Issue 2

Welcome to Issue 2, 2025 of Pacific Business Review. This issue comes at a remarkable time for our region as the Pacific Islands celebrate milestones, chart new trade directions and strengthen cooperation in the face of shared challenges.

In these pages, we capture the Pacific’s growing voice on the global stage — from Papua New Guinea’s Golden Jubilee of Independence to new developments in digital trade, infrastructure, and climate resilience. Our stories reflect a region that is not standing still, but actively shaping a more connected, innovative, and sustainable future.

Our coverage begins on page 10, where the Asian Development Bank delivers an upbeat assessment in Pacific Growth Outlook Upgraded as Resource Exports Rise, highlighting stronger prospects for 2025 and 2026. On page 16, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu Lead Regional Push to Decarbonise Shipping charts the course towards a cleaner, more sustainable maritime sector.

By page 22, we shift to New York for UN Launches Pacific Resilience Facility to Fund Climate Adaptation, a major milestone in financing the region’s climate efforts. Then, on page 28, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape calls for deeper Pacific–US trade ties in his international address, reaffirming the importance of partnerships to regional prosperity.

Coverage of the Pacific Infrastructure Conference in Brisbane follows on page 34, exploring new investment commitments and opportunities shaping the region’s future. Finally, our stories on tourism, finance, and agriculture, starting on page 46, spotlight local innovation, resilience, and enterprise across the islands.

As always, we thank you — our readers, partners, and contributors — for your continued trust and support. With your engagement, Pacific Business Review will continue documenting the people, policies, and progress driving the Blue Pacific economy forward.