Journalist Nic Maclellan, correspondent for Inside Story and Islands Business Magazine, gives a comprehensive update about the Pacific region.

In this interview, Nic and Amy discuss a range of issues including the independence movement in Kanaky/New Caledonia, the mixed reactions to the AUKUS agreement and the presence of weapons-grade uranium in US-built submarines, and The Quad (the diplomatic grouping of India, Japan, Australia and the USA whose existence has been widely seen as seeking to minimise China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific) who just announced a new Port to be built in Fiji. Nic also outlines the consequences of oil shortages and insecurity for Pacific economies and the daily lives of peoples who live in the Pacific Islands.

With World Oceans Day coming up on June 8, Nic explains the core issues — including climate change, decolonisation, and nuclear disarmament — that will be addressed at the Oceans Forum to be hosted by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) in Fiji.

Nic also reflects on the significance of the UN General Assembly’s historic vote to enact the ICJ’s ruling that states must act on climate change. Plus, the 80th anniversary of the first instances of nuclear testing in the Pacific is on July 1st; Nic explains what the ongoing consequences of nuclear testing are and what might be achieved in the commemorations for the people and environments harmed by the tests.