1. Guyana and Regional Security System Collaborate to Host Anti-Corruption Workshop
On 11 October, Guyana’s Ministry of Legal Affairs announced that it would be partnering with the Regional Security System (RSS) to host a Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery workshop, with the aim of enhancing the state's capacity to combat financial crime. The workshop will reportedly run from 09-13 October, with emphasis placed on addressing the strategic deficiencies currently found within Guyana’s anti-corruption legislation. Specifically, reforms to Guyana’s civil forfeiture laws appear to be central to the upcoming workshop, which Attorney-General Mohabir Anil Nandlall has described as crucial for ensuring “that we know how to approach what I believe is a fairly new area of the law.”
2. Nigeria Customs Force Hosts Joint Discussions with Zambian and Lesotho Counterparts
Nigeria’s Acting Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi hosted a meeting on 09 October alongside counterparts from Lesotho, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to discuss possible collaboration between African border services. The meeting, based around the theme of “Reshaping Africa Security Narratives”, centred on methods of jointly tackling transnational border security issues including kidnapping, illegal mining, and organised crime. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on how best to integrate local communities into border and customs services, a practice which all delegations agreed was crucial in facilitating effective, trust-based operations.
3. Pakistan Strengthens National Cybersecurity Capabilities with New Legislation
In a significant development to the nations cybersecurity, Pakistan’s Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoITT) officially implemented the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Rules on 12 October 2023. According to Minister for IT Dr Umar Saif, the CERT rules will provide an “institutional framework and capability to protect Pakistan’s cyber space, and ensure swift responses in case of cyber-attacks.” The primary duty of the National CERT will be to serve as a liaison between various national and sectoral CERTs, thereby facilitating swift responses to threats against critical infrastructure data or information systems across the nation. This legislation clearly demonstrates Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to improving its national cybersecurity measures, with Dr Said describing the CERT rules as “the foundation for a robust defence mechanism against cyber threats.
4. Papua New Guinea to Allow Foreign Police Officers to Assume Leadership Roles
Local sources indicate that Papua New Guinea is planning to hire twenty foreign police officers to assume leadership roles within the local force. Reportedly, Prime Minister James Marape implemented this policy to “restore confidence and discipline in the constabulary.” While Australian Federal Police have worked closely with Papuan authorities for several years, they have done so only in an advisory capacity. The introduction of foreign officers forms part of a wider campaign by Prime Minister Marape for domestic security reforms which will supposedly include establishing a specialist police branch to deal with terrorism and kidnaping incidents, and increasing penalties for those found guilty of exacerbating tribal conflicts.