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As a result of climate change, international crime, and tax evasion, Pacific Island nations must continue to collaborate in order to solve security challenges.
David Towe, the Chief Commissioner of PNG Customs, made this statement at the fourth Joint Heads of Pacific Security conference in Fiji.
According to him, it was necessary to utilise the regional organisations and institutions already in place to support the Pacific region's security capabilities. In order to improve regional maritime security and lessen the security concerns the Pacific Island countries are currently experiencing as a result of climate change, illegal fishing, illicit drug use, and other threats, according to Towe, the delegates decided to establish a partnership for information sharing.
The participants talked about how climate change would affect security and looked at ways to build security capacities throughout the Pacific for readiness and efficient response.
More than 70 delegates, including officials of regional bodies and observers from Australia, Japan and the United States, attended the meeting.
Anote Tong, the keynote speaker and former president of Kiribati, asked the chiefs of security to discover the answers to the queries he
“We must save the island to save the world,” he said.
Towe stressed to the meeting that it needed to act quickly since the repercussions of climate change were real as she talked about the consequences of increasing sea levels and the eviction of Bougainville's Carteret Islanders.
He stated that 18 results, known as the "Denarau Outcomes," had been agreed upon by the forum and would be distributed to the member nations.
Following Palau's acceptance of the offer to host the fifth edition the following year, PNG will host the sixth conference in November 2024.
Reference: The National (16 November 2022). “Pacific Island countries urged to address security issues”.
