Cybercrime, online scams and the illicit use of digital infrastructure have become established security threats across the Pacific, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa says.
Addressing the inaugural U.S Government-hosted Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers in Los Angeles, California, Waqa said the threats were compounded by the region’s vast ocean, dispersed populations, limited resources and growing digital connectivity.
He said Forum members were strengthening collective responses to transnational crime, including through the development of the Waqa Moana Concept to improve coordination among relevant law enforcement agencies.
Waqa said initiatives such as the conference were valuable in bringing together policymakers, operational leaders and regional institutions to address shared security challenges.
He said closer cooperation was needed in cyber resilience, electronic evidence, financial investigations, intelligence sharing and efforts to disrupt criminal networks operating across borders and jurisdictions.
The conference provides a platform for Pacific countries and the United States to strengthen law enforcement cooperation as criminal activity increasingly exploits digital systems and regional borders.
