AUCKLAND, NEWZEALAND; Saturday, 20 April 2019
– The 2nd Western Pacific Naval Symposium Junior Officers Interaction Programme 2019 (2nd WPNS JOIP 2019) was hosted by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in Auckland, New Zealand from Monday, 15 April to Friday, 19 April 2019. Two junior officers from the Royal Brunei Navy were sent as representatives, namely Lieutenant Junior Grade Najihah binti Haji Abdul Hisab and Lieutenant Junior Grade Fatin Afiqah binti Ramlli.
Present to deliver the welcoming address and officiate the opening ceremony of the 2nd WPNS JOIP 2019 was the Chief of RNZN, Rear Admiral David Proctor. The opening ceremony took place at the Seminar Centre, HMNZS Philomel, the home of RNZN. In his welcoming remarks, Rear Admiral Proctor highlighted the objective of the programme is for young and future leaders from different navies to build and nurture long-lasting friendships and using this platform in harnessing its networking opportunities, as a means of overcoming cultural and geopolitical differences that might have otherwise become dividing factors. The opening ceremony was followed up with a visit to the spiritual home
of RNZN, Te Taua Moana Marae for a pōwhiri introduction, where it is customary in the Māori culture there be an initiation process for visitors in determining whether they are friend or foe.
A total of twenty-eight (28) junior officers from sixteen (16) countries participated in the
interaction programme. Participants were from Australia, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Chile, French Republic, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Singapore, United Kingdom and United States of America. Twenty-two (22) junior officers from RNZN also participated in the interaction programme.
During the programme, the delegation had the opportunity to visit various places of interest, such as a tour of the HMNZS Philomel and HMNZS Canterbury, Seamanship Training Aid (STA), Sea Safety Training Squadron (SSTS), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) No. 6 Squadron, Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Sky Tower. The delegation also partake in a few sports activities such as mountain-biking and frisbee golf in Woodhill Mountain Bike Range, as well as a leisure hike towards the North Head Summit.
It is important for RBN and Brunei Darussalam to continually engage in such interaction exchanges, in establishing personal and professional relationships to strengthen mutual trust, understanding and reciprocity with our regional and international maritime partners.
