Promoting security institutions (such as the police, military, customs, border management and prison services) which are transparent, accountable and fully aware of their roles and responsibilities is one of the key security challenges in the Pacific region. This paper examines the need for a new strategic security framework in the Pacific to complement existing reform efforts. Entry points for security sector governance in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu are identified. These include the formulation of national security policies, the establishment or enhancement of specialised Parliamentary Security Committees and capacity building for civil society.
The Pacific region has been affected by violent conflict in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea; social unrest and riots in Tonga and Vanuatu; and political crises caused by military and civilian coups in Fiji. The cost – in human life, capital and economic losses – from instability, violent conflict and social unrest, is huge for a region that is one of the most vulnerable to external shocks in the world.
There have also been significant challenges to effective civilian oversight of security institutions. Further, where the rules are broken and security institutions embark on actions separated from political governance structures, the state loses control of the monopoly of the use of force.
To achieve the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ vision for a peaceful, secure and prosperous region, a new strategic framework is needed to ensure security institutions are effectively governed and overseen. This will complement existing reform and capacity building efforts and will result in greater accountability and legitimacy of security institutions.
Security sector governance (SSG) is one such approach. It is a means of providing effective and responsive security services to the people, and ensuring that security institutions are accountable to the law. It emphasises the subordination of security institutions to elected political authorities, ensuring accountability to citizens (chiefly through Parliament and regular elections but also through media scrutiny and public consultation and debate).
This paper provides situation reports from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu to gauge what each country needs to strengthen its SSG. The following entry points for SSG programming exist in Pacific region countries:
- While Papua New Guinea is now producing a national security policy, other countries in the region need assistance to focus on the need for a national security policy;
- All Parliaments need assistance with the capacity building of committees charged with security sector oversight;
- Existing civil society organisations need security oversight capacity building;
- Replication of Papua New Guinea’s Ombudsman Commission, now actively engaged in security sector oversight, is possible in other countries.
- The Solomon Islands Anti-Corruption Task Force provides the opportunity to determine and implement security sector anti-corruption procedures.
