Dubbed the premier forum for the discussion of economic, social, political and environmental issues in the region, the 3-day conference featured various high profile speakers, including the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat and former President of Nauru, the Hon Baron Waqa, who outlined his vision for the Pacific Region (including a rules based order that meets the regional needs).
The presentations covered a range of topics again, including 'Regional Integration and Governance' (eg through the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy), 'Corruption in the Pacific' (suggesting inter alia the need for a new definition), and 'The Future of Work' (examining how Fiji and other Pacific Island countries can build a labour market that is more inclusive, adaptive and future-ready). Notably, there was also a Panel on 'The Potential of AI in Policymaking and Development in the Pacific', proposing 'Dragonfly Thinking' as an AI powered framework for thinking through complex issues.
Day 3 was a Workshop dedicated to Pacific Migration Research, featuring keynote speakers from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, who spoke to the status quo of Pacific migration from their respective country's viewpoint. Attendees included academics, experts, students, government representatives, decision makers, representatives from the media, and NGOs.
More information about the event and speakers, visit this link.
