Australia plans to invest around $400 million over the next five years into the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) to fulfill the aspirations of Pacific nations, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Upon arriving in Tonga on Thursday evening, Mr. Albanese joined other Pacific leaders to endorse the PPI, which aims to enhance regional peace and security across the Pacific.
The initiative seeks to improve the capacity of Pacific countries to address law enforcement and internal security needs while providing mutual support during emergencies.
“This policing initiative continues a long history of Pacific police forces collaborating to strengthen regional peace and security and assist each other in times of need,” he stated.
Mr. Albanese emphasized the importance of Pacific leaders working together to create a better future, highlighting that improved capabilities, cooperation, and interoperability among Pacific police forces benefit all nations and enhance community security.
“This is a Pacific-led initiative, backed by Australia, that leverages our collective strengths. We are more powerful together,” he said.
The PPI will consist of three key components: establishing up to four regional Police Training Centres of Excellence in the Pacific, forming the Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG) which will provide a trained pool of officers available for deployment during major events or crises, and creating a PPI Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Brisbane with access to advanced Australian Federal Police facilities for training and preparation for PPSG operations.
Australia’s funding will also cover the infrastructure costs of establishing these new Centres of Excellence in the region.
The PPI aligns with the peace and security objectives of the Pacific Islands Forum as outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and builds upon experiences from the Solomon Islands International Assistance Force.
Conversations about developing a cohesive regional policing capability began during the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police meeting held in 2023.