Australia has pledged strong support for the Pacific Policing Initiative, a new program endorsed by leaders at the recent Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will allocate approximately PGK 1 billion (AUD 400 million) over five years to back this initiative, which aims to strengthen regional peace, security, and cooperation among Pacific police forces. "This policing initiative continues a long history of Pacific police forces working together to strengthen regional peace and security, and to support each other in times of need," Prime Minister Albanese said. He emphasized that the Pacific Policing Initiative is a Pacific-led, Australia-backed effort, designed to improve the capability, cooperation, and interoperability among the region’s police forces. "Pacific leaders are working together to shape the future we want to see," Albanese stated. "Improving capability, cooperation, and interoperability among Pacific police forces benefits all Pacific countries and the security of our communities." He highlighted that the security of the Pacific is a shared responsibility among the region’s nations, and this initiative is meant to benefit every country involved. "We are stronger together," Albanese added. The Pacific Policing Initiative is set to boost the ability of Pacific nations to handle law and order, internal security, and tackle shared challenges such as cybercrime, drug importation, illegal fishing, and human trafficking. Key components of the initiative include establishing regional policing centers of excellence for specialist training, creating a Pacific Policing Support Group for joint deployments, and launching the Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub in Brisbane. These measures are aimed at transforming the capabilities of Pacific police forces and strengthening their collective approach in addressing the evolving security threats and challenges faced by the region.