[Source: Fiji Government / Facebook]

The work on the National Security and Defence Review, led by Independent review Lead, James Sanday, is halfway through its consultations with stakeholders.

There was a public notice for written submissions where the people were asked to make submissions on how the government’s security framework was structured to consolidate democracy and build resilience in civilian governance.

After a thorough review of the submissions received, the review team embarked on face-to-face consultations with relevant stakeholders.

The stakeholders represented government agencies, statutory bodies, private sector organizations, civil society organizations, and faith-based organizations.

These consultations began in July and were to continue for a period of two months.

The review team expresses gratitude to the stakeholders for the candid discussions.

The review teams’ engagement so far has been transformative in shaping our national security framework.

Through genuine dialogue, they have gained a profound understanding of the unique needs of Fiji’s citizens, fostering partnership in the development of our security strategy.

Given the significant interest by relevant stakeholders to meet with the Review Team and the amount of data gathered from the first month of face-to-face consultations, the Review Team has decided to split the face-to-face consultations into two phases.

The first phase ended in June, while the second phase began in July.