AFP chief to spruik Pacific INTERPOL in message to China
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett will use a major UN speech to push ahead with plans for an INTERPOL-style Pacific policing agreement to “help protect our country” and thwart China’s destructive policing in the region.
China has aggressively expanded its police footprint in the South Pacific by signing bilateral security agreements, deploying liaison teams, and providing tactical training and vehicles to countries including the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Vanuatu.
This raised concerns in Canberra; Officials fear this could erode Australia’s role as the Pacific’s main security partner, give China the opportunity to plant spies and further Beijing’s bid to wield military influence in the region.
Praising AFP’s training of police peacekeepers, Ms Barrett will tell the UN Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS) on Wednesday: “National security is regional security and global security.”
“By sitting down with nearly 140 UN member states, we can meaningfully shape frameworks that will strengthen police cooperation not just for now but for generations to come,” he will say, according to advanced portions of his speech.
“One of my priorities is to support the views and roles of Pacific Island police chiefs who want to have a greater say in global forums on safety and security issues that concern their areas.
“Pacific police chiefs will also make a decision in October on whether they will adopt a new bloc, PACPOL.
“This will allow them to collectively set priorities with a single voice in global and regional forums.”
Shortly after taking over as commissioner late last year, Ms Barrett vowed to “strengthen our global operations and emphasize that the AFP is a national security agency”.
In this speech, he drew attention to Iran-related attacks targeting Australian Jews, warning that “some nations, criminals and individuals are more willing to test the stability of democracies and our social cohesion”.
He also said that due to the international dynamic, the AFP had changed its mission statement to “defend and protect Australia and Australia’s future against local and global security threats”.
