, whose six-year tenure expired in January.

The role is one of the most coveted and important positions in the Pacific. The Secretary General is both the chief bureaucrat and diplomat, with oversight spanning across all Pacific regional organisations as Chair of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific. The Secretary General has responsibility for both enhancing Pacific regionalism and advocating for the Pacific on a global stage, reporting directly to the leaders of Forum members, and is also entitled to a seat at the table during regional negotiations.