Welcome Remarks by Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Senior Officials Meeting, Lume Polume
Chief Executive Officer · PNG National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA)
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
22nd July 2026
Excellencies, Senior Officials, distinguished delegates, partners, and colleagues, Welkam and Gudpela monin!
• On behalf of the Government of Papua New Guinea, it is my honour to welcome you all to Port Moresby for this Forum ICT Senior Officials Meeting, and to thank Senior Officials and Member representatives for your presence, participation, and continued commitment to advancing our shared regional priorities.
• Before we begin our formal discussions, and in keeping with established Pacific convention, I would like to invite His Excellency, Junior Aini, Republic of Marshall Islands’ Ambassador To Fiji and The Pacific, to open our meeting with a word of prayer.
[following the prayer]
• Colleagues, before we proceed to the substance of today’s discussions, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the leadership of Solomon Islands as the Chair of the Forum ICT Sub-Committee and the Informal Working Group. Under Solomon Islands’ stewardship, we have done important preparatory work to bring us to this moment, where we have papers with clear recommendations that will take our work
forward in the implementation of the Lagatoi Declaration. So on behalf of all Members, I extend our sincere appreciation to Solomon Islands for your contribution and commitment.
• Colleagues, today’s meeting is an important opportunity for Senior Officials to consider the key issues that will be advanced to the Forum ICT Ministers Meeting tomorrow. Our discussions will help ensure that the recommendations presented to the Ministers is practical, strategic, and firmly grounded in the realities and priorities of our Blue Pacific Continent.
• The agenda before us will guide our consideration of the regional strategic context for ICT, key issues for ministerial attention, including artificial intelligence, the impacts of social media platforms, and the implementation of the Pacific ICT and Digital Transformation Action Plan 2024–2030, as well as updates from our regional and international partners.
• I encourage us to engage openly and constructively, so that our discussions can support clear outcomes and a strong collective way forward for Ministers’ consideration.
• With those brief remarks, I now invite the Deputy Secretary General to deliver his
remarks and present the agenda for today’s meeting.
