I am pleased to be in Tonga for the 2025 @SPC_CPS Conference. Supporting collaboration in science and technology is a surefire way to improve the lives of people in the Pacific.

Our 7th National Party Leader and 35th Prime Minister. Rest in Peace, Jim.

In our troubled world, we sometimes need to stop, take pause from time to time, to reflect on our successes. Today marks one of them, because there is much to celebrate in our 60 years joined together in free association. -WP @DrShaneRetiMP 🇨🇰 🤝 🇳🇿 🗣️ beehive.govt.nz/speech/celeb…

“Celebrating 60 Years of the Cook Islands’ Unique Path” The Minister speaking at Cook Islands Constitution Day celebrations in Auckland today 🇨🇰 🤝 🇳🇿 @DrShaneRetiMP Speech: beehive.govt.nz/speech/celeb…

✨ Setting the scene for the panel “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC, SUSTAINABLE AND JUST PROGRESS” at the #F4D Conference in #Sevilla 🇪🇸 was truly a standout moment. Hosted by the Spanish Minister and joined by @rppola , Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy from Guinea; @DrShaneRetiMP , Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology from New Zealand; @oscarlopeztwit , Minister for Digital Transformation and Civil Service from Spain; and @tlamanauskas , Deputy Secretary General from @ITU—was a highlight of my time at the conference. Why? Because while it's crucial to address the financial gap, it's just as important to ask: Where do we need investments to truly accelerate development, productivity, and innovation? There is no other field with greater potential to drive that acceleration than Artificial Intelligence. If well managed, AI could add $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030. But if deployed without addressing inequalities and risks, it risks amplifying the very challenges we aim to solve. That’s why this debate was so valuable—focusing on digital public goods like skills, infrastructure, data, computing power, institutions, and legal frameworks, and how to build them up equitably. It was a pleasure to contribute to such an inspiring discussion, exploring how countries and individuals can not only benefit from but also shape and master this technological revolution. This transformation won’t happen without strong policy frameworks. It’s time to move beyond the false dichotomy of regulation vs. innovation. Not regulating is a regulatory decision. Let’s get real about the policies, investments, and incentives needed to create AI ecosystems that serve the common good and genuinely improve people’s lives. And as I have mentioned in my campaign for the Director General of @UNESCO , we need three “i’’ to succeed: Inclusiveness, Innovation, and Impact. #VamosConRamosUNESCO