The ninth annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM) wrapped up today in Auckland, New Zealand. This year, the event brought together Defence Ministers and delegates from countries including Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. Observers from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated, alongside Mr. Baron Waqa, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, who attended as a special guest.
The central theme for this year’s meeting was “Collectively Looking to the Future: Our Region in 2050,” focusing on important regional security issues such as climate change, maritime security, and strategic competition. The discussions highlighted the necessity for increased collaboration and a unified approach to address these challenges, reinforcing the commitment of Pacific nations to enhance the region’s security and resilience.
Several key outcomes emerged from the SPDMM, including the establishment of the Pacific Response Group (PRG), aimed at improving disaster response capabilities across the Pacific. The ministers also examined maritime security cooperation to enhance situational awareness and agreed to continue initiatives in ship-riding cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat issues like illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as transnational crime.
Climate change has been prioritized as a security issue and will remain a standing agenda topic for future SPDMM meetings. The ministers reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening regional capacities to respond to disasters resulting from climate change.
Additionally, the ministers welcomed the release of a report addressing non-traditional threats and emphasized how militaries across the South Pacific are tackling issues such as cyber threats, natural disasters, and health crises, in accordance with the Boe Declaration on Regional Security. They also discussed the formation of the Pacific Defence Faith Network and expressed commitment to advancing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda to tackle challenges in recruitment and career progression within Pacific militaries.
Support was also voiced for the rollout of a regional training framework aimed at enhancing military training coordination by 2025, with praise given to Chile’s initiative in establishing the SPDMM Academic Cooperation Network.
Fiji’s delegation, led by Pio Tikoduadua, was instrumental in promoting discussions on the Regional Training Framework, ensuring it will encompass civilian training streams to support a holistic approach to building defence capabilities across the South Pacific.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to Pacific-led solutions and a promise to reconvene in Chile for the SPDMM 2025.