THE Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has appointed Viliame Bovoro as its new director of the Pacific Fusion Centre.
Mr Bovoro was appointed the assistant director of the centre in 2023 and has been the acting director since December last year.
Prior to those appointments, he was a senior advisor and regional security advisor at the Forum Secretariat.
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa said Mr Bovoro brought more than 20 years of experience in Pacific diplomacy, leadership and regional security policy to the role, and was also well known across the region.
He said in accordance with the Pacific Fusion Centre’s Charter, Mr Bovoro’s appointment followed a competitive process involving a selection committee of senior officials.
“I am certain that Viliame will continue to support the centre’s efforts to strengthen analysis, security assessments, and information sharing to better inform responses to regional security priorities identified in the Boe Declaration,” Mr Waqa said in a statement.
“I wish Viliame and the team all the best in taking the centre forward and look forward to the centre’s ongoing support for the achievement of our shared objectives under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,” he said.
The Pacific Fusion Centre, based in Vanuatu, is embedded within the Pacific regional architecture and delivers training and strategic analysis against security priorities identified by Pacific Island
Forum Leaders in the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security.
The PIF Forum Officials Committee (FOC) endorsed the Charter that established the Pacific Fusion Centre on July 23 in 2021.
Its work enhances information sharing, cooperation, analysis and assessment, and expands situational awareness and capacity across the Pacific.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated June 28, 2025