Indonesia is hosting this week's meetings of police ministers and commissioners from member countries of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Melanesian Spearhead Group flags. Photo: RNZI
The meeting is being chaired by Solomon Islands, as the current holder of the MSG chairmanship.
Other full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement.
Discussions will focus on emerging trends of crime, as well as regional security issues and how MSG countries can contribute to UN operations around the world.
The meeting of police ministers is expected to discuss progress made on the Regional Police Academy initiative, for which Indonesia has offered the Pacific countries assistance.
Indonesia has MSG associate member status, and forged close links with Fiji's government while becoming more engaged in MSG activities over recent years.
Indonesia's Chief of National Police, General Tito Karnavian, was also present at last December's MSG Police Minister's meeting in Fiji.
"I welcome these discussions because it is now important to build the capacity of our Police to address psychological, economical and societal problems which has added another layer of intricacy to policing," Fiji's Minister for Defence and National Security Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said.
"These new challenges have arisen against the background of ongoing the usual crime problems of drugs, property crime and violence."
