Hagåtña, Guam – Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio delivered remarks on Guam’s economic recovery, healthcare advancement initiatives, and growing role in international security during the “Puʻuhonua: The Pacific Way Forward” 12th Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL). Leaders of the Pacific are gathered for this meeting hosted by the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Center from September 12 to 14, 2022, in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
“Governor Leon Guerrero and I have actively engaged the leadership of the Pacific and our federal partners at this conference, raising the unique issues we face and leveraging our geopolitical position to expand support for Guam,” said Lt. Governor Tenorio. “Guam’s economic recovery and diversification continue to be our top priority, in addition to improving the quality of life for our people, but the advancement of healthcare must become a focus area for our entire region. The realities of international security and diplomacy have placed Guam in the unique position to shoulder the burden of peacekeeping in the Indo-Pacific. This gives us opportunities to leverage our critical vantage point for increased resources to address our healthcare disparities, including through a new Guam Medical Complex.”
“Guam will take on a greater role in the events that shape the lives of Pacific islanders, and we must continue to push for our mandatory inclusion in the matters that most affect us, especially as we build climate change resiliency and transition to a sustainable economy,” Lt. Governor Tenorio added. “With renewed regional unity, Governor Leon Guerrero and I stand committed to joining our Pacific partners in confronting the challenges we face with collective action that fosters a more prosperous future for Guam and all Pacific Islanders.”
The Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders summit was founded in 1980 as a forum for Pacific Islands leaders to address shared issues, learn from each other’s experiences, and develop common approaches to policy. PICL is composed of 20 heads of government from independent Pacific Islands countries, as well as territories and the State of Hawaiʻi. PICL members include: American Sāmoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
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