Climate change remains the greatest security threat — impacting the livelihoods of Pacific people, communities and economic prosperity.
In his address at the opening session of the two-day US-Pacific investment summit themed ‘The Pacific Agenda — Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity’ at the East-West Centre’s Keoni Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawai’i on Tuesday (Fiji time), Pacific Islands Forum chair Jeremiah Manele emphasised the comprehensive nature of security in the Pacific.
He said it expanded beyond traditional security and defence concerns, and included climate security, economic vulnerability, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, illicit drug trafficking, transnational crimes, cyber threats and disaster resilience.
The Solomon Islands Prime Minister said rising seas and intensifying disasters eroded development gains and strained national budgets; and added that a flooded school or damaged hospital was not only a humanitarian issue but a strategic one.
“The Pacific family, therefore, seeks security cooperation that supports disaster preparedness, climate response and resilience, strengthens maritime domain awareness, combats transnational crimes and illegal fishing, protects and invests in critical infrastructure needed nationally, and respects sovereignty and national priorities,” Mr Manele said.
“For many of us, internal security is a vital priority. This includes promoting development and unity and strengthening national systems to ensure our countries remain secure and resilient.
“Security arrangements must, therefore, reinforce regional stability and unity. As such, the Pacific must remain a region of peace and defined by regional cooperation as espoused in the Pacific Leaders endorsed Ocean of Peace Declaration.
