Two significant national security and organized crime courses were held in Majuro in late October, led by the Australian National University’s Pacific Security College.
- The first was a four-day National Security and Policymaking Course: 30 representatives of the Marshall Islands government and other entities graduated from the course. The course was arranged by the Australian Embassy in partnership with the RMI Office of National Security.
The course stressed principles of strategy development and various methodologies for drafting informed policies based on rigorous analysis.
This course was designed to support RMI’s efforts currently underway to draft the country’s first national security strategy. In making closing remarks to the graduates, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani Kaneko said he would not be surprised if President Hilda Heine will be nominating some of the graduates to serve on the RMI’s first National Security Strategy drafting team that is being coordinated under the Office of National Security.
- The second session was Transnational Organized Crime Course that spanned four days. At the behest of the Office of National Security and the Australian Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Paul Wilson, the Australian National University’s Pacific Security College conducted this course for RMI government professionals and members of the Majuro community.
The course covered the evolution of transnational organized crime and the current threat that this highly organized criminal activity poses to Pacific Island countries. The course covered a variety of methodologies used to counter transnational organized and examined how different elements of civil society can serve as enabling elements to counter corruption and help support enforcement of the rule of law.
This course was the second in a series of courses designed to support the drafting the country’s first national security strategy. Certificates were presented to the graduates by Chris deBrum, Director of RMI’s Office of National Security, Australian Ambassador Wilson, and RMI Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Isabela Silk.
In making closing remarks to the graduates, Secretary Silk congratulated the 25 men and women graduates for their hard work. The diversity of their backgrounds and experiences and the importance of adopting a whole of society approach are the keys to success in countering Transnational Organized Crime.