The Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC), in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (PNGICSA) hosted the inaugural Biometric and ePassport in the Pacific Regional Workshop in Port Moresby from 19th – 21st August, 2025. The workshop brought together around 40 senior immigration and passport officials from across the PIDC membership drawing on their passports and biometrics experiences.
The workshop, developed and specifically tailored to the Pacific context aimed to: (1)provide participants with relevant information and insights on biometrics and Passports in the region; and (2) facilitate engagement with government experts who are ready to support Pacific countries in advancing their biometric and passport systems.
Experts from the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs in its capacity as Chair of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Capacity Building Working Group (ICBWG), Australian Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs), Australian Passport Office (APO) and the Biometrics Institute provided technical expert support and advise during the regional workshop sessions.
The PNGICSA Chief Migration Officer (CMO), Mr. Wellington Navasivu in opening the regional workshop reflected on the challenges in biometrics and ePassport’s development in the Pacific over the last decade and the need for PIDC members to
continue working together in keeping abreast with biometrics and travel document developments, sharing best practices and lessons in addition to utilizing the opportunity of having direct access to industry experts during the workshop.
Consequently, the workshop fostered expert-led discussions and peer-to-peer learning, equipping participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the increasing complexities of modern border management systems, biometrics and e-passports. Participants at the end of the workshop gained valuable insights, shared operational realities, and more importantly got a better understanding of new ICAO standards and developments in e-passports and biometrics.
The PIDC Head of Secretariat in his closing statement recognized that “the most significant outcome from the regional workshop was the spirit of collaboration that had been reinforced across the PIDC membership with our trusted partners. “We will always run together in our collective journey on biometrics and ePassport’s and no one should be left behind”.
