Pacific Island Forum Director for Policy, Paki Ormsby

Cybercrime poses an increasing challenge to the safety and well-being of Pacific Islanders.

Pacific Island Forum Director for Policy, Paki Ormsby, while making their submissions to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense earlier this week, says the Pacific leaders affirmed that cybersecurity is a priority security threat requiring a concerted, collective regional effort to address.

Ormsby says the Forum Secretariat continues to assess that cybercrime will severely affect the lives of the people on the Blue Continent.

“Cyber-enabled crimes will continue to negatively impact the peace and prosperity of the Pacific people, and continued effort is required by all members and partners to mitigate the threat.”

Ormsby says in the Boe Declaration on Regional Security in 2019, Forum leaders outlined an expanded concept of security for the Pacific region, which includes a range of proposed actions to combat security threats, including a full strategic focus on cyber threats.

Becoming a party to the Convention on Cybercrime will enhance Fiji’s ability to combat cybercrime with international support and assistance.

The Convention has 67 member states, which include Australia and Tonga from the South Pacific region.