Mr Ralph Regenvanu

WHO Commissioner on Social Connection

Ralph Regenvanu is currently serving his fifth term as a Member of Parliament in Vanuatu, and has been Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management since November 2022.

He has previously held Ministerial portfolios including Justice and Community Services, Lands and Natural Resources, and Foreign Affairs. Ralph served as Director of the National Museum of Vanuatu from 1995 until 2006, during which time he was also a founding Board Member of both the Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA) and the regional cultural sites preservation organization, ICOMOS Pasifika. Ralph was a member of the international drafting committee of the Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage which was adopted by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 2003.

Ralph has also served as a member of the Executive Board of ICOM-ASPAC (International Council of Museums Asia Pacific) from 2001 to 2007, the International Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World program from 2033 to 2005, and the Advisory Committee of Experts for the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity from 2006 to 2008. Ralph was Co-chair of the National Sustainable Development Plan Core Group which was responsible for developing Vanuatu’s ‘National Sustainable Development Plan 2016-2030’ and currently is the Pacific Ministerial Champion for Loss and Damage leading into COP28.