The Minister for Policing and Communications, Hon Ioane Naivalurua met with Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Jessica Hunter to strengthen bilateral cooperation in digital transformation, cybersecurity and critical technology resilience.
The meeting was also attended by the Australian High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji as well the Permanent Secretary for Policing and Communications-Fiji.
Discussions began with cyber security and digital transformation priorities under the Vuvale Partnership through the MOU between both countries. The Minister reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to strengthening its national cyber security posture, through the upcoming Cybersecurity and Resilience Strategy including the operationalisation of Fiji’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), and requested continued Australian support in resourcing and capacity building.
The Ambassador reiterated Australia’s willingness to support implementation efforts across digital transformation, the digital economy, cyber security and the protection of critical infrastructure.
Both sides also discussed artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of government and industry working together to manage emerging technologies responsibly. There was shared recognition of the need to build foundational capacity, particularly in digital literacy and institutional capability, to ensure digital transformation delivers secure and inclusive outcomes.
On online safety and social media regulation, the Minister referenced Australia’s work in restricting social media access for children under the age of 16 and thanked the Ambassador as Australia continues to share its approach. The Ambassador conveyed that upon in implementing the restrictions, approximately 4.6 million accounts were removed within a two-week period.
The Ambassador also covered the challenges of working with large technology companies, the importance of inter-agency coordination to assess impacts, and the need for evidence-based policymaking when addressing the societal effects such as that of social media platforms.
In the policing space, the Permanent Secretary highlighted the needs of the Fiji Police Force, particularly in strengthening digital forensics capabilities and enhancing investigative capacity in the digital arena. The High Commissioner also updated the Minister on some additional resourcing support being committed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), reinforcing Australia’s ongoing commitment to strengthening operational capability and cooperation in law enforcement.
The Minister expressed appreciation for Australia’s continued support under the Vuvale Partnership and reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to deepening cooperation in digital transformation, cyber security and law enforcement collaboration.