SG regional security seminar
SG regional security seminar
26 Jan 2006 18:57:11 SPEECH BY FORUM SECRETARY GENERAL,
GREG URWIN At the
PACIFIC REGIONAL TERRORISM, TRANSNATIONAL CRIME & BORDER SECURITY SEMINAR
Forum Secretariat
27 January 2006
British High Commissioner, Charles Mochan, Excellencies, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and to the second of three seminars on Terrorism, Transnational Crime & Border Security, which the Secretariat is very pleased to co-host with the United Kingdom and the Transnational Crime Network.
2. First, I would like to acknowledge the substantial financial support from the United Kingdom which has enabled these seminars to take place. I also acknowledge the valuable input by the presenters from Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, United Kingdom, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pacific Transnational Crime Network.
3. These seminars are a testimony to the strong working relationship among law enforcement agencies, the Secretariat and diplomatic missions. The concept for this year's seminar series was put together by the British High Commission and the Forum Secretariat Law Enforcement Unit, in consultation with our regional friends and law enforcement experts. The seminars aim to raise awareness of some important issues that continue to challenge us, and to explore how we might respond more effectively.
4. A range of developments, generally gathered up in the term globalisation are making it easier and easier to interact within the region and with the wider world and by extension potentially easier for criminal individuals and groups to exploit Forum Island Countries and the wider Pacific region or use it as a safe haven or transit point.
5. Border management infrastructures which still lack sufficient cohesion or adequate governance regimes have created an environment where our region is from time to time utilised by travellers whose intentions are, to say, the least not known. And as other countries and regions strengthen their efforts to combat transnational organised crime and terrorism, the pressures on relatively open, resource challenged regions such as ours becomes the greater. In other words, what affects the rest of the world, affects us and we need to be smarter about the way we work together.
6. Seminars such as this one aim to raise the awareness levels of our operational, legal and law enforcement officers. If we don't know what to look for, and know how various groups and people operate, we will not be in a position to make our communities as safe from organised criminal activities as we wish them to be. The strength of these seminars is that they are aimed at you, this in the front line. And apart from the practical information you will exchange over the next two days, there should be real value in the personal contacts you will make with fellow officers working in your field.
7. Our Region has committed itself to a Pacific Plan as a means of making more effective the cooperative activities that have, over the years, been developed. The kind of regional cohesiveness we are aiming for across a broad range of sectors is critical if we are to meet the challenges posed by transnational criminals who operate, not singly, amateurishly, or in a small time way but with the efficiency of multi national corporations.
8. Much has been done within the region to develop the necessary legal and law enforcement framework to combat transnational crime and terrorism. This work includes the development of model legislation, strengthening of the sharing of information by law enforcement agencies both bilaterally and via the establishment of a Pacific Transnational Crime Network comprising Transnational Crime Units and the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre, and by the establishment of Financial Intelligence Units and other anti-money laundering capacity development programmes.
9. Much of this activity has been undertaken, not by single agencies but in regional partnerships. In keeping with the theme of the first presentation, a call for regional collaboration it may be an apposite time for you to look again at your current work habits and think how you might, first within your own country, support the efforts of other agencies within your jurisdictions. I encourage each of you to think, as much as you can, in terms of developing secure interagency networks so that the burden, and the benefits, of fighting organised crime are shared among you. It follows, that as your border regime strengthens as a result of your inter-agency cooperation, this in turn will serve other countries within our Forum family and the wider global community.
10. Combating terrorism has not been a number one priority for Forum Island Countries, partly one suspects, because it has not been seen as relevant or as urgent as a number of bread and butter issues . Viewed in a global sense, that kind of judgement is far from sound. We are as much a part of that globe as anyone else. It may be possible to argue that our region is a less likely candidate for a terrorist attack than others, but it would not be prudent to plan for the future on that basis. And more importantly, perhaps, terrorism needs to be seen as part of the general fabric of transnational crime. Motivations may be different, but if you have established the methodology for transnational crime you have in essence established the methodology for terrorism.
11. Good preparation beats reaction every time. I wish you well over the next three days.
12. Before finishing, it would be, to say the least, remiss of me not to acknowledge that this is the British High Commissioner's last day of work before leaving his post. Charles, on behalf of the Forum, I would like to thank you for your support to the region. I hope that Scotland learns how to play rugby again. It has been a great pleasure working with you and I wish you and Ilse all the best. Thank you.
26 Jan 2006 18:57:11 SPEECH BY FORUM SECRETARY GENERAL,
GREG URWIN At the
PACIFIC REGIONAL TERRORISM, TRANSNATIONAL CRIME & BORDER SECURITY SEMINAR
Forum Secretariat
27 January 2006
British High Commissioner, Charles Mochan, Excellencies, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and to the second of three seminars on Terrorism, Transnational Crime & Border Security, which the Secretariat is very pleased to co-host with the United Kingdom and the Transnational Crime Network.
2. First, I would like to acknowledge the substantial financial support from the United Kingdom which has enabled these seminars to take place. I also acknowledge the valuable input by the presenters from Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, United Kingdom, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pacific Transnational Crime Network.
3. These seminars are a testimony to the strong working relationship among law enforcement agencies, the Secretariat and diplomatic missions. The concept for this year's seminar series was put together by the British High Commission and the Forum Secretariat Law Enforcement Unit, in consultation with our regional friends and law enforcement experts. The seminars aim to raise awareness of some important issues that continue to challenge us, and to explore how we might respond more effectively.
4. A range of developments, generally gathered up in the term globalisation are making it easier and easier to interact within the region and with the wider world and by extension potentially easier for criminal individuals and groups to exploit Forum Island Countries and the wider Pacific region or use it as a safe haven or transit point.
5. Border management infrastructures which still lack sufficient cohesion or adequate governance regimes have created an environment where our region is from time to time utilised by travellers whose intentions are, to say, the least not known. And as other countries and regions strengthen their efforts to combat transnational organised crime and terrorism, the pressures on relatively open, resource challenged regions such as ours becomes the greater. In other words, what affects the rest of the world, affects us and we need to be smarter about the way we work together.
6. Seminars such as this one aim to raise the awareness levels of our operational, legal and law enforcement officers. If we don't know what to look for, and know how various groups and people operate, we will not be in a position to make our communities as safe from organised criminal activities as we wish them to be. The strength of these seminars is that they are aimed at you, this in the front line. And apart from the practical information you will exchange over the next two days, there should be real value in the personal contacts you will make with fellow officers working in your field.
7. Our Region has committed itself to a Pacific Plan as a means of making more effective the cooperative activities that have, over the years, been developed. The kind of regional cohesiveness we are aiming for across a broad range of sectors is critical if we are to meet the challenges posed by transnational criminals who operate, not singly, amateurishly, or in a small time way but with the efficiency of multi national corporations.
8. Much has been done within the region to develop the necessary legal and law enforcement framework to combat transnational crime and terrorism. This work includes the development of model legislation, strengthening of the sharing of information by law enforcement agencies both bilaterally and via the establishment of a Pacific Transnational Crime Network comprising Transnational Crime Units and the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre, and by the establishment of Financial Intelligence Units and other anti-money laundering capacity development programmes.
9. Much of this activity has been undertaken, not by single agencies but in regional partnerships. In keeping with the theme of the first presentation, a call for regional collaboration it may be an apposite time for you to look again at your current work habits and think how you might, first within your own country, support the efforts of other agencies within your jurisdictions. I encourage each of you to think, as much as you can, in terms of developing secure interagency networks so that the burden, and the benefits, of fighting organised crime are shared among you. It follows, that as your border regime strengthens as a result of your inter-agency cooperation, this in turn will serve other countries within our Forum family and the wider global community.
10. Combating terrorism has not been a number one priority for Forum Island Countries, partly one suspects, because it has not been seen as relevant or as urgent as a number of bread and butter issues . Viewed in a global sense, that kind of judgement is far from sound. We are as much a part of that globe as anyone else. It may be possible to argue that our region is a less likely candidate for a terrorist attack than others, but it would not be prudent to plan for the future on that basis. And more importantly, perhaps, terrorism needs to be seen as part of the general fabric of transnational crime. Motivations may be different, but if you have established the methodology for transnational crime you have in essence established the methodology for terrorism.
11. Good preparation beats reaction every time. I wish you well over the next three days.
12. Before finishing, it would be, to say the least, remiss of me not to acknowledge that this is the British High Commissioner's last day of work before leaving his post. Charles, on behalf of the Forum, I would like to thank you for your support to the region. I hope that Scotland learns how to play rugby again. It has been a great pleasure working with you and I wish you and Ilse all the best. Thank you.
