Solidarity within the Melanesian countries and the pacific region is important to tackle the rising criminal activities and issues affecting the region.
Those were the words of the Fijian Police Commissioner and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Police Commissioners Conference (PCC) chairman, Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua as MSG countries police commissioners conference got underway in Suva today.
The meeting is a follow up of an earlier meeting which was held in Honiara in June last year where police commissioners from MSG countries supported the formulation of closer police cooperation, formulation of a police unit, establishment of a regional police academy and information sharing network within the MSG.
“Whilst we appreciate the significant progress being done by individual members or among members, we still have more on our shoulders to do,” Chairman Naivalurua said.
“We have to plan ahead as an important constituent body at the regional level through mutually agreed areas of cooperation to enable our Police organizations address the cause of crimes at national and regional levels and develop ways forward for a manageable solution.”
The meeting which is attended by the Police Commissioner of Papua New Guinea Toami Kulunga, his assistant Awan Sete, the Chief of Staff of the Vanuatu Police Mr Kelson Bule Vanuatu police service commission chairman Tony Arthur, Solomon Islands Police Commissioner Walter Kola and his assistant Nela Mosese, and Fijian police heads will see in the next two days how they have come about in achieving the outcomes that the commissioners undertook in Honiara one year ago.
Some of the issues that the commissioners and delegations would deliberate on includes the progress report on police cooperation, the progress reports on the police unit – this unit includes representatives of all MSG countries, the progress report on the regional police academy, and the progress report on information sharing.
The progress report on the police academy indicates where MSG countries stand on the initiative of having a regional academy as the Fijian government has already earmarked land just outside Suva.
An interim police academy has been set up in Nasese Suva which was opened late last year by the Papua New Guinea High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Eafeare.