February 9, 2026 Cybersecurity Training and Exercise Program for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (Second Session of FY 2025)

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted a Cybersecurity Capacity Building Exercise for Pacific Island Countries and Territories from February 2 to 6, 2026, in Fiji.
　The MIC, working closely with relevant organizations, will continue to contribute to cybersecurity capacity-building in Pacific Island countries and territories by providing exercise programs tailored to the current situation and needs of the region.

1. Background and Outline

　Given that cyberspace is a domain used across national borders, ensuring its security requires strengthening international cooperation. From the perspective of reducing cybersecurity risks for Japan and the international community as a whole, it is important to support capacity building in developing countries through developing international human resources.

　As part of the government’s efforts to realize a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” the MIC has been, since FY 2023, conducting cybersecurity training and exercise programs for government officials engaged in cybersecurity measures, as well as employees of telecommunications carriers and other critical infrastructure operators in Pacific Island countries and territories. These regions are advancing in both digital infrastructure and socioeconomic digitalization, and they occupy a geographically important position.

　In the second session in FY 2025, the MIC, co‑hosting with JICA, conducted training aimed at acquiring foundational knowledge of cybersecurity, together with a cybersecurity capacity‑building exercise utilizing Japan’s practical cyber defense exercise framework CYDER (Cyber Defense Exercise with Recurrence). * A total of 24 participants from 12 Pacific Islands countries and territories took part in the exercise.

　The MIC, in cooperation with relevant organizations, will continue to provide exercise programs that take into account the current cybersecurity situation and needs of Pacific Island Countries and Territories, thereby contributing to the enhancement of cybersecurity capacity in the region.

　(*) CYDER (Cyber Defense Exercise with Recurrence) is a hands-on, practical cyber defense
exercise conducted by the National Institute of Information and Communications
Technology (NICT) in Japan for information systems personnel in national administrative
agencies, local governments, independent administrative institutions, and critical
infrastructure providers.

2. Event Overview

　Date: February 2–6, 2026

　Location: Fiji

　Participants: Government officials and critical infrastructure providers related to ICT and telecommunications from the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu

　Organizer: MIC and JICA

　Cooperation: Government of Fiji and Embassy of Japan in Fiji