Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga. [PHOTO:MOSESE RAQIO]
Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says Fiji must adapt to changing global security threats while ensuring the protection of civilians remains at the centre of every peacekeeping mission.
Speaking at the opening of the Future of Peace Operations and Protection of Civilians workshop, Turaga says Fiji’s proud peacekeeping legacy must continue to evolve to meet the demands of modern conflicts.
He says while the nature of warfare is changing, the protection of vulnerable people, particularly women and children, must never be compromised.
Turaga highlighted Fiji’s decades-long contribution to international peacekeeping, from the First and Second World Wars to United Nations missions and the Regional
Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), saying these deployments have helped shape the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
“We pride ourselves as the best peacekeepers in the world. We have a generation of peacekeepers. I think some families, like four or five generations. It did not start with the UN. It started in the First World War and the Second World War.”
Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs Mason Smith says Fiji must also prepare for emerging threats, including cyber security risks and the impacts of changing weather patterns.
Smith says the Ministry is developing a new peacekeeping strategy to ensure Fiji’s forces remain ready for future challenges while continuing to protect civilians.
