On commercial diplomacy, the United States is shifting assistance toward private-sector-led growth, including efforts with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan to connect every Pacific Islands Forum country to a trusted undersea cable network. A second Pacific Investment Summit is scheduled to be hosted in early 2027.
Failures involving agentic AI systems, he said, could disrupt essential services, fracture communications, destabilise critical infrastructure and undermine democratic institutions. Entire populations could lose access to clean water, heating and financial services.
Chaplain Colonel Forster described religion as a “center of gravity” for stability in Africa, where chaplains play a unique role in instilling values and fostering pluralism.
In 2024 alone, at least 1,945 people were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war, with the highest casualty levels recorded in Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen, and Burkina Faso.
During the event, the Parliamentary Malaria Walk was officially activated, turning the football pitch into a platform for awareness. The message was simple and direct: malaria is preventable, and it can be beaten.