The Pacifc region has been affected by violent con?ict
in 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. There have also been signifcant challenges to
effective civilian oversight of security institutions.
Security institutions in the Pacifc region have a special
responsibility in society to support democracy and
human rights and to protect citizens from harm. This
considerable responsibility underpins the essential
compact that exists between security institutions and
the societies they are meant to protect and defend. Such
concepts are essential to achieving the objectives of
good governance and security as enshrined in the Pacifc
Plan.
Overall the key security governance challenges in the
Pacifc region, as with experiences of other nations
around the globe, revolve around promoting security
institutions which are transparent, accountable and fully
cognizant of their roles and responsibilities. Each country
needs to ensure adequate security for the population and
to safeguard the civil liberties and freedoms codifed in
their respective constitutions and national laws.
To deal with these challenges the Pacifc has moved
towards closer regional integration and cooperation,
which underpins the Pacifc Plan and Pacifc Islands
Forum leader’s communiqués and declarations. However,
it is becoming apparent that more has to be done to
achieve the leader’s vision for a peaceful, secure and
prosperous region. Achieving the vision requires fresh
thinking and innovative approaches.
Effective security sector governance (SSG) is one such
approach. It seeks to make people, communities and
states more secure by emphasizing constitutionalism and
civil supremacy. It does this by instilling a sense of service
among security providers and by locating the functioning
elements of the entire security system within the broader
framework of the rule of law and respect for universally
accepted human rights.
This publication focuses on the need for a new strategic
framework in the Pacifc, which will complement existing
reform and capacity building efforts of police, military,
and customs and immigration agencies and will result
in greater accountability and legitimacy of security
institutions. It is structured into two main parts.