Our ocean of peace reflects shared heritage and commitment to mutual support, says Pacific Security College director Professor Peebles.
Speaking at the inaugural Pacific National Security Conference in Suva, Prof Dave Peebles echoed Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s call for Peace and Unity for the Pacific.
Prime Minister Rabuka emphasised enduring peace within the Pacific and the concept of ‘Commonwealth’ as a framework for collective identity,” he said.
“Our ‘ocean of peace’ reflects our shared heritage and commitment to mutual support.”
Meanwhile, Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa said the Pacific nations’ inter-connectedness with the metaphor of a woven mat.
“Each member of the Pacific Islands Forum forms a strand of a great and powerful regional mat,” Mr Waqa said.
On the first day of the closed meeting, National Security panellists highlighted the political nature of security strategies and the need for broad-based government and community involvement.
Cook Islands security adviser Maara Tevata said these strategies must be living documents and “not just shiny pieces of paper gathering dust”.
Cybersecurity threats was also pointed out as a concerning issue within the region.
Discussions focused on the urgent and evolving nature of digital threats, exacerbated by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.
Panelists agreed that legislative frameworks must be reformed to keep pace with emerging cybercrime types, however, effective donor coordination remained a significant challenge.
Speakers revealed that to mitigate these threats, a clearer articulation of capability and capacity needs and more robust coordination of international support was needed.
