University of the South Pacific (USP) pro-chancellor and chair of council, Siosiua ‘Utoikamanu emphasised the urgent challenges facing the Pacific region during the Leaders Dialogue with CROP session at the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting yesterday.
He identified climate change, the increase of non-communicable diseases, and ongoing inequality as the key obstacles confronting Pacific nations.
“Emerging technologies are also reshaping our world,” Mr ‘Utoikamanu said.
“Artificial intelligence, in particular, will transform how we learn, work, and govern.
“We must adapt and shape how they are used in ways that reflect our cultures, our values, and our sovereignty.”
He said the ambitious 2050 vision for our Blue Pacific Continent already imagined a different future.
“But imagination alone is not enough. It must now be matched by resolve – by a willingness to reshape our institutions and confront the risks of fragmentation.”
Mr ‘Utoikamanu also stated education was a public good and must be made more affordable and accessible.
“We do not lack talent in the Pacific — talent is everywhere.
“But across our region, there are 1.86 million young people aged 15 to 24, and less than 5 per cent of them are estimated to be engaged in formal tertiary education.
“The challenge before us is to build the bridge between this vast ocean of talent and the opportunities that can unlock it, so that the next mind to cure disease, engineer climate resilience, or design a governance model for our region is not lost to circumstance but empowered to rise.”
In reaffirming the university’s role as a unifying force for the region, Mr ‘Utoikamanu emphasised the importance of a shared vision and collective responsibility for the Pacific’s future.
“Our vision for the Pacific must be as bold as our potential. That must be our spirit.
“Our unity is our strength, and our future depends on it.
“Of the Pacific, for the Pacific, by the Pacific – this is how we protect our collective vision so that our priorities are set by us, not for us.”
The Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) included USP, PIF and The Pacific Community (SPC), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP), Pacific Power Association (PPA), Pacific Aviation Safety Office and the Forum Fisheries Agency.
The week-long leaders’ meeting is held in the Solomon Islands.
