LocationsRegional Border Management Meeting to take place in Denarau
November 18, 2022
Fiji’s Nadi International Airport is a key entry point for many travellers entering the Pacific.
Suva, Fiji - A regional consultation on integrated border management will take place at the end of this month, bringing together key national actors from Fiji, Palau and Vanuatu.
The two-day event in Denarau will discuss best-practices and lessons learned on integrated border management, in both a pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 environments – bringing together the heads of border management agencies from the three countries.
With support from the Government of Japan, the Strengthening Border Control Capacity project aims to support border management agencies in Fiji, Palau and Vanuatu to reinforce their capacities and systems for inter-agency and cross-regional cooperation.
Effective border management serves a dual purpose: firstly, it aids in the facilitation of cross-border movement for goods, services and people. Secondly, it helps in maintaining safety and security, and limiting the impact of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected every corner of the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught border agencies here in the Pacific several important lessons about operational preparedness in times of crisis. These lessons will have implications for the future in terms of training, staffing, cross-border information sharing, risk mitigation, regional collaboration, and the use of technologies – all items that will be discussed at the regional meeting this month.
Strengthening border management practices remains a key issue across many Pacific Island nations.
Peter Polloi, Director of the Palau Bureau of Aviation, will join the regional meeting and said he looked forward to sharing lessons learned from his country – both during the COVID-19 pandemic and now as restrictions continue to ease.
"This meeting will provide an opportunity to identify strategic opportunities and partnerships, and to discuss how Palau dealt with COVID related border closures. Our priority is to work together across the Pacific with other agencies, simplifying the way we do things through learning from others," said Mr. Polloi.
Levan Bouadze, Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji said that the meeting provided an opportunity to further collaboration regarding border management at the regional level.
“Collaboration and knowledge sharing are critical components of this project. This meeting is an early step towards the adoption of regional standards, agreements and governance mechanisms to help reduce red tape and maximise the benefits of both cross-border trade and travel,” said Mr. Bouadze said.
The regional meeting will be held at Sheraton Fiji, Denarau, from 29 - 30 November.
The Project for Strengthening Border Control Capacity is supported by the Government of Japan, with UNDP working alongside key partners the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
For further media enquiries please contact:
Rustam Pulatov, Project Manager, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji; Tel +679 3312 500; Email: rustam.pulatov@undp.org
