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OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ

Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Women's Advisory Network Conference
Unity In Women, United in Policing
2 and 3 September 2024


The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Women’s Advisory Network (WAN) Conference was held at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga on the 2nd and 3rd of September 2024.

The conference was hosted by Tonga Police and attended by WAN Chairs and delegates from 22 PICP member police services. The theme of the conference was ‘Unity in Women, United in Policing’. The conference also celebrated and recognised the 20th anniversary of the PICP WAN since its inaugural meeting in Nuku'alofa in 2004.

The recipient of the WAN Chair’s Award 2024 was Tonga Police Chief Inspector Sokopeti Faletau, outgoing PICP WAN Chair.  The nomination was received from French Polynesia, and the certificate inscription read ‘In recognition for her leadership and commitment in working to drive change and empower WAN members to step up collectively for our Blue Pacific’.

The incoming PICP WAN Chair is Senior Sergeant Judy Bule from Vanuatu Police Force, and PICP Deputy WAN Chair is Detective Shannon Dela Cruz from Commonwealth of The Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety.

Planned events commenced on Sunday 1 September with a service at the Free Wesleyan Church followed by lunch at the Police College in Longolongo.  After a restful afternoon, the WAN Chairs returned to the Police College and enjoyed hospitality and a light supper provided by the Tonga Police WAN.

The opening of the WAN Chair’s Conference was on the morning of Monday 2 September. Attendees enjoyed performances from the Royal Tonga Police Band and Recruit Wing 52, followed by Benediction from the Tonga Police Chaplain. The opening was also attended by the Royal Solomon Island Police Force Commissioner Mostyn Mangau and Federated States of Micronesia Police Chief Cindy Ludrick.  Police Commissioner Mangau spoke of the need of police services across the region to have more women in leadership positions as they bring many strengths with them that otherwise would not be present.  He encouraged women to apply for leadership roles and congratulated Chief Ludrick on her confirmation as Chief earlier that day. Attendees also heard from Reverend Doctor ‘Ungatea Kata on overcoming leadership challenges to lead change.

Over the two days of conference the network reflected on the advances made by women in Pacific police over the past 20 years.  The conference was facilitated in partnership with Balance of Power, a Pacific-led initiative, focused on enabling women and men in the Pacific to improve the political, social and economic opportunities for women and girls.  The sessions were designed to enable the network to reflect on the key critical importance of ongoing support from the Chiefs, identifying the key lessons learned from the past 20 years to inform future planning.  Balance of Power moderated a Women Leading Change panel of speakers including Director of the Tupou Tertiary Institute, President of the Tonga Women In ICT, Australian Defence Force advisor and  the Executive Director of Balance of Power.  The speakers and panelists provided insights into their personal and professional challenges leading change in spaces traditionally and historically led by men.  Balance of Power also facilitated a session on Adaptive Leadership focused on inclusive and effective leadership tailored for the Pacific using a local trainer and lead gender advocate in Tonga which was well received.  Discussions identified key areas of focus for the future including women's leadership development, improving working conditions and retention of women in policing.  Sexual harassment, maternity leave, and disability support were key policies that network members identified as priorities for review.  Access to women’s wellbeing services including health education, mental wellbeing support, and fitness programs were also raised as additional key focus areas for consideration.  There was also a call for support in developing career pathways for women in speciality disciplines, such as maritime security, cyber security, and legal and compliance.  Other presenters included the New Zealand Defence Force and the Pacific Faculty of Policing.

The PICP and WAN Chair’s celebrated the 20th anniversary of the WAN programme on the evening of Monday 2 September with a shared meal at Ancient Tonga and cake cutting ceremony.  Attendees enjoyed a cultural performance as part of the celebration as well as performances from Police Recruit Wing 52. To mark the auspicious occasion, a limited edition PICP WAN Challenge coin was given to attendees.

The conference re-invigorated the WAN Chair’s commitment to their local WANs as a vehicle to drive change and empower women officers. Following on from conference, WAN Chairs will endeavour to develop initiatives to bring positive change within their jurisdictions with support from PICP and AFP.

Attendees expressed gratitude for the warm reception and generous hospitality of Tonga Police throughout their stay in Tonga.

PICP Women’sAdvisory Network (WAN) Chairs’ Conference – 2 and 3 September 2024
Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga

Seated left to right: Superintendent Ruci Nasemira (Fiji), Inspector Anisela Ioane (Kiribati), Officer Suiliana Peha (Tokelau), Senior Inspector Freda Woktamol (Papua New Guinea), Senior Sergeant Judy Bule (Vanuatu - PICP Deputy WAN Chair), Chief Inspector Sokopeti Faletau (Tonga – PICP WAN Chair), Senior Sergeant Rebecca Hosking (Cook Islands), Lieutenant Vaivasa Wells (American Samoa), Detective Shannon Dela Cruz (Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands), Administrative Specialist Paige Etitau Tutii (Palau), Tonga Police
Standing left to right: Executive Assistant Galoto Filolita (Marshall Islands), Officer Christy Mendiola (Guam), Constable Luta Uila Stanley (Tuvalu), Constable Trina Kaiuha (Niue), Senior Constable Jacaranda Akibwib (Nauru), Commander Pip Connell (Australia), Detective Superintendent Aldora Mamaia (Samoa), Major Karine Vincent (French Polynesia), Supervisor Vivian Foanaota (Solomon Islands), Captain Stephanie Ravel (New Caledonia), Sergeant Investigator Michelle David (Federated States of Micronesia), Lil Mapu (New Zealand)

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50th Annual Conference, Australia
29 – 31 August 2023
OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ
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1. The 50th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Annual Conference, hosted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), was held in Queensland, Australia. Police Chiefs, Commissioners, and delegated representatives (herein after referred to as ‘the PICP’ or ‘the Chiefs’) from 19 out of 22 member countries were in attendance.
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2. The conference commenced with an opening ceremony led by Shannon Ruska of Tribal Experiences, representing the Kombumerri People, the traditional owners of the land of the Gold Coast where the Conference was held.
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3. Approximately 80 observers were in attendance representing a broad range of bilateral, regional, and international partners, including keynote speaker Mr Guillermo Galarza, Vice President of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC). ICMEC is a Non-Governmental Organisation that fights against child sexual exploitation and abuse, and searches for missing children in the world.
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4. The conference theme “Cybercrime: Countering Child Exploitation” provided the PICP with the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences, hear from partners regarding their experiences, tools, and approaches for combatting cybercrime and child exploitation, and deliberate on how to further strengthen current efforts to ensure a safer, and more secure, Blue Pacific.
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5. The Chiefs noted a presentation delivered by PICP Womens Advisory Network (WAN) Chair, Chief Inspector Sokopeti Faletau of Tonga Police. The Chiefs reconfirmed their support for the WAN, and the importance of providing an environment that supports and promotes women in policing. Chiefs acknowledged the support received from the AFP and the Pacific Community (SPC) to deliver WAN activities, including the upcoming review of the WAN Strategic Direction, the development of an Action Plan to reflect future activities, and the importance of data collection to support the work of the WAN. The Chiefs further committed to maximising the ability of the WAN, and women in policing, to influence change.
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6. Opening remarks by keynote speaker Mr Galarza emphasised that the escalating prevalence of online child exploitation is an issue of grave concern on a global scale. The PICP reinforced the need to bolster Pacific capabilities to address and combat these crimes as a priority. Mr Galarza also commended the PICP Secretariat’s intent to engage industry and that this type of offending requires a wholistic approach.
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7. The PICP endorsed collaboration with ICMEC to combat cyber enabled child exploitation in the Pacific. As part of this, the PICP endorsed ICMEC, subject to funding, to undertake a Multisectoral Response and Capacity Assessment (MRCA) on Child Exploitation to enable the PICP to assess and augment individual, and collective response efforts. Moreover, the PICP and ICMEC committed to collaborate on developing a tailored training regimen to meet those identified needs.

8. The PICP commended its partners for assisting the PICP as it embarks on this vital mission, and thanked guest presenters - the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, AFP, Pacific Island Law Officers Network (PILON), United States Federal Bureau of Investigations and Department of Homeland Security, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and United Kingdom National Crime Agency - for sharing information and approaches for combating cybercrime and child exploitation.
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9. In conjunction with the MRCA, the PICP encouraged partners to assist with specialised training focused on conducting comprehensive child abuse investigations, spanning both the digital and physical domains.
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10. Noting that gaps in legislation may hamper the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of child exploitation, the PICP endorsed the requirement for model legislation throughout the Pacific to combat child exploitation and is committed to working in partnership with PILON to achieve this.
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11. The PICP reconfirmed cybercrime as a key priority and demonstrated their commitment to a regional response through the signing of the renewed Declaration of Partnership for Cyber Safety Pasifika (CSP). CSP is the PICP mandated and preferred regional provider for cybercrime investigations training and awareness and education. CSP initiatives are tailored to be fit for purpose and contextualised for each Pacific country, and activities are delivered through partnerships with subject matter experts across law enforcement, government, NGOs, and industry.
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12. The PICP welcomed the launch of the virtual CSP Online Training Library, with training modules available for participants to complement existing face-to-face training.
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13. The PICP reaffirmed the importance of United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Mission deployments and expressed a desire for regional solutions to be progressed to overcome challenges to participation in UN Mission deployments.
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14. The PICP welcomed INTERPOL’s commitment to supporting the Pacific region, and noted the update provided on Project Blue Pacific, which will seek to strengthen current engagement, capacity, and capabilities in PICP’s INTERPOL member countries through training and cooperation. The Project is scheduled to commence delivery by late 2023.
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15. The PICP endorsed the United States Department of Defence Joint Interagency Task Force West to work with the Pacific Transnational Crime Network to develop an enhanced software solution to strengthen the Network’s ability to counter transnational organised crime.
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16. The PICP noted support for the AFP Pacific Police Partnership Program (AP4), noting the new Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (LECP). The LECP, and its associated capability fund aims to strengthen the capability of Pacific police through the provision of specialist policing training and equipment and will provide enhanced support through the Pacific Community for Law Enforcement Cooperation (PLCEC), the PICP’s central coordination point and primary delivery mechanism for capability development initiatives.
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17. The conference reinforced the strength of regionalism in responding to multifaceted policing challenges.

Chief’s Retreat
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18. A closed Chief’s Retreat was held prior to the conference, providing the PICP an opportunity to reflect on current and emerging priorities. Key outcomes included:

a. The PICP confirmed that the 2024 Annual Conference, to be hosted by Chair of PICP, Tonga Police, will focus on “Our Blue Pacific on the Global Stage”. The 2025 Annual Conference will be hosted by current Deputy Chair, the Vanuatu Police Force.
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b. The PICP noted the development of the Regional Transnational Organised Crime Strategy, a key implementation strategy of the Peace and Security thematic area, for the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. Chiefs emphasised the importance of law enforcement agencies being included in the development of regional strategies, frameworks, and implementation plans associated with peace and security at the national level. The PICP agreed to provide feedback, including aspirational statements, to guide the finalisation of the strategy.
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c. The PICP welcomed an independent review of the PICP will be commencing in September 2023, to determine the future status of PICP, thereby ensuring it remains fit for purpose and well positioned in the current environment to support its members. The review will consider the structure, governance, resourcing, and activities of PICP, with a final report due by February 2024 to the PICP Executive Leadership Team.
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d. The PICP supported the proposal raised to develop a membership structure that allows PICP to work closely with partners (bilateral, regional, and international) who have significant cooperation, engagement, and interest in the PICP.
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19. The PICP thanked the AFP and PICP Secretariat for organising and hosting the 50th Annual Conference and associated meetings.
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