The ninth annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM) wrapped up today in Auckland, New Zealand, bringing together Defence Ministers and representatives from Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. The meeting also included observers from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as special guest Mr. Baron Waqa, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.
This year’s theme was “Collectively Looking to the Future: Our Region in 2050,” focusing on critical regional security challenges such as climate change, maritime security, and strategic competition. The discussions highlighted the need for enhanced collaboration and a unified strategy to address these complex issues, reaffirming the commitment of Pacific nations to maintain security and resilience in the region.
Several important outcomes emerged from the SPDMM, including the endorsement of the Pacific Response Group (PRG), aimed at improving disaster response capabilities across the Pacific. The ministers discussed maritime security cooperation to enhance domain awareness and agreed to continue initiatives such as ship-riding cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and transnational crime.
Climate change was recognized as a security concern, establishing it as a standing agenda item for future SPDMM meetings. The ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening regional capacity to respond to disasters induced by climate change.
The publication of a report on non-traditional threats was welcomed, outlining how militaries in the South Pacific are addressing issues such as cyber threats, natural disasters, and health crises, in accordance with the Boe Declaration on Regional Security. Additionally, the establishment of the Pacific Defence Faith Network was endorsed, with a commitment to promoting the Women, Peace, and Security agenda to tackle challenges in recruitment and career progression within Pacific militaries.
Support was also shown for the launch of a regional training framework aimed at improving military training coordination by 2025. Chile’s initiative to establish the SPDMM Academic Cooperation Network received praise as well.
Fiji’s delegation, led by Pio Tikoduadua, was instrumental in discussions regarding the Regional Training Framework, which will now encompass defence civilian training streams, ensuring a holistic approach to enhancing defence capabilities in the South Pacific.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to Pacific-led solutions and an agreement to reconvene in Chile for SPDMM 2025.