- Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Minister for International Development and the Pacific
Today we are pleased to announce the appointments of the inaugural Director and Associate Director to the Pacific Fusion Centre.
Mr James Movick of the Federated States of Micronesia has been appointed as the Director of the Pacific Fusion Centre, starting in late December 2021. Mr Movick brings over 40 years’ experience in Pacific diplomacy, leadership, and guidance to the Centre, including as Director General of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency from 2012-2018.
Ms Anna Naupa of Vanuatu will take up the role of Associate Director – Outreach at the Centre, starting in early 2022. Ms Naupa’s appointment provides a strong example of women’s leadership in the Pacific security sector. She brings over 20 years’ experience in senior public sector and Pacific regional organisation management. Her role will strengthen the Centre’s integration into Pacific regional security architecture.
We are also pleased to announce that the Centre has now commenced permanent operations in Port Vila, Vanuatu. This follows an interim period of operations from Canberra since September 2019, during which the Centre provided vital information and analysis to Pacific decision-makers and hosted a total of 25 secondees from 14 Pacific island countries.
The Centre is wholly funded by Australia, demonstrating our long-term commitment to working with our Pacific family to meet security challenges impacting our region. Under the guidance of the Pacific Islands Forum Sub-committee on Regional Security, the Centre provides assessments and advice on Pacific regional security challenges in line with the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security, including climate security, human security, environmental and resource security, transnational crime, and cyber security.
The Pacific Fusion Centre will host security analysts from across the Pacific. The first cohort of seconded analysts to join the Centre in Port Vila will arrive early in 2022 and will spend up to six months producing strategic assessments. They will receive training and mentoring opportunities to enhance their analytical assessment skills.
