PRESIDENT KATONIVERE'S SPEECH AT THE PACIFIC PROSECUTORS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Mr. Mark Carroll, the Director of Criminal Justice, International Justice Department,
Ms. Shenaz Muzaffer, the General Counsel, International Association of Prosecutors,
Mr. Collie Brown and staff of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime;
The Honourable Mr. Josaia Naigulevu,
Director of Public Prosecution – Vanuatu and Chairman of the Pacific Prosecutors Association, Mr. Ropate Green Lomavatu, our very own Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General;
Directors of Public Prosecutors, Attorney Generals or their representatives;
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Representatives of Government;
Members of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Miau sa bula re and good morning!
As President and Head of State and on behalf of the Government of Fiji, it is my honour and great pleasure to officiate and make a few remarks at the opening of the Pacific Prosecutors’ Association Annual Conference with the theme “Emerging Transnational and Cyber Crime Trends in the Pacific Region”.
 
I welcome all senior delegates from the region and as the host country of this important conference, I hope that we have been able to extend to each one of you, especially visitors to our nation, the customary Fijian warmth and hospitality during your stay here.
 
Allow me to acknowledge and pay my respects to the traditional stewards of this land we stand on, Na Momo Levu na Tui Nadi and the Vanua o Nadi. Esteemed delegates, the Association I understand is a forum for heads of prosecution services of the fourteen jurisdictions that collectively make up the Pacific Island Forum.
 
It is a platform that brings together senior prosecutors on a regular basis to examine and explore possible solutions to challenges and issues that confront you in the conduct of your prosecutorial work, much like its sister organisations in other regions of the world and the global International Association of Prosecutors. 2 I believe there are enormous benefits to addressing these issues together, as it enables you during such meetings to meaningfully engage, exchange views and share experiences and ultimately, harness your collective often meagre resources to bring impactful changes.
 
I must encourage you also during this meeting to explore and propose solutions that can benefit the region. As leading professionals within your criminal justice systems that you represent, you are well placed to lead and guide the Pacific region and its institutions. A bigger role that you play is to direct and advice its leaders to develop robust regional responses to what may be considered threats to our society.
 
During this conference, I understand that you will also be talking about the threats that new technologies represent and may bring to our region, whilst addressing issues relating to capacity building, prosecution codes and sentencing - matters that confront you daily. Looking at your two full day programmes, I understand that the two specific technologies that you will reflect on are artificial intelligence and virtual assets. These have been recognized to be the new frontiers of international organized crime. Whilst their potential benefits are enormous, there is huge potential for abuse, and their use by people with less virtuous and nefarious agendas.
 
I encourage you all to be proactive and to collaborate now as a region on the way forward before we begin to experience the pernicious and harmful impact of these abuses, an approach that has often colored our past The effects of these technology-based or enabled crimes can be devastating to individuals, to our societies and to our economies as they are by comparison small and vulnerable. We can testify that much has already been written about these.
 
Rather, it is my humble plea that we choose to make and introduce changes that will help provide layers of protection for our people and our economies. I strongly believe that you are well placed as leaders in this space. I look forward to hearing about measures that this conference may propose for implementation by our regional institutions and regional leaders. I also urge that we collaborate, support, and hold each other accountable to the agreements and measures we have made at this conference.
 
Esteemed delegates, as learned people in this sphere, our people look to you to take a leading role, to advise and guide our governments on the right and relevant course of action. We can draw helpful lessons recorded in the Bible about the God-given wisdom that Joseph exhibited when he made administrative decisions to protect the people of Egypt and the region from the imminent famine that would strike in seven years. The imminent threats of these technologies are well documented. I am certain that you will be further enlightened on these during the presentations by experts during this conference.
 
You have time to come forward with measures that can help protect our people and our economies and mitigate their harmful effects. And most importantly you can do so during your watch. I believe that world leaders like President Joe Biden of the United States and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom have highlighted the risks of inertia and have actively advocated the effective regulation of these technologies. They are pursuing these also in a collective manner. Several world leaders made similar utterances in their speeches in the recent meeting of the United 3 Nations General Assembly which in my view has broadened the discussion of these technologies.
 
The European Union had embarked on its own program several years ago. In this 21st century, your role as prosecutors in these and other spaces are no lesser. The region looks to you for leadership. Help make it your legacy and add it to your footprint.I now wish to take this time to acknowledge the huge support provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to enable the successful planning and hosting of this conference at this venue, after several years of repose and inactivity. A big Vinaka Vakalevu to Mr. Collie Brown and your staff at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
 
I acknowledge the experts as well from the United Kingdom, from the International Association of Prosecutors, and senior prosecutors and investigators from Australia. The Pacific Prosecutors Association has an important place and role in the regional legal architecture and needs this kind of support to maintain high prosecutorial standards in all fourteen jurisdictions, and importantly uphold its regional role. On that note, I again express my pleasure in being invited to officiate at this conference and am delighted to declare this Pacific Prosecutors Association Annual conference at Denarau open.
 
Esteemed delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, I offer my best wishes to each of your governments and bid you safe travel back home. May God bless us all and bless Our Blue Pacific! Vinaka vakalevu and Thank You!