​His Excellency Sato Kilman Livtuvanu
Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu 

The Republic of Vanuatu is quickly becoming a regional leader in the ICT sector thanks to ambitious initiatives being taken, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sato Kilman to boost connectivity and establish expansive communications infrastructure.

In 2007, the Government of Vanuatu introduced a major telecommunications policy statement, opening the sector to new innovation and technologies. Following this new policy, an independent Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulator was established in order to facilitate sustainable market competition and provide ICT services to underserved regions. With support from the World Bank, costs of mobile phones dropped significantly and subscriptions soared. In conjunction with mobile banking initiatives set forth by the National Bank of Vanuatu, these advances in mobile technology have had a tremendous impact in all aspects of Ni-Vanuatu society. Tackling broadband connectivity, Vanuatu saw the installation of a major submarine fibre-optic cable in January 2014 connecting the country to other countries and regions in the Pacific hemisphere. In parallel, a government broadband network has been constructed to provide ICT tools for facilities throughout the country. In May of last year, new ICT policies were launched, with the support of Prime Minister Kilman, promoting sustainable growth in the telecommunications and broadband sector. Among them, the Universal Access Policy was instated to ensure ICT accessibility for 98 per cent of the population by 2018 with priority to schools, health centres and public offices.

In recognition of outstanding leadership and initiative, it is our honour to present His Excellency Mr. Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, with the ICTs in Sustainable Development Award.