Pacific Policing Initiative

The Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) concept

The PPI is a Pacific designed, PICP endorsed, and AustralianFederal Police supported initiative that has the potential to be transformational for Pacific policing.

The PPI concept has been consulted broadly with members ofPICP and shared broadly with diplomatic stakeholders. It includes three pillars:

·      regional training centres of excellence to be located in thePacific,

·      a Pacific Police Support Group which would provide a multinational response capability, and

·      a hub that would help support the establishment and coordination of the regional centres of excellence, and training and support for the Pacific Police Support Group.

Building on decades of close law enforcement cooperation, the PPI will enhance the region’s ability to address security challenge outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security.

The PPI would help ensure that Pacific police forces have the capability they need to meet current and future internal and regionals security requirements, and to respond together quickly in times of need.

Successfully delivering this initiative will be a huge collective undertaking and presents an unprecedented opportunity to transform how our Pacific police support each other.

PPI design and consultation process

At the PICP annual conference in August 2023, discussions commenced on the development of a regional training facility and a multinational deployable police capability, which became key pillars of a PPI concept. The aim was to help meet collective policing needs and build a regional response to shared challenges.

After further discussions between Police Chiefs andCommissioners at a PICP monthly meeting in October 2023, a PPI concept paper was developed and circulated to all PICP members in November 2023.

The PICP Executive Leadership Team considered the PPI concept at its regular meetings in February  andMay 2024.

In May 2024, the Commissioner of the Royal Papua New GuineaConstabulary was appointed as the Chair of a Design Steering Group (DSG), with nominations sought from PICP members for participation in the DSG.

On 22 to 23 May 2024, the Fiji Police Force and theAustralian Federal Police co-facilitated a workshop of senior Pacific police officers who nominated to join a PPI Design Advisory Group.

A Design Steering Group meeting of Pacific Police Chiefs was held on 10 July 2024, attended by PICP members from PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu, Nauru, andSamoa, and supported by Australian Federal Police officers.

A further Design Advisory Group workshop was held inBrisbane on 30 July to 1 August, hosted by the Australian Federal Police.

The PICP and its members have regularly updated the PacificIslands Forum Subcommittee on Regional Security (FSRS) on PPI progress, including the Acting Commissioner of the Fiji Police Force in December 2023, the Chair of the PICP in April 2024, and the Executive Director of the PICP Secretariat in June 2024.

Police chiefs and Commissioners will continue their development of the PPI at the 51^st PICP annual conference inSeptember 2024.

For more information please contact PPI-Coordination@afp.gov.au.

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