Please note that this is a hybrid event. For online attendance please sign up to obtain the Zoom link. Access link will be delivered via email upon registration.

As the Pacific region faces rapid transformation, from climate impacts and labour mobility to new regional agreements and security dynamics, Vanuatu’s national broadcaster — the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) — is convening a Press Klab Blong Vanuatu in Canberra to spark informed, critical discussion.

Held on 27 October 2025, and delivered in partnership with the Pacific Research Program (Phase 2), this event will bring together policymakers, academics, and journalists to explore Pacific-led approaches to key regional issues. The discussion will centre on four themes: labour mobility and development; the Nakamal Agreement and regional cooperation; Pacific-led security frameworks; and Vanuatu’s leadership on climate advocacy ahead of COP31.

Moderated by Pacific journalist Leah Lowonbu, the two-hour session will feature perspectives from Pacific and Australian experts. Together, they will examine how the region can shape its own narrative on security, sovereignty, and resilience while strengthening people-to-people and media linkages between Vanuatu, Australia, and the wider Pacific. The event will engage regional audiences and promote dialogue on the future of Pacific cooperation.

Speakers

Vanuatu’s High Commissioner to Australia, H.E. Samson Vilvil Fare, has extensive experience in diplomacy, natural resources, and climate policy. Before his posting to Australia, he served as Technical Expert for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, overseeing global food security programs for SIDS.

Anna Naupa is a ni-Vanuatu PhD candidate at ANU’s School of Culture, History and Language. With over fifteen years of regional policy experience, she has held senior roles with the Pacific Fusion Centre, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and UN ESCAP, focusing on Pacific diplomacy, statecraft, and cultural security.

James Batley is a Distinguished Policy Fellow in the Department of Pacific Affairs at ANU. A former Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Fiji, he has led major regional initiatives including the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and brings decades of diplomatic experience across the Pacific.

Dr Bal Kama is a legal practitioner and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra. His research focuses on Pacific constitutional law and governance, and his recent book, Rethinking Judicial Power in Papua New Guinea (2025), examines the judiciary’s evolving role in Pacific societies.

Photo: Nikiatu Kuautonga

Contact the host of Navigating Security, Mobility and Climate in a Shifting Region