Security
In April 2004, Forum Leaders identified good governance and security as two of the four key goals of the Forum. The Political and Security programme works on a range of issues in pursuit of these goals.
To be sustainable, development must occur within an environment of regional security and political integrity to ensure that the impact of development policies effectively leads to free and worthwhile lives for the people of the region. The Political and Security programme promotes Forum interests and positions in the international arena and provides policy advice and technical assistance to members on international relations, law enforcement cooperation, political, legal and security issues. The main focuses of the programme includes: • Legal matters, especially legal sector cooperation and the implementation of the legislative priorities of the Honiara Declaration on Law Enforcement Cooperation and the Nasonini Declaration on Regional Security, Auckland Declaration and Kalibobo Roadmap in accordance with the Pacific Plan. The programme provides legal drafting assistance to Forum Islands countries to help them implement the legislative priorities; • Monitoring of regional political developments in member countries, building capacity in conflict prevention and response, and conducting election observer missions to Forum Island Countries. Most recently, observer missions were deployed to the Solomon Islands and Fiji general elections in 2006; • Biketawa Declaration: signed in Biketawa, Kiribati in 2000, the Biketawa Declaration is a security framework building on a number of other frameworks dating back to the Honiara Declaration of 1994. There are several key features of the Biketawa Declaration that make it unique to the region. These include its commitment to upholding democratic processes and good governance, its recognition of indigenous rights and cultural values and the process for addressing crises in the region. The Biketawa Declaration has been invoked twice since its promulgation in 2000, in Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and in Nauru (PRAN). Three successful election observer missions in the region - Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Fiji - have also been undertaken under this framework. • Building the capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime such as border management issues, data collection and anti-money laundering mentoring. • Implementation of the Pacific Islands Regional Security Technical Cooperation Strategy. • Supporting the annual meeting of the Forum Leaders and other high level meetings involving Forum Leaders; • Supporting the Forum Regional Security Committee annual meeting, last held in June 2006, and implementing the recommendations of this meeting. The Political and Security Programme is comprised of the Manager, Legal Adviser, Regional Security Adviser, Law Enforcement Capacity Development Adviser, Political Issues Adviser, Legal Drafter, Legal Drafting Officer, Coordinator of the Pacific Anti-Money Laundering Programme (PALP), the Legal and Law Enforcement Mentors under the PALP, Political Research Assistant, Law Enforcement Support Officer and two Programme Assistants. The Programme will also be gaining the services of a Peace Building Conflict Prevention Technical Specialist. For further information please call the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on telephone number: (679) 3312 600 or fax us on (679) 330 5554 |
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