Contested and congested: Pacific regional architecture getting complex, security expert says
A Pacific geopolitical expert says there is a risk that Pacific Islands' priorities and security concerns are being sidelined by increased geopolitical competition and tensions in the region.
Pacific geopolitical expert Anna Powles warns that the region's security priorities may be overshadowed by heightened competition and tensions. Recent security alliances between Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific nations, along with emerging regional organisations, have complicated the already complex regional architecture. Powles suggests that clarity is needed to ensure these arrangements are genuinely Pacific-led.
Comparing the situation to European countries joining NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Powles notes that Canberra and New Zealand's urgency echoes the European response. The risks for Pacific Island nations include the crowding out of their own security priorities, such as transnational crime and climate change, in favor of geopolitical interests.
The Pacific Elders group has expressed concern that Pacific priorities are being diluted. The Ocean of Peace Centre, intended to operationalize the Ocean of Peace Declaration signed by Pacific Forum countries, remains uncertain as to how it will effectively address these issues.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
