Police officers from across the Pacific and Timor-Leste have graduated from a specialised United Nations peacekeeping training programme delivered by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in Brisbane, strengthening the region’s capacity to contribute to international peace and security. The five-week course prepared 54 officers for future UN Police deployments, with training covering peacekeeping principles, child protection, intelligence-led policing, and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

A notable feature of this year’s graduating class was the strong representation of women, who accounted for 40 per cent of participants. The figure reflects the growing role of women in policing and peace operations across the Pacific, as countries increasingly recognize the value of women's leadership and participation in security and peacebuilding efforts. The programme brought together officers from Tonga, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Nauru, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati, alongside Australian Federal Police personnel.

The initiative was developed at the request of Pacific police chiefs seeking to build a Pacific-led UN peacekeeping capability and support future deployments. With an 83 per cent pass rate, an improvement on last year’s inaugural course, the programme is helping create a new generation of mission-ready officers. As graduates prepare to serve in UN peace operations, the growing participation of women highlights the region’s commitment to more inclusive and effective approaches to peace and security.

To read the full story, see here