Fiji to formalize anti-drug partnership with Indonesia’s BNN

Fiji moves to formalise anti-drug partnership with Indonesia’s BNN as Cabinet approves MOU

Fiji is set to formalise a new anti-drug partnership with Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board, with Cabinet approving a Memorandum of Understanding on June 24. Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua told Parliament the agreement with Indonesia’s BNN would provide a framework for technical support, professional development, intelligence exchange and institutional strengthening to combat drug trafficking and abuse.

By way of background, Naivalurua noted Indonesia has countered narcotics threats since 1971, with BNN established in 1999 as the National Narcotics Coordinating Board before adopting its current name in 2002. He said BNN’s mandate includes:
– Coordinating relevant government agencies in the formulation and implementation of national drug control policies; and
– Coordinating the implementation of the National Drug Control policies.

“This is aligned very well to the government’s National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023 to 2028,” he said. A study visit last year by permanent secretary for Home Affairs, Lieutenant-Colonel Mason Smith, paved the way for collaboration through a written agreement. “Soon we will be seeing a team from Indonesia visiting us here in Fiji, where we are going to discuss in more detail on what the MOU is about,” Naivalurua said. He confirmed the agreement would be signed once the implementation plan was finalised.

The move sits within Fiji’s broader push to strengthen its drug control architecture, including efforts to establish an independent Counter Narcotics Bureau and deeper international partnerships as part of the National Counter Narcotics Strategy. These parallel efforts underscore a national commitment to reduce drug trafficking and abuse through a multi-faceted approach that combines policy, enforcement, intelligence and community engagement.

Additional comments and value:
– The agreement with BNN may complement domestic initiatives such as the Counter Narcotics Bureau by expanding regional cooperation and sharing best practices in policy design, intelligence sharing, and capacity building.
– This collaboration could bolster Fiji’s border and maritime security posture through improved information flow and joint trainings, aligning with ongoing international partnerships and technology-enabled enforcement.
– The Indonesian engagement signals continued momentum in Fiji’s international diplomacy on narcotics, reinforcing a positive and proactive stance toward a safer community.

Summary in Fijian (na Nodi me vakadavulici na itukutuku):

Na i solosoma oqo e baleta na Cabinet e sa vakadeitaka e dua na MOU kei na BNN mai Indonesia me baleta na veivakadonu ni vanua mai draki. Na Ministri ni Matabose tokatagica, Ioane Naivalurua, a kerea ki nai vola ni lewena na veitarogi, na vuli vakaiyau, kei na veivakauqeti ni ivakarau me baleta na leqa draki. E tukuna talega ni sa solevu tiko na veika e voli me baleta na National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028, kei na dua na timi mai Indonesia me lako mai ki Fiji me mai vakadikevi vakavinaka na MOU kei na vanua me vakarautaki kina na yasayasa ni vakarautaki. E vakadinadina talega ni sa tiko tale na veivakagumataki mai na noda vanua me baleta na veivakaturaga ni draki ena vuku ni veivakaukaua ni veika e rawa na veiqaravi ni lotu kei na vanua.