A Vanuatu National Security consultation seminar was held on Thursday 6th of August 2018 at the Vanuatu Police Collage.
It is organized by the Vanuatu police Force in corporation with the ministry of internal affairs, with the aim of developing a first ever NS (National security) consultation inclining with the people’s plan of the national sustainable development plan.
“Today we are taking a first step to ensure that we address our national security, the importance of National Security is huge, as national security is intimately linked to economic stability, resource efficiency, good governance and social cohesion” said the minister of internal affairs, Hon Andrew Napuat.
He then expressed in his opening speech that National Security is a broad and evolving concept, concerning how Vanuatu shapes its environment, and how Vanuatu prevent and prepare for threats to its sovereignty, people, assets, infrastructure and institutions.
“Today National security is all about human security, climate change and natural disasters” he said
Leaders at the seminar are determined to de-isolate Vanuatu from economic developments as such as Chinas dynamic economic transformation, however a NSS must first be in place.
Vanuatu is not the only nation facing national security challenges. Governments around the world are being faced with more immediate national security challenges such as criminal, transnational crimes and terrorism.
‘Vanuatu’s security landscape concerns corruption, money laundering, drugs and arms, natural disaster, thus the responsibility of the state is to protect the sovereignty of the state and the values, wellbeing and the prosperity of the people ” said the commander of the VMF
An objective of the seminar is to develop an NSS that will drive the decision making on national security that will identify and prioritize different challenges.
“Our vision for Vanuatu’s national security is for a unified NS system that works with all partners to act on threats protecting our nation and shaping it based on our own interest and ensuring a safe and secure population’’ said Hon Andrew Napuat
He then said that once Vanuatu has identified its security objectives, efforts must be made to pursue them and work in collaboration cooperatively with all government agencies in realizing these objectives.
Different agencies may have different roles in addressing national security challenges but still all are bound by the government’s fundamental responsibility for national security.