Kreetika Kumar 
RFMF Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai speaking at the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue.
Republic of Fiji Military Forces Commander, Major General Jone Kalouniwai, has called for a united and comprehensive approach to tackle security challenges in the Asia-Pacific.
Speaking at the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, he said traditional military responses alone are not enough and stressed the need to combine peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian efforts.
He highlighted the Pacific Response Group which includes Fiji, Australia, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga as a key model for disaster response and military cooperation.
He praised the PRG’s focus on non-traditional threats like climate change and urged its expansion to fit within wider regional frameworks, such as the BOE Declaration and Pacific Islands Forum policies.
The Commander also outlined a three-pillar crisis management model which includes peacebuilding to resolve conflicts, development to ensure long-term resilience, and humanitarian action for immediate relief.
Drawing from Fiji’s experience in UN peacekeeping and climate adaptation, he stressed that sustainable security requires cross-sector collaboration, with Pacific-led solutions supported by global partnerships.
To strengthen regional stability, he proposed expanding the PRG’s mandate, increasing climate security investments, improving military-civilian coordination, and ensuring smaller nations’ voices are heard in high-level discussions.
These measures, he argued, would enhance preparedness for both natural disasters and complex geopolitical challenges.
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