The
June 25 - July 15, 2025
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Kaselehlie Press
The
June 25, 2025
Free bi-weekly publication
KASELEHLIE PRESS PO Box 2222 Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941
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Vol. 25 Issue No. 14
(691) 320-6547
UN Special Rapporteur urges FSM to promote cultural rights and include marginalized voices By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press June 13, 2025 Pohnpei, FSM—At the conclusion of a two-week country visit to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Dr. Alexandra Xanthaki delivered a frank but constructive statement calling for stronger protection of cultural rights, increased inclusion of marginalized voices—particularly women and youth— and a commitment to uphold human rights as an integral part of cultural identity.
acknowledging the strength of FSM’s cultural heritage, community values, and social cohesion. At the same time, she emphasized that these admirable qualities should not be used to justify practices that exclude certain groups from public life or decision-making. She warned against "romanticizing culture" to the point where it conceals inequality, discrimination, or the erosion of human rights.
Xanthaki, a professor of law with decades of experience in indigenous rights and cultural law, visited all four FSM states during her trip. She praised the openness of government leaders and communities “There is much to admire in Micronesia,” who welcomed her and provided a wide Dr. Xanthaki said early in her address, range of perspectives. “I was invited by
the national government to come, and I am grateful for that,” she said, adding that the access and conversations she had reflected a commitment to dialogue and improvement. Traditional Governance Misunderstandings
and
The Special Rapporteur noted that the FSM’s complex layering of traditional, state, and national systems has created both strengths and tensions. “There seems to be misunderstanding between the state and the national levels of government,” she observed. “The reality Click here for continuation on page 6
Illegal dumping, banned plastics among EPA failures in new compliance audit By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press June 23, 2025 Pohnpei—Pohnpei’s Office of the Public Auditor (POPA) has released a compliance audit on the Pohnpei Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), focusing on its actions regarding solid waste management. Auditors identified four audit exceptions. The audit covered fiscal year 2024.
The last similar audit was conducted jointly by POPA and the National Office of the Public Auditor (ONPA) in 2010. That earlier audit noted:
to jurisdiction, lack of expertise, competing priorities, and no specific projects had been implemented; 3. There were no effective enforcement efforts to ensure proper garbage storage at residential and commercial sites, appropriate methods of transportation, or compliance with EPA regulations on the treatment of hazardous medical waste.
1. It was unclear whether the national Project Management Unit (PMU) for Amended Compact projects or Pohnpei EPA was responsible for ensuring that landfill architectural and engineering design studies were completed; “Our audit follow-up revealed the 2. There were issues related same problems concerning solid waste
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management remain unresolved,” auditors wrote in the current report. “This is due to the lack of corrective action plan(s) in place to show the actions taken to resolve the prior audit findings.” The first finding in the new audit was non-compliance with FSM Public Law No. 21-73, which specifically bans the importation of single-use disposable Click here for continuation on page 4