Pacific Engagement Visa update: New Zealand’s Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) is moving faster than earlier cohorts, with 1,953 PEV visas granted between July 2025 and March 2026 and a 69% success rate for the 2024-25 cohort by end of March—suggesting the 2025-26 cohort could approach near-full success. Sovereignty and identity: Nauru’s parliament has passed a proposal for a referendum to formally adopt “Naoero,” reviving the indigenous name as a “return” rather than a break. Nauru Agreement fisheries: Ministers from PNA member states met in Majuro for the 21st Parties to the Nauru Agreement Ministerial meeting, backing progress on tuna management and endorsing a tuna value-chain development framework. Regional security diplomacy: Australia and Vanuatu signed the Nakamal Agreement after months of negotiation, with Vanuatu agreeing no foreign military bases or militarisation of critical infrastructure—while dropping tighter limits on third-party investment and shifting to consultation. China-Peacekeeping tension: China’s police rotation in Port Vila continues even as Vanuatu locks in the “no foreign military base” terms, underscoring the grey zone between policing and military presence. Human rights pressure on offshore policy: A UN report says Australia remains responsible for asylum seekers sent to Nauru, rejecting the idea that obligations can be avoided by contracting out. Seabed governance challenge: Nauru-sponsored NORI and Tonga’s TOML have filed cases against the International Seabed Authority over due process and transparency in its compliance inquiry. Public health spotlight: A global ranking places Nauru at the top for obesity rates, with WHO estimates showing extremely high overweight/obesity levels.