Leaders are heading to New Caledonia, boosting Pacific aid efforts.
Australia and New Zealand are collaborating to construct warehouses and stock them with disaster aid supplies across the Pacific region. This initiative comes as regional leaders gear up to travel to New Caledonia in the wake of deadly riots.
Foreign ministers from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) convened in Fiji on Aug. 9 in preparation for the leaders’ meeting scheduled in Tonga starting from Aug. 26.
During discussions, French ambassador to the Pacific, Veronique Roger-Lacan, engaged with the forum’s chair and secretary-general and accepted an invitation from three leaders to visit New Caledonia.
Following riots in May that resulted in 10 fatalities, the French territory experienced unrest due to controversial voting reforms imposed by Paris, which the Indigenous Kanak population argued would diminish their representation.
PIF chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, incoming chair and Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka are set to visit New Caledonia before the leaders’ meeting.
Roger-Lacan expressed gratitude for the denouncement of violence and commitment to democratic principles.
“They will see first-hand our efforts. We believe in dialogue,” she mentioned in an interview with AAP on Aug. 9.
She added, “The visit will involve various stakeholders of the crisis—schools, churches, and all political parties engaged.”
Additionally, foreign ministers have endorsed a Pacific policing program in which Australia will establish a significant training facility to educate officers from the entire region.
The incoming forum chair intends to seek the approval of PIF leaders at the upcoming summit.
Furthermore, Australia has agreed to assist in enhancing the Solomon Islands police force to reduce dependency on Chinese influence post a security pact between Beijing and Honiara.
Although Defense Minister Richard Marles confirmed Canberra’s willingness to support the Pacific nation’s police force, he refrained from disclosing specifics.
“We are exploring avenues to enhance our contribution to Solomon Islands’ national security, particularly in policing activities,” Marles stated in an interview with ABC radio.
He emphasized that engaging with the Pacific region is a cost-effective strategy for bolstering national security.
Moreover, Australia and New Zealand have jointly allocated $42.6 million (US$28 million) for a warehousing program aimed at storing and managing disaster relief supplies for rapid response within the initial 48 hours of an emergency.
These warehouses will be established in 14 Pacific island nations, including East Timor, and will contain provisions to aid vulnerable groups such as women, children, and individuals with disabilities during crises.
Australia has additionally dedicated $16.7 million (US$11 million) towards cybersecurity measures to modernize hardware and software for improved defense against online threats.
Funding has also been appropriated for the deployment of swift cyber assistance across the Pacific to counter potential threats and attacks.
Furthermore, $18.5 million (US$12.2 million) will be channeled towards surveillance and enforcement of illegal fishing practices, while $25 million (US$16.4 million) has been designated for the construction of a research vessel.
