Deputy Minister Polly Boshielo: Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum

It is with great honour that I address this esteemed assembly on the theme: "Innovation Leading the Way: Enhancing Public Security Capacity Building and Technical Cooperation".

Allow me, at the outset, to extend my gratitude to the organisers of this conference for covering such an opportune and important engagement.

Today's world is characterised by rapid transformations. Security challenges are becoming increasingly complex - ranging from transnational organised crime and terrorism to cyber threats, climate-related disasters and public health emergencies. These challenges transcend borders and demand responses that are both innovative and cooperative.

Ladies and gentlemen, innovation is no longer a matter of choice; it is a necessity. Emerging technologies - artificial intelligence, advanced surveillance systems, data analytics and digital communication platforms - are already reshaping the landscape of public security. Equally, new methods of training, including virtual learning environments and simulation tools are enabling our security personnel to acquire and apply knowledge with unprecedented effectiveness. These innovations enhance preparedness, improve coordination and ultimately save lives.

No country can face these challenges in isolation. Technical cooperation is essential. Through regional and international partnerships, we can share expertise, transfer technologies, harmonise standards and build trust.

Therefore, the question before us is no longer IF we should collaborate BUT how we can do so more effectively, more intelligently and more proactively. Today, I wish to focus on two pillars essential to this mission: enhancing domestic public security capacity and deepening international technical cooperation.

First, let us consider capacity building. The traditional model of public security - relying solely on numbers and reaction is no longer sufficient. Modern threats demand modern capabilities.

Building capacity in the 21st century means investing in our most valuable asset: our people. This requires continuous, specialised training for our officers - not just in firearms and law but digital forensics, data analysis, cybercrime investigations, crisis negotiation and community policing. An officer today must be as comfortable with the utilisation of technology as they are with their current day-to-day duties.

It means equipping our services with cutting-edge technology. From predictive analytics software that can help prevent crime before it occurs, to secure communication systems for first responders, to body-worn cameras that ensure transparency and accountability.

For example, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has begun a process to procure body-worn cameras and vehicles dashboard cameras, with the first deployment planned for the 2025/2026 financial year with a broader goal to modernise policing through technology, which also includes increasing our drone capacity.

Technology is a force multiplier, enhancing both the effectiveness and the legitimacy of our security institutions. Crucially, it means building institutional resilience. This involves robust legal frameworks that protect both security and human rights, internal affairs units that ensure integrity and communication strategies that build public trust. For without the trust of the people, no security institution can truly succeed.

However, even the most capable national force cannot act as an island. This is where the second pillar, technical cooperation becomes indispensable. Technical cooperation is the bridge that turn individual capacity into collective strength. It is the seamless, secure sharing of critical information in real time - a biometric match shared across continents to intercept a fugitive or a coordinated takedown of a cyber-criminal network operating from multiple countries.

Ladies and gentlemen, this cooperation must be built on three foundations:

1. Interoperability: our systems must be able to talk to one another. We must champion common standards and compatible technologies to ensure that a piece of evidence gathered in one country can be effectively used in a courtroom in another.
2. Joint Training and Exercises: We must train together to combat crime together. Multi-national simulation exercises for cyberattacks, terrorist incidents or major disaster response are not expenses; they are vital investments in our shared security. They build personal relationships and mutual understanding that are invaluable during a real crisis.
3. Public-Private Partnerships: somewhere out there an entity possesses the technical knowledge and data that criminals seek to exploit. We must create frameworks for ethical and effective collaboration with the private sector. They are not outside observers; they are essential allies in securing our digital and physical worlds.

So, what is the path forward? First, let's commit to shared investment. Let us establish multi-lateral funds to support capacity-building initiatives in nations that seek assistance, ensuring that no country is left behind as a weak link in our global security chain.

Through existing forums like INTERPOL, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and through new bilateral agreements, let us aggressively work to harmonise our data protocols and legal processes to make cooperation faster and more efficient.

As South Africa, we are now using INTERPOL mobile devices that enhance police capabilities by providing officers with access to crucial global police data. They allow officers to verify passports, vehicles and other information on the go. These ladies and gentlemen is an example of strengthening police cooperation and combating transnational organised crime.

Beyond formal agreements, let us create networks of experts - our best cyber investigators, our finest forensic analysts, our most strategic policy makers to meet and share best practices and innovate together continuously.

Ladies and gentlemen, the goal is not simply to respond to threats, but to anticipate them. Not just to prosecute crimes, but to prevent them. Not to build walls but build bridges.

The safety of a child in Nairobi, a business in Tokyo and a community in Johannesburg is interconnected. By enhancing our capacities at home and forging unbreakable bonds of cooperation abroad, we do more than protect our individual nations.

We affirm a fundamental belief: that in a world of shared challenges, we also possess a shared responsibility. Through that shared responsibility, we will achieve a shared and safer future for all.

Thank you.

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