DPA Publications - S2 2025

In Briefs

Cook Islands–China Relations and Implications for the Pacific
Author(s): Zhang, Denghua, Gorman, Hilary, Tuari‘i, Merita
IB2025/16

The great power competition between China and traditional powers is intensifying in the Pacific region. China is looking for opportunities to increase its engagement with Pacific Island countries, including the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands is a self-governed Pacific Island country in free association with New Zealand (Government of the Cook Islands and Government of New Zealand 2001; Firth 1989). This relationship has continued to evolve and generate tensions, particularly regarding Cook Islands’ sovereignty. It became more complicated after the visit to China by Cook Islands’ Prime Minister Mark Brown in February this year where he held a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and attended the closing ceremony of the Asian Winter Games. This In Brief will discuss the controversies of the visit, perceptions in the Cook Islands of the visit and, briefly, the implications for the Cook Islands and the Pacific region at large.

How Women in the Pacific Perceive and Reduce the Risk of Crime Victimisation
Author(s): Putt, Judy, Kaur, Jasbant, Calabrò, Domenica Gisella, Amin, Sara N., Malungahu, Gemma, Meki, Theresa, Alex, Cathy, Bailey, Rochelle, Watson, Amanda H A
IB2025/17

In criminology, there is a strong body of literature that examines risks of crime victimisation and fear of crime. Conducted primarily in high-income countries and drawing on the analysis of crime and safety surveys, the research shows that fear of crime is often not directly associated with actual risk, and that there are gendered and age dimensions to the risks of victimisation and to fear of crime (e.g. Stanko 1997; Walklate 2017). A pilot study (Putt et al. 2025) conducted in 2024 in five countries in the Pacific region aimed to explore how women perceive their risk in terms of physical and online safety, including financial safety. In this In Brief, we summarise the main themes that emerged from the pilot study in relation to how women seek to protect themselves (and whether this seems to differ from men’s behaviour).

PNG’s Local-level Government Elections: Causes of the Delays
Author(s): Oppermann, Thiago Cintra
IB2025/18

Papua New Guinea is due to return to the polls in 2025 — this time for Local-level Government (LLG) elections. Or at least, this is the ambition. Writs for the election were issued on 24 April. This was against the advice of the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC), which requested a delay for a range of operational reasons. Instead of a delay, a very long campaign period was announced, with polling scheduled to begin on 12 July. Serious procurement and organisational issues identified by the PNGEC would have to be addressed after the issue of writs. This carried risks: all PNG elections are complex, they rarely run smoothly, and LLG elections are in some ways the most complex. There are 6,916 wards in 374 LLGs. Each ward is a separate electoral race, with a total of over 30,000 candidates. In 164 LLGs, the president is elected on the floor of the assembly by the ward members, while in others, there are direct elections and hence different counting procedures and ballot requirements. For 2025, the PNGEC also has to carry out five national by-elections alongside the LLG elections, as well as elections for the 17-member Motu-Koita Assembly (MKA), further complicating preparations.

Mirroring Our Struggles: Nuclear Legacies in Oceania and Central Asia
Author(s): Szadziewski, Henryk
IB2025/19

Semey, in eastern Kazakhstan, is approximately 2,800 kilometres from the nearest ocean. It sits on the West Siberian Plain, and the temperatures in January average around −15 degrees Celsius. Downstream from Semey, along the Irtysh River, which cuts through the city, the plains give way to an arid steppe landscape of grasses and shrubs. The population of Semey is approximately 350,000 and majority Kazakh — a Turkic and predominantly Muslim people — with a significant minority of Russians. A former resident is 19th century novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. There’s little to suggest a connection with the Pacific Ocean, except that Semey, formerly known as Semipalatinsk, was the site of 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989. This nuclear legacy links Kazakhs to I-Kiribati, Mā‘ohi Nui, and Marshallese, whose homelands and oceanscapes the United Kingdom, France, and the United States (US) considered similarly ‘remote’ for the purpose of weapons testing. The unaddressed legacy of testing in Oceania and Central Asia has given way to strong antinuclear movements in both regions — often led by younger persons — seeking colonial states to remediate harmful environmental and health outcomes. This In Brief outlines the bilateral relations between states in Oceania and Central Asia, then moves on to the shared histories of nuclear testing. Lastly, I examine civil society responses in both regions, their alliances, and the broader impact of these connections.

Are Pacific Labour Schemes Creating a Culture of Migration in Vanuatu?
Author(s): Bailey, Rochelle
IB2025/20

Over the last decade, both New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme (RSE) and Australia’s Pacific Australian Labour Mobility scheme (PALM)1 have contributed to the creation of a culture of international migration in Vanuatu. This In Brief examines the concept of a culture of migration, drawing on research into ni-Vanuatu participation in these since 2007, highlighting changes in attitudes towards those participating in these programs. As one of the largest sending nations over the past 18 years, there are lessons to be learned from this Pacific Island nation for other participating countries. Issues include how participation affects community and cultural expectations and obligations, and the potential growth of intergenerational migration.

Between the Lines: Pacific Cultural Adoptions in Australia
Author(s): Tualima, Solamalemalo Hai-Yuean, Fainga‘a-Manusione, Inez, Faleolo, Ruth
IB2025/21

Many Pacific families involved in the adoption process are torn between established Western legal principles and desiring recognition of Pacific ways of being and practices in the Australian system. Balancing Eurocentric legal systems and Pacific customary practice requires consideration of both mechanisms to navigate the best interests of the child. When Western legal frameworks are imposed upon cultural adoptions, without acknowledgement of context, the best interests of the child can be distorted. This In Brief examines Samoan and Tongan adoptions from the points of view of the Samoan and Tongan authors. It does not elaborate on the legal aspects but focuses on Pacific worldviews. Cultural adoption remains a common practice within Pacific families in Australia, reflecting enduring kinship-based caregiving traditions. We aim to provide a ‘snapshot’ of the ‘Pacific Cultural Adoptions Expert Report’ (Fainga‘a-Manu Sione et al. 2024), highlighting the importance of having a Pacific perspective that is conscious of custom and customary law. The report, commissioned by the presiding judge, discusses a case concerning the adoption of a Samoan child to a relative and his Tongan wife in Australia.

Starlink’s Entry into Samoa
Author(s): Watson, Amanda H. A., Fiafaitupe Tuiloma-Lafaele, Ioana Chan Mow, Aleksandar Deejay
IB2025/22

In January 2025, a licence was issued for Starlink to offer internet services in the Pacific nation of Samoa. The announcement followed a year-long period during which government regulation of Starlink received media attention and generated much interest. This In Brief examines Samoan media coverage during the period leading up to the announcement in order to gauge levels of public communication regarding policy shifts in a period of heightened interest. We document the extent to which the public was informed and find that communications could have been more effective.

Records of Pacific Languages: Where Are They and Who Can See Them?
Author(s): Thieberger, Nick
IB2025/23

Australian researchers have a long tradition of working in the Pacific and Papua New Guinea. University-based linguists in particular have been travelling since the 1960s to remote parts of the region to learn some of the nearly 2,000 languages spoken there. Most of these languages continue to be spoken, in defiance of the colonial monolingual enterprise that considers them an impediment to progress. A language may provide a source of identity, but multilingualism, the ability to speak or understand other languages, is normal, and is valued. Despite this value, rising rates of migration and urbanisation are contributing to the decline in use of local languages. This increases the urgency of creating records for future reference, and of preserving existing records where they exist. Since early this century our project, PARADISEC (Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures), has been locating tape recordings made in the region by Australian linguists, musicologists, and anthropologists, but held in Australia. PARADISEC is a collaboration between three Australian universities: the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and The Australian National University. We have been working to find relevant analogue records and to digitise them, putting them into an online system that makes them discoverable, joining increasing numbers of born digital field recordings. Depositors specify what kind of access and use can be made of the materials; we always aim to make items as accessible as possible, but we also use a takedown principle in case we are advised of inappropriate content.

Educational Policies in Vanuatu and New Caledonia: Challenges for Indigenous Languages
Author(s): Pradeau, Coraline
IB2025/24

The world currently faces a significant loss of linguistic diversity. The Pacific region home to nearly 20 per cent of the world’s languages, many of them highly endangered is at the forefront of this challenge. Vanuatu and New Caledonia are two emblematic territories in Melanesia where educational language policies intersect with colonial legacies, political aspirations, and initiatives to safeguard indigenous languages and cultures. There is robust evidence that ensuring every child has access to education in their mother tongue reduces inequalities, fosters inclusion, and improves basic skills such as reading and writing (Hélot and de Mejía 2008). This In Brief examines how schools and universities in Vanuatu and New Caledonia support linguistic diversity despite the complex web of historical legacies and institutional obstacles. The analysis is based on interviews with 31 stakeholders from ministries, curriculum departments, universities, and teacher training institutions in both places (2022–23). This qualitative approach revealed the ideologies, resistances, and aspirations that shape the implementation of language policies.

Assessing PNG Youths’ Knowledge about Mental Health Issues, Substance Abuse, and Gender-Based Violence
Author(s): Zuhukepe, Aileen, Yembinaro, Jameson
IB2025/25

Youth in Papua New Guinea (PNG) face serious challenges including mental health issues, substance abuse, and gender-based violence (GBV). In PNG, 67% of the population is under 35 (National Statistical Office 2021). However, only 10% of young people graduate from recognised tertiary institutions (colleges and universities) and gain employment each year (Napitalai et al. 16/4/2024). Youth crime is increasingly viewed as a major social issue, often linked to unemployment, limited access to higher education, and exposure to drugs, violence, and mental health struggles. Awareness remains a critical first step in addressing these issues. This In Brief presents findings from a larger study assessing youth awareness of mental health, alcohol abuse, and GBV in the National Capital District (NCD).

Establishing and Strengthening a Culture-Sensitive Peacebuilding Strategy for Papua New Guinea
Author(s): Kuman, Gabriel
IB2025/26

This In Brief is adapted from my presentation to a panel with the theme of ‘Dialogues for peace: Is there a need for a national peace strategy?’ at the 2025 PNG Update conference. My response to this question is ‘Yes’. Given the current situation, the intergroup conflicts, crimes, violence, and killings in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have reached epidemic proportions. The presentation was based on my knowledge of local content as a Papua New Guinean. I am the voice of my people, as I am part and parcel of the conflict. As a Papua New Guinean, I realise that one of the root causes of many problems in PNG is culture and the associated beliefs and values. I will discuss the influence of culture and religion, with a special focus on developing and strengthening a culture-sensitive peacebuilding strategy for PNG.

Papua New Guinea’s Borders: A Retrospective
Author(s): Firth, Stewart
IB2025/27

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an ‘artificial state’, that is to say, a state that did not exist either legally or in the minds of people before the arrival of Europeans. The modern country emerged in the 1970s from a long process of the drawing of its borders by foreigners: Dutch, German, British and Australian. The fundamentals of stable nationhood — a strong sense of nationality — were therefore missing at independence and still are.

Disability Equity in Politics and Elections in Solomon Islands
Author(s): Baker, Kerryn, Kelly, Ellenah
IB2025/28

Disability equity is a stated priority area for the Solomon Islands government and its key international development partners, including Australia. Around 16 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women in Solomon Islands live with a disability. Older people and rural residents report higher rates of disability, with the most prevalent disability reported being difficulty seeing (SINSO 2017). People with disabilities face widely acknowledged barriers to accessing education, healthcare and employment (PDF 2018). Less explored, however, is the underrepresentation and underparticipation of citizens with disabilities in politics and elections.

Peacebuilding to Prevent Violence in Papua New Guinea
Author(s): Witne, Bomai D.
IB2025/29

This paper was originally presented to a panel ‘Dialogues for peace: Is there a need for a national peace strategy?’ at the 2025 PNG Update conference held at the University of Papua New Guinea, 21–22 August 2025. While the causes of some conflicts in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are common to other countries, many are shaped by its unique sociocultural and development context. Conflicts range from interpersonal to intergroup violence and civil wars waged with high powered weapons, to conflict associated with climate change refugees and sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV). These conflicts call for active and effective solutions to ensure people and communities are guaranteed peace and freedom. Community initiated peacebuilding in different parts of PNG has met with varying levels of success and differing challenges. These peace initiatives have demonstrated the resilient spirit of local people who are united by a common resolve that violence should never be part of a peaceful and progressive community.

Community Governance and Justice in Solomon Islands Part 1: From Community Officer Pilot to CGGM Project
Author(s): Oakeshott, David, Wiltshire, Colin
IB2025/30

Part 1 of this three-part In Brief series introduces a seven-year project that successfully supported community-level justice in Solomon Islands from 2015 to 2021. It was called the Community Governance and Grievance Management (CGGM) Project, and it sat at the margins of the far larger Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). In contrast to RAMSI, a Honiara-centric state-building mission, the CGGM project focused on rural areas and rural Solomon Islanders’ own desires for local justice. It involved appointing one individual to serve as a Community Officer (CO) in each participating jurisdication, an intervention that resonated strongly with the communities the COs served. In Part 1, we tell the origin story of the project, which is essential to understanding the project’s successes and ongoing challenges, which we take up in Part 2 and Part 3, respectively.

Community Governance and Justice in Solomon Islands Part 2: Signs of Success in the CGGM Project
Author(s): Oakeshott, David, Wiltshire, Colin
IB2025/31

In Part 1 of this three-part In Brief series, we established that the design of the Community Governance and Grievance Management (CGGM) Project met the needs, both historical and contemporary, of rural Solomon Islanders as they saw them. In Part 2, we look more closely at what ‘success’ meant for the the citizens of the 25 jurisdictions that participated in the impact assessment. We show that while citizens in only three of these jurisdictions were near unanimously supportive of the project, there were also notable changes in the local justice situation in participating communities in the other 22 locations, whose citizens showed less enthusiasm for the project.

Community Governance and Justice in Solomon Islands Part 3: Lessons and Areas for Improvement
Author(s): Oakeshott, David, Wiltshire, Colin
IB2025/32

The first two parts of this In Brief series told the story of a model intervention with strong support from the people it was intended to serve. There is no denying that by deploying Community Officers (COs), the Community Governance and Grievance Management (CGGM) Project in Solomon Islands improved most of the local justice systems it engaged with. It was not perfect, however. It was difficult to meet its intention to improve the connections between the key justice actors on the ground and formal government institutions. In the language of the project, these were a community’s ‘vertical linkages’. The project also struggled to fully incorporate women into its operations.
 

Research Reports
 
Women’s Safety in the Pacific Region: A Pilot Study
Author(s): Putt, Judy, Kaur, Jasbant, Calabrò, Domenica Gisella, Amin, Sara N., Malungahu, Gemma, Meki, Theresa, Alex, Cathy, Bailey, Rochelle, Watson, Amanda H A
RR2025

This brief introduction seeks to explain why we embarked on the journey of collaborative research on women’s safety. We agreed that although there is an ever-growing literature on gender-based violence in the Pacific region, there are many spheres of women’s lives that are not being included in such research, nor were women (and men) being asked about their feelings of safety and what it might mean to live in a world free from violence and harm. As a result, we embarked on this joint project — a pilot study — to give substance to and address our disquiet. This introduction gives context by outlining current methodological gaps and the focus on domestic and family violence, before providing an overview of the study and the common threads that emerged across the different chapters in the report.
 

Discussion Papers
 
Voting Methods and Their Distribution in Papua New Guinea
Author(s): Oppermann, Thiago Cintra, Haley, Nicole, Wiltshire, Colin
DP2025/1

In this Discussion Paper, we propose a systematic classification of polling practices in Papua New Guinean national elections, using data gathered by election observers in 2022. Our classification permits a more careful examination of electoral inequality in Papua New Guinea, its geographical distribution and, with the use of data from previous elections, its change over time. It does so by focusing on the mechanical process of voting (or more generally, producing and destroying completed ballots). While there are important limitations both to this data and the proposed classification, they provide a valuable perspective on the geography of subnational political inequality and have a number of important applications in the analysis of Papua New Guinean politics and electoral administration.

From Conflict to Consensus: Land Courts or Village Courts? A Case Study among the Enga of Papua New Guinea
Author(s): Wiessner, Polly, Take Anda Research Team
DP2025/2

The Enga treasure their land as the foundation of subsistence, independence, identity, and pride. Although customary rules for landownership and inheritance exist, historical traditions indicate that land disputes have long arisen between clans, subclans, and even families. Prior to contact with Europeans and colonisation, many disputes were resolved with the guidance of local leaders, while others resulted in wars and migrations. From the late 1940s, the colonial administration explored a variety of ways to tackle land matters but with little success; the challenge persists to this day. After a brief look at the history of land issues, we will address the above question posed by Allen and Giddings by drawing on data from 236 land cases in village courts collected between 2010 and 2025.

 

*Since its inception, DPA has been regularly publishing research and critical commentary on topics of interest to a wide audience of academics, policy-makers and others interested in contemporary Pacific issues. We welcome submissions to our various publication series.