Pacific security leaders from over 20 nations attended the fifth annual Joint Heads of Pacific Security Meeting (JHoPS), a forum for Pacific security leaders to set shared tactical, operational and strategic objectives.
Chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell, said the meeting enabled leaders to work together in an open and respectful way toward solutions to Pacific problems.
“The Joint Heads of Pacific Security meeting is approached in ‘the Pacific Way’, with a focus on consensus, respect for sovereignty, and collective action,” General Campbell said.
Leaders participated in tabletop exercises, enabling them to identify improved ways to share information and enhance cooperation through realistic scenarios, encouraging consideration of better ways to meet Pacific security needs and improve cooperation.
“For us to successfully respond to both traditional and non-traditional security threats in our region requires a coordinated multiagency international response,” said Michael Outram, Australian Border Force Commissioner.
“The value of this close cooperation and information exchange between our Pacific partners, in terms of how this combats the threats currently faced, simply cannot be underestimated.”
The Joint Heads of Pacific Security Meeting 2023 took place in Koror, Palau from 23-24 August.