NZ police open 'Kiwi Whare' as base for work in Vanuatu

New Zealand has opened a new shared workspace for its police work in Vanuatu's capital to strengthen cooperation with local counterparts and other security partners.

The 'Kiwi Whare', unveiled in Port Vila on Tuesday, will serve as the centre from which local-based New Zealand officers and other New Zealand security personnel including Defence Force personnel in Vanuatu can operate.

"It is a space for shared collaboration with Vanuatu Police and other partners on joint programme activities," said New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson.

"It retains a close proximity to Vanuatu Police's key operating locations, including Headquarters, Southern Command, and the Police Training College, enabling NZ personnel to invite counterparts onto the site to work together."

Vanuatu's Police Commissioner Kalshem Bongran said the work New Zealand police were doing strengthened policing in his country, and the whare would be pivotal to that work.

"It will be used basically, for New Zealand police advisers who are working for us and New Zealand Defence Force officers who are working for us, to be accommodated in that area, to operate out from there, and come and work with us at various quarters and stations here in Port Vila and across the country."

Bongran said New Zealand police have been training Vanuatu counterparts, particularly in the area of community policing, training community safety teams across Vanuatu's provinces.

"It's basically to train our police officers in the rules of engagement and how they they deal with different situations and make decisions before they act to different scenarios."

Dedicated space

Johnson said the move to establish the whare came after Vanuatu's parliament made an amendment to the country's National Security Act late last year.

"This amendment required foreign policing and security advisers to work from respective embassies or other non-Vanuatu government offices," he explained.

"Although implementation of the National Security Act amendment has seen New Zealand's policing and security advisers able to continue working in Vanuatu premises as needed, we have proceeded to set up the Whare in recognition of its value as a dedicated convening space."

New Zealand has six Police staff members in Vanuatu. Several trainers also 'fly in fly out' for short periods as required.

One of the police personnel is dedicated to supporting the Vanuatu Police Training College recruit curriculum development, Johnson said, including in mentoring and advising police training staff and leadership.

"They also collaborate with the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority and Australian Federal Police's Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Programme to achieve an outcome around developing an accredited recruit course for Vanuatu to meet its legal requirements as a Government Training Provider," Johnson said.