Keynote speech at the Pacific Academy of Sciences Inaugural Congress

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished representatives from Member States and partner agencies,

Esteemed colleagues from the International Science Council, the Australian Academy of Science, the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Pacific Academy of Sciences,

Friends and family of the Pacific, ladies and gentlemen

Talofa lava and warm Pacific greetings to you all.

It is a true honour to stand before you here in Apia for this historic, inaugural Congressof the Pacific Academy of Sciences.

This year's theme - "Harnessing the Knowledge of the Pacific" - speaks directly to our shared purpose.

It reminds us that the strength of our Region- lies not only in scientific excellence,but in the deep knowledge systems, cultural wisdomand lived experience that have guided Pacific peoplesacross oceans and generations.

And this Congress comes at a moment that truly matters- a moment calling us to lead together for the health and wellbeingof our beautiful Pacific Region.

Just months ago in Fiji, Pacific Health Ministers reflected on 30 years of the Healthy Islands vision - a vision born on Yanuca Islandthat continues to guide us with clarity and heart.

That dialogue reaffirmed something profound: Healthy Islands is not just a health agenda- it is who we are as Pacific peoples.

It is how we raise our children, care for our environment, uphold dignity across the life course, and honour the ocean that holds our stories, our identities and our future.

From that reflection- emerged Healthy Islands 2050 - a renewed, future-focused direction,centred on climate resilience, people-centred systems, regional solidarity, and deeply Pacific ways of knowing and being.

And this direction, perfectly echoes our shared Western Pacific vision- of Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies - a vision co-created with all our Member States.

So today as we gather here in Apia, we take the next step: moving from vision to capability, from aspiration to action.

What we begin today becomes another weave in our collective mat - grounded in Pacific wisdom and strengthened by global science, ethics, trust, and shared responsibility for our Region and our planet.

Science has always been one of humanity's greatest tools-helping us control disease, protect ecosystems, adapt to crises, guide evidence-based decisions and build stronger futures.

But across all these achievements, one truth stands out: science is a public good, and its credibility depends on ethical conduct, transparent processes, and community trust.

In the Pacific - where communities are close, where cultural memory is deep, and where research has not always honoured our realities - science must be ethical, equitable and anchored in Pacific experience.

Ethics is not bureaucracy.

Ethics is infrastructure.

And sound science depends on sound data - and the people who collect it, analyze it, protect it and use it.

Without investment in people and systems, we cannot achieve the SDGs, or evidence-based policy, or resilient national planning.

Today, we face a new frontier: artificial intelligence. Used wisely, AI can connect us to new knowledge, amplify indigenous systems, and unlock pathways we have not yet imagined.

But AI will only serve the Pacific if it is people-centred, culturally grounded, and governed in ways that honour Pacific data sovereignty.

And we are already seeing the risks - clear reminders of what happens when these principles are ignored.

This is why the Pacific Academy of Sciences is so important: it ensures that science, ethics, governance and data integrity move forward together as the foundation of a strong Pacific scientific community.

The challenges before us - pandemics, extreme weather, ocean degradation, food insecurity, noncommunicable diseases - do not respect borders.

They demand collaboration across sciences, across sectors, and across generations of indigenous knowledge holders.

The Pacific has always known this truth.

The ocean has never divided us - it has connected us, as one Blue Pacific.

The challenges we face today are a preview of the world's future.

We are at the frontline - for us, the future is now - but that also means we are at the forefront of solutions.

We feel the impacts early and intensely, but we also innovate early, adapt early, and lead early. Our lived realities make us not only witnesses to global change, but contributors to global knowledge.

Over the years, I have seen firsthand how the Pacific is stepping confidently into the global spotlight.

Whether at major conferences, high level symposia, the World Health Assembly or the UN General Assembly - our voices are no longer at the margins. They are shaping agendas.

For decades, we sounded the alarm on climate change.

We were the first to feel it, the first to document it, and the first to raise our voices with urgency.

And yes - for many years, those warnings were ignored.

But that is no longer the case.

Today, the world looks to the Pacific not just for evidence, but for leadership.

Our strength - shaped by resilience, community and respect for nature - is now guiding global action.

And climate change is only one example.

Across the Region, we confront dengue outbreaks, growing NCDs, anti-vaccine sentiment, and the resurgence of HIV.

In each challenge, our compass remains the same: science, solidarity, and service.

We know that the health of one Pacific country is inseparable from the health of all.

What touches one community, inevitably touches us all.

That is the Pacific way - and it is this spirit of shared responsibility that guides us forward.

Here, through the Pacific Academy of Sciences, health science, environmental science, social science, humanities and Indigenous knowledge come together in integrity and partnership.

Together, we show the world that the Pacific is not just receiving knowledge - we are generating it, leading it, shaping it.

In an era of rapid change, scientific progress in our Region must be Pacific-led, Pacific-owned and Pacific-shaped.

Healthy Islands 2050 calls for knowledge creation rooted in who we are - where indigenous wisdom strengthens scientific inquiry, and research answers Pacific priorities.

This is true leadership: Pacific researchers asking the right questions and contributing confidently to global science.

But leadership requires investment - in researchers, ethics committees, data stewards, and early-career scientists across our islands.

It also requires strong, trusted data systems to ensure countries can design solutions that reflect their realities and aspirations.

I call upon the Pacific Academy of Sciences to use its power to convene, guide, and amplify this agenda- building networks, strengthening capacity, integrating Indigenous knowledge, and ensuring Pacific science not only participates in global progress- but shapes it.

Through all of this, WHO stands firmly with you.

Science is at the heart of our mandate - and our credibility rests on evidence gathered through global and regional partnerships.

Here in the Pacific, WHO remains committed to supporting governments, institutions and communities - strengthening ethics, data systems and evidence-driven policy aligned with Pacific priorities.

Friends and colleagues, the work we do at WHO - and the work you lead at PAS - has never been more vital.

At a time when science and medicine are being challenged, our commitment to evidence and to the people we serve matters more than ever.

We are navigating a moment when the broader ecosystem of sustainable development is under strain and multilateralism - something our Region depends on - is increasingly fragile.

This is why partnerships like ours are essential.

Together, we protect the hard-won gains of science and public health.

Together, we ensure that progress is not lost, reversed or dismantled. And together, we remind the world that collaboration - not division - is the path to a healthy and resilient Pacific.

This Congress is more than a meeting - it is a milestone.

It brings together scholars, leaders, communities and partners united by a shared purpose: to advance trusted, actionable, Pacific-grounded knowledge.

May this Congress strengthen the partnerships we already cherish - and spark new ones that carry our Region forward.

May it open fresh pathways that broaden our vision, deepen collaboration and energize our work.

May it renew our confidence in the power and promise of Pacific science, advancing Healthy Islands and Weaving Health for All.

And may this Congress become a true Pacific hub - a place where we think globally, act locally and lead boldly, as only the Pacific can.

Let me close with a Tongan proverb- that captures the essence of our journey - pikipiki hama kae vaevae manava- binding our canoes together and sharing one breath as we move forward.

It reminds us that our strength lies in unity, in holding fast to each other, and moving with shared purpose across our Blue Pacific.

As we gather under the theme "Harnessing the Knowledge of the Pacific," this proverb calls us to weave our wisdom, our science and our lived experience into a shared breath - a collective capability that carries our Region forward.

May we continue to bind our vaka, share one breath and paddle forward together - strong, united, and guided by Pacific wisdom - toward the healthy, resilient, and empowered future our Region deserves.

I wish you all a successful Congress.

Fakafeta'i lava. Thank you.