The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs has launched a Defence Strategic Guidance Consultation Workshop as the next step in shaping Fiji’s national security architecture, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua announced at the opening. Tikoduadua was joined at the launch by Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai and Permanent Secretary Mason Smith, marking a high-level start to what officials describe as a multi-agency effort to refine strategic direction and strengthen national resilience.
The consultation brings together representatives from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Fiji National University, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Strategic Planning and the Fiji Media Association. Over the course of the workshop, which officials say is designed to broaden engagement beyond traditional defence circles, participants will examine how different sectors can contribute to a cohesive security framework that addresses emerging and long-standing threats.
Discussions at the workshop are focused on developing practical guidance to reinforce Fiji’s security and resilience. Officials emphasized collaboration and informed dialogue as central to the process, noting the need to integrate expertise from academic, financial, health and media sectors alongside defence and foreign affairs to produce a whole-of-government approach. The consultation is scheduled to conclude on 27 March 2026 and will be officially closed by Esrom Immanuel.
This workshop represents a tangible follow-up to initiatives launched over the past 18 months. The Defence Strategic Guidance Consultation builds on the National Security and Defence Review (NSDR) introduced in October 2024 and the Cabinet-approved National Security Strategy (NSS) unveiled in early 2025. Those earlier documents identified a widening set of security challenges—ranging from cyber threats and transnational crime to climate-related risks—and called for an agile, coordinated response that mobilises military, civilian and community resources.
Observers say the current consultation is significant because it moves the process from broad review and strategy-setting into a phase of detailed policy shaping and implementation planning. The inclusion of the Fiji National University and the Fiji Media Association, in particular, signals an intent to ground strategic guidance in research, public communications and community engagement rather than leaving it solely to government agencies and the military.
Officials did not release a detailed public agenda or a timetable of deliverables for the workshop, but said outcomes will inform refinements to the NSS and help identify practical measures to improve preparedness, inter-agency coordination and resilience across sectors. The Ministry framed the consultation as part of an ongoing effort to ensure Fiji’s security planning remains responsive to evolving risks and aligned with national development priorities.
As the consultation progresses toward its 27 March close, attention will turn to what concrete recommendations emerge and how they will be integrated into operational planning and budgets. The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs has presented the workshop as a vital step in consolidating a collaborative defence and security posture for Fiji amid complex regional and domestic challenges.
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