Nuku’alofa, Tonga – 10 August 2026
Customs Officers from 13 Pacific Island countries are gathering in Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, from 10–14 August 2026 for a regional workshop focused enhancing maritime domain awareness from a Customs capability using the Indo-Pacific Ocean Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform. The five-day workshop funded by the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) and hosted by Tonga’s Ministry of Revenue and Customs aims to strengthen maritime security and improve regional information sharing.
With the exclusive economic zones of Pacific Island states spanning close to 40 million square kilometres of ocean, which is as much as a tenth of the planet’s sea surface, maritime domain awareness is essential for border agencies like Customs to monitor, analyse and predict illicit activities at sea.
The training is being e facilitated by a regional instructor from the European Union (EU)’s maritime capacity-building initiative, CRIMARIO, and covers the fundamentals of the IORIS platform—a secure tool designed for real-time collaboration, communication and coordination against transnational threats in the maritime domain. Participants will engage in technical sessions and practical exercises to demonstrate their understanding of MDA, data utilisation and information sharing techniques.
“This workshop provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen our knowledge, improve information sharing, and build stronger partnerships across the Pacific,” said the Honourable Minister for Revenue and Customs, Mr. Sevenitini Toumoua, while officially opening the workshop at the “Fe’ao Mo E Ngalu” Customs Building.
By bringing together Customs officers from 13 nations, the course will strengthen technical capacities and build stronger partnerships both within and beyond the region. A key advantage of the IORIS platform is that it enables information sharing with other law enforcement partners based in source countries known for transnational organised crime, particularly the trafficking of narcotics. The next phase of this training will be to conduct a regional maritime operation using the IORIS platform.
“Maritime security is a shared responsibility, and effective information sharing is at the heart of our collective efforts. Through tools like the IORIS platform, Customs administrations are strengthening their ability to collaborate, exchange intelligence, and effectively respond to evolving border and maritime security challenges. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to supporting the strategic priorities of our members while advancing the objectives of the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, which calls for stronger regional cooperation and enhanced information sharing to address shared security challenges. By strengthening collaboration and building our collective capacity, we are contributing to a safer and more secure Blue Pacific”, said the Head of the OCO Secretariat, Ms. Laisiana Tugaga.
The workshop underscores OCO’s commitment to strengthening the maritime intelligence capability of Customs and collective action to protect our communities across the Pacific.
