Members of the Pacific Islands Forum have agreed to develop a Regional Transnational Organised Crime Disruption Framework.
At the conclusion of the three-day inaugural Pacific Regional Law Enforcement Conference in Nadi this week, PIF secretary general Henry Puna said the new framework was a collective response to transnational organised crimes.
“Recognising the significant impact of transnational crime in the region, members, as a priority under the implementation of the Boe Declaration for 2022, agreed to prioritise the development of a Regional Transnational Organised Crime Disruption Framework to guide our collective response,” he said.
“While PICs, in the past, have largely been linked to transnational organised crime activities as transit points for movement of illicit substances to big markets such as New Zealand and Australia, the emergence of a niche domestic market, particularly for illicit drugs, seen in a number of PICs was a concern for members.”
He said how member countries responded to these new and growing threats was vital.
“It is not about developing new regional arrangements, it is about reviewing existing frameworks, identifying loopholes and establishing shared priorities that we as a region can work together to strengthen our resilience and contribute to the achievement of our ambitions under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific.”
