Pacific Island States Call for Unified Cybersecurity Protocols and Digital Sovereignty

Pacific nations unite at PIRI 2025 to explore AI, cybersecurity, and blockchain for inclusive, resilient financial systems built on trust and transparency.

The Pacific Islands Regional Initiative (PIRI) 2025 meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, brought together over 70 participants from across the Pacific and beyond to discuss "Sustaining Progress, Innovating for Inclusion: The Next Chapter of Financial Inclusion in the Pacific." As a panelist in Session 3, focusing on leveraging AI and strengthening cybersecurity in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), I had the privilege of sharing perspectives on some of the most pressing challenges facing our digital financial future.

The timing couldn't be more critical. As AFI's Director Dr. Eliki Boletawa noted, "Pacific nations face ongoing economic and climate challenges, and the rapid digital transformation of financial services presents both risks and opportunities." Having participated virtually during the Bitcoin 2025 Conference ...