Fiji is heading towards becoming a safe, secure, stable and a prosperous nation, says the Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration, Timoci Natuva.

He said this while addressing the Final Consultative Workshop on the Fiji National Security Strategy (NSS) at the Novotel Convention Centre in, Lami yesterday.

He said the main aim of this document, which was still in draft form, was to bring about “our safety, security, stability and prosperity.”

According to Mr Natuva these are essential end-states to Fiji’s future generation and for the nation.

He urged participants when they returned to their organisations after the workshop that it was vital that they spread and share the message to their clients, their families and members of the public.

He said that during the first sitting of Parliament he had said in his maiden speech that the ministry would review the nation’s National Security and Defence Sector.

They would also formulate and establish a new and appropriate security and defence policy.

Mr Natuva said the National Security Strategy was the first ever for Fiji. The previous documents, he said, were like those in other countries and were referred to as the Defence White Papers and not Security Strategy.

The chairman of the review team, Esala Teleni said the new NSS would be inclusive.

He said the NSS 2016 had been developed through an extensive public process and interagency/departmental scrutiny and analysis to ensure that the document reflected the needs and aspirations of the public of Fiji.

He said it would provide a strategic framework to guide future planning and decision making  by national institutions and had expanded  the concept of national security beyond military and law and order interventions to include civil defence.

Their new timeframe would be May as they would present the draft to the National Defence Council chaired by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to Cabinet and then Parliament to be passed.

Edited by Maikeli Seru

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