Tonga has urged the international community to place communities at the centre of efforts to combat transnational organised crime, with Police Commissioner Geoff Turner presenting the Kingdom’s approach at the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026) in New York.
Commissioner Turner spoke during a high-level panel on building community resilience to transnational organised crime, telling delegates that policing alone cannot address the complex social and economic drivers of crime.
Instead, he said lasting solutions must be grounded in local culture, strong families, churches, village leadership and community partnerships.
Representing Tonga, Commissioner Turner highlighted the country’s restorative justice programme, which seeks to address the causes of offending while restoring relationships between victims, offenders and communities.
He said legislative reforms and cooperation with New Zealand Police are supporting the programme’s nationwide implementation.
He also outlined Tonga’s broader strategy to combat illicit drugs and organised crime through coordinated action across law enforcement, health, education and social services.
Youth engagement, rehabilitation, vocational opportunities and faith-based initiatives were identified as key measures to reduce crime and strengthen community resilience.
The side event, co-hosted by Australia, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Kiribati, Norway, Sweden and Tonga, examined drug trafficking, illegal fishing and community resilience.
Participants agreed organised crime should be viewed not only as a policing challenge but also as a development and governance issue requiring stronger international cooperation and local engagement.
UNCOPS 2026, held at United Nations Headquarters on 7-8 July, brought together ministers, police commissioners and senior UN officials to strengthen global policing partnerships and address emerging security threats.
Tonga reaffirmed its commitment to working with regional police services, INTERPOL, the United Nations Police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to confront shared security challenges.
