Pursuing police cooperation for Melanesian Spearhead Group nations took a step forward when the combined regional workshop on Regional Police Academy MSG formed Police Unit and Police Cooperation got underway at the Tokatoka conference centre in Nadi this morning .
The workshop reflects a growing enthusiasm by MSG nations to realise the objective of regional cooperation in areas of police enforcement and it is a continuation to the Police commissioners conference earlier this year.
The same conference. which culminated with the MSG summit, saw the need to strengthen bilateral and multilateral ties between MSG nations, especially in areas of police enforcement.
This included the need to develop a customised training program generic for police forces in MSG countries.
Regional cooperation is yet to materialize into a regional academy, however all nations have thrown their support into its establishment to achieve this objective.
In his opening address the chief guest and Ministry of Works, Transport and Public Utilities permanent secretary Mr Cama Tuiloma urged leaders and participants to engage openly and to make collective decisions through dialogue.
“I urge you to speak frankly about ways to increase engagement and strategic sharing, to develop and explore areas of cooperation and effective dialogue. This is the spirit and resolve that we as law abiding citizens and people of integrity of MSG must champion and promote,” he said.
Mr Tuiloma cited the deployment of troops to unstable regions or countries as an area that could benefit greatly through this cooperation.
He added that achieving these goals would require a collective unified resolve.
The Fiji Police Force Commissioner Brigadier Ioane Naivalurua is also the conference chairman.
Brigadier Naivalurua endorsed the formal welcome by Mr Tuiloma and added the workshop would be a blessing for MSG countries.
“We need to commit ourselves to this (workshop) and the issue is to progress things and look forward to outcomes,” he said.
All recommendations made at this three-day workshop will form the basis of further discussions and deliberations by the three ‘sub working groups’ that will meet at Honiara, in the Solomon Islands next month.
Participants take an official photograph with chief guest and Permanent Secretary for Transport, Works and Public Utilities at this morning's workshop.