Australia’s Newly Appointed Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology

Australia’s newly appointed Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Ms Jessica Hunter, visited Vanuatu from 19 to 21 November 2025. This was her first official visit to the Pacific.

During her visit, Ambassador Hunter met with the Department of Communications and Digital Transformation (DCDT) to discuss Vanuatu’s digital transformation initiatives. She also received a briefing from CyberCX, the delivery partner for the Cloud Pilot Project, regarding the progress of the programme. In addition, she held a meeting with the National Security Advisor (NSA) and briefed the Hon. Prime Minister Napat on cyber security issues.

The Ambassador also met with Women in IT and shared insights from her journey as Australia’s first female Ambassador for Cyber Affairs.

DCDT hosted a dinner in honour of Ambassador Hunter to celebrate her visit and the successful passing of the Digital Transformation Act No. ___ of 2025 by Parliament during the November 2025 session.

During her mission to Vanuatu, Ambassador Hunter:

• Announced SEA-PAC Cyber funding to support the deployment of an advisor within DCDT — Voir le lien officiel
• Reaffirmed Australia’s support for Phase 2 of the Cloud Pilot Project
• Invited Vanuatu to participate in a pilot for a national Protective Domain Name Service (PDNS) capability

DCDT expresses its sincere appreciation to Ambassador Hunter for choosing Vanuatu as her first destination in the region, and to the Government of Australia for its continued support toward advancing Vanuatu’s digital transformation aspirations.