Police force set for major boost under Fiji-Australia security pact

The Fiji Police Force is set for a major expansion in manpower, intelligence capability and infrastructure under a new Fiji-Australia security partnership aimed at strengthening the country's response to transnational crime and cybercrime.

The initiatives form part of a multi-year work plan approved by Cabinet under the Vuvale Union and the Fiji-Australia Mutual Security Treaty, with transnational crime, including the fight against illicit drugs, identified as the partnership's single largest area of cooperation.

The treaty is expected to be tabled in both the Fijian and Australian parliaments in the coming weeks.

Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua met Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Roberts this week to review progress since the Vuvale Union and Mutual Security Treaty were signed earlier this year and to discuss the next phase of implementation.

Key priorities include increasing police numbers through additional postings focused on intelligence and cybercrime, developing a new Fiji Police headquarters with dedicated infrastructure funding, and continuing investment in the Force's human resources and information and communications technology systems, guided by last year's strength assessment.

The meeting also reviewed Fiji's wastewater drug testing programme, with the first round of results now finalised.

The Ministry will continue analysing the data to inform the Government's response to illicit drugs.

Discussions also covered plans to strengthen Fiji's national data centre and explore the responsible use of artificial intelligence to support government services as part of the broader Vuvale digital agenda.

Both Fiji and Australia welcomed growing regional support for the Pacific Police Ministers' Meeting to become a standing regional forum and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation under the Vuvale partnership.