Pacific-Island Nation Security Collaboration Workshop

Sept. 19, 2008
# 08-203

Pacific-Island Nation Security Collaboration Workshop Concluded in Tonga

The Pacific-Island Nation Security Collaboration Workshop concluded a three-day agenda in the capital city of Nuku’alofa. Jointly hosted by Tonga Defence Services and the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the conference was opened Wednesday by Tonga Prime Minister Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele. United States Charge d’Affairs in Suva, Fiji Richard Pruett also participated.

TDS Commander, Brig. Gen. Tau’aika ‘Uta’atu and APCSS foreign policy advisor, retired Ambassador Charles Salmon also welcomed the 37 workshop participants representing Pacific island military, training and police agencies, as well as various non-government organizations and United Nations offices.

Noting that small island states must maintain their comprehensive, integrated and collaborative approach to each of the security issues in effective and appropriate ways, Sevele also expressed the hope the through the workshop security concerns would be better understood and regional preparedness and ability to deal with problems would be enhanced.

During his address to conferees, ‘Uta’atu discussed security issues that threatened the stability of the South Pacific Region, from a Tongan perspective. Those issues included climate change, natural disasters, ethnic problems, environmental degradation, transnational crime, resources protection, good governance, and corruption. While acknowledging the efforts being made by Pacific Island Forum members to prepare for non-traditional security threats, these threats were often outside of their control. PIF members, however, could prepare for the effects. He concluded that are no easy solutions to these security challenges, which can cause social, economic and political instability in the region.

Salmon noted that although APCSS has organized several regional Pacific Island security conferences in Honolulu since 1995, this forum was the first such event in the region. It was also one of the most complex and ambitious APCSS outreaches in terms of resources and logistics, but it was clearly worth the effort. “The participant-centered and results-oriented workshop would draw on individual and national perspectives, as well as the participants’ own rich personal and professional experience. The workshop would look ahead and be of genuine value to their governments and organizations in the region.”

During the conference, participants reviewed regional security and its many challenges, the existing political and socio-economic architecture to deal with those challenges and how it might be improved, as well as the specific capacity building required for success.

Conference participants heard presentations from the Pacific Island Secretariat, the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International, the University of the South Pacific, the Pacific Anti-Money Laundering Programme, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Development Program. Working luncheon addresses covered Health Security and Fisheries and Security.

The conference organization provided for three days of breakout discussions on the plenary presentations aimed at formulating concrete recommendations which could be made to regional organizations and PIF member states. The breakout groups’ recommendations were reconciled and synthesized and then presented for approval by a final plenary session. Highlights of the synthesis were then briefed to His Excellency, the Minister of Education Tevita Palefou.

Pacific Island nations represented at the conference included Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Niue, Solomon Island, Fiji, Cooks Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and New Zealand.

APCSS addresses regional and global security issues, inviting military and civilian representatives of the United States and Asia-Pacific nations to its comprehensive program of courses and conferences, both in Hawaii and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The Center supports the U.S. Pacific Command’s objective of developing professional and personal ties among national security establishments throughout the region. APCSS focuses on a multilateral and multi-dimensional approach to defining and addressing regional security issues and concerns. The most beneficial result is building relationships of trust and confidence among future leaders and decision-makers within the region.

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