Solomon Islands has marked a new chapter in its historical relationship with the United Kingdom.  Recently Solomon Islands opened its London office for diplomatic and consular services. The new Solomon Islands High Commission office in London is the third diplomatic mission in Europe which includes Brussels in Belgium & Geneva in Switzerland. Mr Trevor Unusu, Assistant Secretary for Europe Desk at the Ministry, was appointed Chargé d’ Affaires of the London Mission until the government appoints a new High Commissioner to head the mission. Meanwhile H.E Mr Moses Mose, the country's Ambassador in Brussels will remain as the Solomon Islands High Commissioner to London. Work on establishing the Mission commenced in late 2016.  Two senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade were deployed to undertake this necessary preparatory work in setting up the London Mission. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s major economic powers....

Adding value to the tuna fishery and maintaining cooperation that has led to great benefits for the Parties to the Nauru Agreement was the theme of Monday’s opening of the annual PNA officials meeting. The five-day PNA annual officials meeting kicked off Monday morning at Marshall Islands Resort in Majuro with Kiribati’s Principal Fisheries Officer Aketa Taanga handing over chairmanship of the PNA body to Glen Joseph, Director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority.   Both Taanga and Joseph emphasized cooperation to increase the benefits coming to the eight PNA members and Tokelau, which cooperate to implement a Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) for purse seine vessels and have launched a similar system for long line vessels.    PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru said adding value to increase benefits from the fishery to island parties is a top priority for PNA. “This is why PNA is supporting tuna canning trainings in our member nations to encourage island entr...

Since the adoption of the Solomon Islands Family Health Safety Study (SIFHSS) in 2009, there is now widespread awareness and serious concerns about the prevalence and patterns of violence against women in Solomon Islands.  This was highlighted by the Permanent Secretary for Women, Youth and Children Affairs, Mrs. Ethel Sigimanu at the 61 st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held last month at the United Nations in New York. Mrs. Sigimanu who represented Solomon Islands says ‘domestic violence is now defined as a criminal act in the Family Protection Act which parliament passed in 2014.  Also sexual offences under the Penal Code were amended and passed by Parliament last year and the Child and Family Welfare Act was passed by Parliament this year.   Mrs. Sigimanu cautioned however that much remains to be done nationwide.  She says as long as domestic violence continues, there can be no tangible and development in and across the count...

Three visiting Constitutional experts have made a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Monday 3rd April 2017. Professor Yash Ghai, Professor Nico Steytler and Dr. Philip Knight are currently in Honiara to meet the Constitutional Congress on the country’s draft Federal Constitution. “It is important that we design a constitution that will always bind us all together as Solomon Islanders and at the same time empower individual states to govern and manage their own affairs according to their interests and wishes,” Mr Sogavare said. Professor Yash Ghai from Kenya, who has been instrumental in supporting the Constitutional Congress over the years, said the situation in Kenya is similar to the situation in Solomon Islands in many ways. Professor Ghai said in a contemporary society that is highly focused on a central system does not always reflect the realities of that society. “Therefore a need to strike a balance between a central government as ...

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has called on the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to urgently start an investigation into allegations made against the country’s Prime Minister, Hon. Manasseh Sogavare.   In his remarks on the 2016 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2017, Hon. Rick Hou says the PAC has recommended that the RSIPF urgently investigate allegations that the Prime Minister has been offered a political donation of $40 million by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a Chinese company awarded contract for the Optic Fibre Undersea Cable project.  He says the committee considers this a serious allegation as this is a crime in which the Head of the Executive is alleged to commit.  Hon. Rick Hou (Photo Credit:  GCU) He says this is a matter which shouldn’t be brushed aside, nor allowed to be swept under the carpet.   Mr. Hou says this does not reflect on the strong stance by the DCC Government especially the Hon. Prime Minister on anti-cor...