HRH Crown Prince Tupouto'a Ulukalala represented Tonga, with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Brigadier Lord Fielakepa, at the South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting (SPDMM) held from 1-3 October, in Auckland, New Zealand.

This forum brought together Defence Ministers and Chiefs of Defence from across the South Pacific to enhance cooperation and strengthen regional security.

The Crown Prince reaffirmed Tonga's commitment to ensuring Pacific-led solutions remain central to regional defence efforts. “Ensuring shared values guide all decisions, stated,” HMAF.

A key outcome from the meeting is the Pacific Response Group (PRG) that was endorsed by the South Pacific Defence members.

The Pacific Response Group is a regional asset aimed at enhancing rapid response to climate-induced disasters and other security challenges. The PRG will help build regional resilience, co-deploying teams when needed to support Pacific communities.

The meeting recognized the immense impact of climate change, members recommitted to strengthening collective capabilities for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), as well as addressing challenges like illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and cyber threats.

The members also supported the development of a Regional Training Framework to improve coordination of defence training and foster deeper ties between Defence personnel.

Additionally, a Pacific Defence Faith Network was formally established, recognizing the importance of faith in communities and its role in fostering unity among the Pacific defense forces.

The South Pacific Defence Ministers meeting includes member countries Tonga, Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, while observer countries in attendance were Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Chile will be the next host for SPDMM 2025.