Happy students at St John School, Rove, Honiara, during the handing over of school materials.
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Solomon Islands
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Snapshot
Solomon Islands is an archipelago of 922 islands located some 2,000 kilometres north-east of Brisbane between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. Most of the 550,000 people live on six larger islands, the most populous being Malaita and Guadalcanal, where the capital, Honiara, is located. At 2.7 percent per annum, population growth is high, contributing to an increasing 'youth bulge'.
Solomon Islands is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific region. In 1999, when the last census was carried out, 21 percent of children under five years were underweight. Infant mortality was 66 per 1,000 live births, the worst amongst the Pacific Island countries, while under-five mortality was 73 per 1,000 live births, second only to Papua New Guinea. Primary school enrolment was 56 percent, the lowest in the region, while the literacy rate was 77 percent.
The country is a parliamentary democracy, having gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978.
Solomon Islands earthquake and tsunami
New Zealand made an initial $500,000 contribution to the Solomon Islands as well as providing humanitarian supplies in the wake of the April 2 2007 earthquake and tsunami.
NZAID priorities
The Solomon Islands Programme, NZAID's largest bilateral aid programme, is guided by a new strategy for 2009-2018. New Zealand aims to contribute to a prosperous and stable Solomon Islands by fostering broad-based economic and social development.
NZAID focuses on:
- improving livelihoods and broad-based economic growth
- investing in people through education and skills development
- support for building peace and stability.
Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI)
Between 1999 and 2003, the Solomon Islands experienced violent conflict followed by a protracted period of lawlessness. In 2003, the Government requested assistance from Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Island countries, which arrived in the form of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Military and police from Australia, New Zealand and across the Pacific were able to quickly restore security. A large number of ex-patriate personnel were also seconded to key government departments to stabilise the budget and strengthen the accountability environment within government.
Since 2003, RAMSI has focussed its efforts on restoring law and order, re-establishing the machinery of government and improving economic governance. On the security side, New Zealand's contribution consists of both military and police personnel. A small number of New Zealand public servants are also seconded to the Treasury and tax departments funded by NZAID.
RAMSI's continued presence in Solomon Islands is seen as essential, not only for peace and security, but for its work in building the capacity of the Government to reform the economy, improve revenue collection and ensure fiscal responsibility.
NZAID on the ground
Education for all
Four years of conflict had extremely detrimental effects on education services in Solomon Islands. Participation rates at all levels of education were amongst the lowest in the Pacific region and in many isolated communities there was virtually no access to education services.
Following RAMSI's arrival and the restoration of law and order, the Solomon Islands Government developed a national Education Strategic Plan. Its aim is to rehabilitate and reform the education system and, in particular, to provide nine years of quality basic education to all children.
NZAID support has enabled the Solomon Islands Government to deliver teaching materials to all primary schools, restart in-service training, commence a nationwide infrastructure development programme and begin to address shortcomings in teacher management, training and development.
Broad-based economic development
With RAMSI, NZAID has been helping the Solomon Islands Government to re-establish macro-economic management and sound budgetary systems through the secondment of New Zealand officials to the tax and economic reform departments. Assistance has also been provided in the areas of customs and statistics. The Government is now running a healthy surplus. Progress has been made in the areas of tax reform and legislation to create a better environment for business and foreign investment.
Since 2006, NZAID, in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, AusAID and the Asian Development Bank, has been providing substantial commitments to fund the rehabilitation of roads and bridges throughout the Solomon Islands. This is improving people's lives through enhancing links to markets and reducing travel time and costs to clinics and schools. There have also been some employment opportunities generated by civil works.
NZAID has also been working with the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR) to develop a corporate plan and design a five year organisational strengthening programme. The programme aims to improve DFMR's capability for conserving and managing fisheries resources, and developing fisheries activities. The programme will include measures to enhance DFMR's capacity to identify and facilitate greater opportunities and increased livelihoods for rural fishers.
On a smaller scale, but no less important, NZAID continues to support the development of small businesses through the Solomon Islands Small Business and Enterprise Centre. NZAID also promotes improvements in aquaculture and mariculture at the community level. In 2006, it also agreed to provide funding to World Vision for the promotion of food security and rural livelihoods on the Weather Coast (Guadalcanal) and in Makira province.
Looking ahead, NZAID intends to have greater involvement in the development of a national Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy (ARDS) to promote rural development and livelihoods, including a particular focus on fisheries issues. It will also explore opportunities to address youth issues relating to employment generation and skills development.
Law and order
Law and order is one of the three pillars of RAMSI's assistance to Solomon Islands. Working with AusAID, NZAID has been providing support to the law and justice sector through the funding of ex-patriate High Court Judges and Magistrates in the country. These have been key in bringing to justice important perpetrators of violence and corruption during the 1999-2003 'Tensions'. A professional and independent judiciary is vital to Solomon Islands' on-going stability.
NZAID is also supporting a Save the Children project to promote and protect the best interests of children and youth within the justice system. It aims to reduce the incidence of criminal activity by children and youth, and strengthen protective mechanisms for those exposed to the criminal justice system.
Governance
NZAID has funded half the costs of a major nationwide civic education programme as part of a broader strategy to strengthen and promote good governance in the Solomon Islands and to build accountable relationships between government and society.
The focus of the civic education programme has been on enhancing knowledge and understanding of the Solomon Islands government system in the lead up to the 2006 elections. It was designed to provide a strong foundation for the development of a longer term approach to civic education in the Solomon Islands. An evaluation of the programme was conducted in May 2006 and has formed the basis for exploring further options for work in civic education in Solomon Islands.
With funding from NZAID, the Commonwealth Local Government Forum has partnered with New Zealand's Kapiti Coast Council and Australia's Maryborough Council to revitalise and strengthen the capacity of the Honiara City Council to provide basic services to the capital's community.
NZAID continues to strengthen local civil society organisations, including the umbrella non-government organisation, Development Services Exchange, and the National Council of Women, so that they can participate more effectively in national and local decision-making processes.
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