The Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Major General Jone Kalouniwai, has advocated for a comprehensive approach to addressing security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. Speaking at the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, he emphasized that traditional military responses are insufficient and called for an integrated strategy that includes peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian efforts.
Major General Kalouniwai particularly highlighted the Pacific Response Group (PRG), which consists of Fiji, Australia, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga, as a successful model for military cooperation and disaster response. He commended the PRG’s proactive focus on non-traditional security threats, such as climate change, and recommended expanding its framework in alignment with broader regional initiatives, including the BOE Declaration and policies of the Pacific Islands Forum.
He introduced a three-pillar crisis management model that encompasses peacebuilding to address conflicts, development for long-term resilience, and humanitarian actions for immediate relief. Drawing on Fiji’s experiences in UN peacekeeping and climate adaptation, he stressed that sustainable security necessitates cross-sector collaboration, emphasizing that Pacific-led solutions need global support.
To bolster regional stability, Kalouniwai proposed several measures: extending the PRG’s mandate, increasing investments in climate security, enhancing military-civil coordination, and ensuring the representation of smaller nations in high-level discussions. These steps, he argued, would prepare nations better for natural disasters and complex geopolitical challenges.
The acknowledgment of climate change as a critical security concern aligns with the perspectives shared by other Pacific leaders, including Baron Waqa of the Pacific Island Forum, who recently underscored the importance of collaboration and dialogue to address external pressures and maintain stability in the region.
This comprehensive strategy reflects a hopeful vision of cooperation and resilience among Pacific nations. By prioritizing collective action, there is potential for fostering a more secure and resilient Pacific, ultimately leading to a peaceful and prospering future for all involved.
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