Ocean of Peace

As a consequence of my Scottish Jewish heritage, I only read a newspaper if it is free. 

Since COVID-19, newspapers have disappeared from hotels and airline lounges, never to return. This has nothing to do with COVID-19, I suspect, and more to do with beancounters oozing their furtive frugality. 

To get to my favourite part of a newspaper, the cartoon section, I flick through pages of headlines blaring about a world at war, fighting or arguing, almost everywhere. 

Where are the world’s Peacekeepers?

The UN has peacekeepers at 11 sites, mainly in the Middle East. Why does that not surprise you? 

It may surprise readers that the South Pacific nation of Fiji has been supplying peacekeeping forces for more than four decades.  Fiji has sent more troops and police per capita to serve UN peacekeeping operations than any other country.

It may also be surprising to readers that the present Prime Minister of Fiji, Major General (rtd) Sitiveni Rabuka, was a peacekeeping soldier leading the Fijian contingent of UNIFIL in Lebanon from June 1980 to July 1981, worked alongside French and indeed saved the life of a French Officer and was awarded the Legion of Honour medal. He did another 2 years of leadership in the Sinai in the mid 80’s

For his service in Lebanon, Rabuka was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in the 1981 Birthday Honours List. 

Working on an earlier theme from 1980, Rabuka promoted the Ocean of Peace concept in September 2023 during the United Nations General Assembly debate in New York.

The South Pacific has undoubtedly had its share of disputes, with the Solomons and New Caledonia being recent examples. A peacekeeping presence within the region is undoubtedly a positive aspect, and Rabuka has a track record of driving this.

But how will this take shape?

Currently, Fiji is committing to a 73-meter Ocean of Peace vessel capable of regional disaster response and amphibious beach landings, similar to the latest United States Marine Corps (USMC) vessel, to provide much-needed regional capability. 

At present, when cyclones or tsunamis strike the southwest Pacific islands, the affected area has to wait for Australia or New Zealand to select a vessel and equip it for the task.

The vessel sometimes takes 2-3 weeks to arrive at the disaster site.

This Fiji-based vessel can carry 84 disaster response containers, accommodate up to 750 people in distress, and reach most neighbouring nations within two days.