Fiji: Fiji committed to cybersecurity enhancement

Around 6 June, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications, Shaheen Ali, announced that the Ministry sought funding to establish a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) as part of its annual budget. CERT is expected to protect public and private sector networks when implemented. Ali expressed confidence in securing funding following a positive response at the first round of budget consultations. Separately, Ms Tupoutuah Baravilala, Director-General for Digital Government Transformation, Cybersecurity and Communications from the Ministry of Communications, represented Fiji at the signing of the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention against Cybercrime at the Council of Europe’s Octopus Conference in Strasbourg, France, making it the first Pacific Island country to do so. Baravilala also announced Fiji’s participation in  upcoming international forums, including the final session of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Cyber in July, the Pacific Islands Forum ICT Ministers meeting in Fiji in August, and the signing of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in October.

Assessment: The events demonstrate Fiji’s commitment to strengthening cybersecurity. Being the first in the Pacific to sign the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention against Cybercrime, other island nations in the region are likely to follow suit. Fiji may liaise with Samoa’s SamCERT, as well as traditional partners such as Australia and New Zealand, to establish its CERT (See SPI #14 of 30 Jan-12 Feb 2025)

Sources: Riya Mala, “Ministry prioritizes Cyber security infrastructure,” FBC, June 6, 2025; Kreetika Kumar, “Fiji leads the Pacific in global cybercrime fight,” FBC, June 12, 2025; “FIJI LEADS THE PACIFIC IN GLOBAL CYBERCRIME FIGHT, BOLSTERING NATIONAL CYBER RESILIENCE,” Department of Information, June 12, 2025.