COMMISSIONER of Police, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, recently attended the second United Nations Chief of Police Summit (UNCOPS) where discussions focused on the increasingly critical role that United Nations Police perform to prevent conflict and sustain peace in United Nations Peace Operations.
Brig-Gen Sitiveni Qiliho in his address to the Summit on the issue of ‘preventing conflict and sustaining peace’ highlighted that due to Fiji’s participation in United Nations Peacekeeping over the years, peacekeeping has now become part of Fiji’s identity – a key part of its foreign policy.
He highlighted the UN’s recognition of Fiji Police, including in appointing a Fijian senior officer as UNMISS Police Commissioner.
For a small country Fiji has contributed a lot to United Nations Police Peacekeeping.
Fiji Police has also been engaged in regional partnership with Pacific island countries, to deter, minimize and prevent the impact of transnational crime on Fiji.
Brig-Gen Sitiveni Qiliho will be holding bilateral discussions with counterparts for the Pacific Region and Internationally.
He will be discussing, technical assistance and capacity building in these meetings. Fiji stands ready to provide further support to UN Policing.
Meanwhile Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, highlighted the challenges and the changing role of the United Nations Police.
Also, in attendance at the Summit was the Police Commissioner for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa.
