PACIFIC LEADERS DISCUSS PEACE & SECURITY

28/09/2024

(New York, 28.9.24) Pacific leaders convened in New York today for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting where they discussed matters of peace and security with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. 

President of the Republic of Fiji, His Excellency Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, highlighted that our security and that of our future generations is threatened by geopolitical divides, the increasing intensity of climatic impacts, and transnational crimes, including cyber security.

“Concerningly, we look around our Pacific region, and we see the rise of transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and production. We continue to contend with the threats of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing of the one common resource that sustains our economies across the Pacific Ocean.”

President Katonivere highlighted that security for us in the Pacific region encompasses human security, environmental and resource security, transnational crime, and cybersecurity, to name a few. 

“It is a holistic and necessary view of security, given our unique circumstances.”“With foresight, our Forum Leaders have endorsed the development of a Declaration on the Ocean of Peace.”

The Ocean of Peace is first and foremost a peace concept that reflects the Pacific Way, as first defined by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara in 1970 at the United Nations.

“The Ocean of Peace concept is a signal to the world that we are a region where strategic competition is managed and where stability is the cornerstone of regional relationships. 

“We are a region where differences, when they arise, are resolved peacefully. It is a concept that upholds the key tenets of our 2050 Strategy, which recognises that our aspirations and priorities drive partner engagement in the region.”