Transformation remains the central objective of the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele expressed this when he formally concluded the final sitting for 2025 and the Third Meeting of the Twelfth Parliament on Wednesday December 17, 2025.
“As we conclude this meeting of Parliament, I do so with a deep sense of responsibility and reflection on the work undertaken by this Honourable House and the Government for National Unity and Transformation. And with optimism for the path that lies ahead for our nation,” he said.
He said that the debates, legislation and deliberations of Parliament reaffirm a shared commitment to serve the people of Solomon Islands and to advance the national development agenda.
“I thank all who have spoken on the motion,” he said.
He acknowledged those who shared their views on critical issues for growth and development, suggestions on policy gaps and recommendations.
“I thank Ministers of the Crown who took the floor to outline their respective ministries’ achievements in 2025 and their work programmes and priorities for 2026, as well as Government backbenchers who contributed to the debate,” PM Manele said.
He said that the debate on the motion has been very constructive.
“Transformation remains the central objective of the GNUT as it defines the legacy we seek to leave for future generations. The transformation agenda is guided by the four policy pillars of the GNUT, which provide a clear and coherent framework for national development.
“The first pillar, unity and stability, remains the foundation of all progress. Peace, social cohesion and political stability are essential conditions for development. On this note, I thank the opposition and independent leaders for their interventions on the issue of political stability, and others as well who spoke on this subject,” he said.
He confirmed that he was encouraged that they recognised the need for political stability in the Government.
“There have been issues ranging from federalism, suffering wharves, Constituency Boundary Commission reviews, reforms in the mineral sector, school fees, health and medical services, telecommunications, rural development, and a range of issues that have been raised during the course of the debate,” he said.
While he noted his Ministers responded to some of the concerns and observations that have been raised, he said it is time to deal with this issue head-on.
“We cannot allow individual interests to take precedence over national interests. I encourage GNUT’s other coalition partners to do the same. We must come back to Parliament in 2026 with renewed vigour and a sense of purpose,” PM Manele said.
THE International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Oceania Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) team has commended Solomon Islands for becoming the first country in the Pacific to begin the implementation of the IUCN Green List certification.
The initiative is being implemented in Solomon Islands through the Solomon Islands Marine and Coastal Resources Programme (SOMACORE) under the Coral Triangle Project.
The IUCN Green List is a global standard that recognises well-managed and effectively governed protected and conserved areas.
Key partners supporting the programme include the Climate Change Division (CCD) of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Global Fish, Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), Arnavon Marine Protected Area, and Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands (ESSI).
Recently, these partners attended a workshop in Honiara that aims to share knowledge and build understanding of the IUCN Green List Standards.
The workshop focused on governance, effective management, biodiversity conservation outcomes and long-term sustainability of protected and conserved areas.
Following the workshop, further awareness activities were conducted in Munda, Western Province.
This provided an opportunity for the PCA team to engage directly with local communities and managers of the Munda Lagoon Locally Managed Marine Area.
Five coastal communities participating in the programme are Nusa Roviana, Dunde, Kekehe, Lodumaho and Kindu.
These communities play a key role in protecting vital ecosystems, including seagrass meadows, coral reefs and important fish spawning areas.
The PCA team were encouraged by the unity and strong commitment shown by the communities, noting their ability to carry out self-assessments against Green List requirements.
Particular strengths were observed in governance structures, customary stewardship practices and adaptive management approaches.
The PCA team is expected to return to Solomon Islands early next year to provide further support to the Munda Lagoon initiative and to conduct similar assessments at the Arnavon Marine Protected Area.
According to IUCN, Solomon Islands is taking meaningful steps towards strengthening its protected and conserved areas, demonstrating how community leadership combined with global standards can help build resilient, world-class conservation sites for the Pacific region.
The SOMACORE Programme is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and is being implemented by 10 organisations across the Coral Triangle.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele shared the government and the people of Solomon Islands’ thoughts and prayers with the victims of Bondi shooting in Sydney, Australia.
He made the profound statement before he closed the final sitting for 2025 and the formal conclusion of the Third Meeting of the Twelfth Parliament yesterday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this time of profound grief. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Australia, and we stand in solidarity with them as they mourn this tragic loss,” he said.
He said that Solomon Islands stands with Australia in rejecting violence in all its forms and in upholding peace, safety and the sanctity of human life.
The PM also strongly condemned the incident, describing it as sad and disturbing to him.
“Let me reflect briefly on the Bondi shooting in Sydney, Australia. Mr Speaker, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the tragic shooting in Bondi, Sydney, Australia. On behalf of the Government and people of Solomon Islands, I strongly condemn this senseless act of terror and violence.
“I have already written to the Prime Minister of Australia expressing our condolences and sympathies,” PM Manele concluded.
On 14 December 2025, a terrorist mass shooting occurred at Archer Park beside Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, in the late afternoon during a Hanukkah celebration attended by approximately one thousand people.
Two gunmen shot at the crowd, killing 15 people, including a child.
The Minister for Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) Tozen Leokana told parliament that education is a shared responsibility.
Contributing to the Sine Die Motion in parliament on Tuesday this week, he said preparation of a child requires long term vision, policy consistency and discipline implementation.
“Education reforms deliver lasting impact only when sustained beyond political circles.
“While the state provides leadership regulations, and finances. Families, communities and education providers have an important responsibility in the process. A strong partnership is not optional but fundamental towards a student’s success,” he said.
He highlighted that the Ministry of Education’s focus remains on strengthening the education system around the country.
“The Ministry remains committed to teacher development, improvement of learning environment, inclusive access, strengthened oversights, transparency with a measurable result will remain central to our approach,” he said.
According to Leokana the ministry’s finance is one of the most demanding and politically sensitive responsibility of the government.
“It is disappointing to hear arguments that disregard physical realities and rely on slogans rather than solutions. Successive governments have consistently prioritised education with an expenditure exceeding international benchmarks,” he said.
Furthermore, Leokana said he will not accept perpetuation of the myth of a completely free education, for the narrative is economically dishonest. The former fee free basic education policy was unsustainable. He said if it continues it will bankrupt schools, erode standards and destabilize the system.
“The truth is simple, Education has real and unavoidable cost,” he said.
Under the Education Act 2023 the maximum tuition fees are as follows:
For non-boarding schools for primary in urban schools, they should charge the maximum of $1200, while non-urban schools should charge a maximum fee of $250.
Junior secondary for urban schools should charge with the maximum of $2000 while non-urban Junior secondary schools should charge a maximum of $800
Senior secondary Education in Urban Centre should charge up to $4000 and non-urban Senior Secondary School should charge a maximum of $3000
Boarding schools for Junior secondary in Urban Centre should charge a maximum of $4500 while boarding schools in non-urban should charge a maximum of $2800
Boarding schools for Senior secondary in an urban area should charge a maximum of $9000 while a Senior Secondary boarding school in a non-urban school should have the maximum of $7200.
The North Guadalcanal constituency has successfully delivered projects worth $1.4 million for the year 2025.
An additional SBD $3.7 million is secured to continue these efforts until June 2026.
Speaking during the Sine Die Motion early this week, Minister for Health and Medical Services and Member of Parliament for North Guadalcanal, Dr Paul Popora Bosawai, updated parliament of this.
He also expressed gratitude to his constituents for their ongoing support and cooperation in executing these initiatives.
“We have made significant progress in 2024. For example, our road infrastructure maintenance has helped establish 12 economic zones, which in turn has allowed us to invest in education and improve livelihoods within the community,” he said.
The Member of Parliament further noted that the constituency has already delivered projects valued at SBD $1.4 million this year, with plans to continue executing projects until June 2026, totalling SBD $5.1 billion.
Looking ahead, Bosawai spoke about the upcoming launch of cooperative societies within the 12 zones, acknowledging the leadership and trust placed in him by the community.
“I firmly believe in the importance of developing a sustainable rural economy.
“I urge all constituents to ensure that the work we’ve started is maintained and continues to thrive,” he said.
He also took a moment to thank both local and foreign investors for their ongoing contributions and cooperation in strengthening the economy of the constituency.
The National Parliament has considered and passed three Bills during the final sitting for 2025, and the formal conclusion of the Third Meeting of the Twelfth Parliament yesterday.
The Third Meeting commenced on Thursday, 24 April 2025, and concluded on Wednesday, 17th December 2025, bringing the total number of sitting days to 50, inclusive.
The three Bills considered and passed include the Special Economic Zone Bill 2024, the National Building Standards Bill 2025, and the Public Service Bill 2025.
In addition, three Appropriation Bills that were presented, debated, and approved are; the 2025 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2025, the 2024 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2025, and the 2026 Appropriation Bill 2025.
The Speaker of the National Parliament, Patteson J. Oti, said that the work of Standing Committees’ inquiries and reports during the Meeting relate solely to the six Bills considered by the House.
He said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) each conducted three inquiries and tabled three reports, respectively.
He said that the Public Expenditure Committee conducted one inquiry, which was not completed; hence, no report was tabled, with several deliberative meetings held by other Standing Committees, with no further inquiries were undertaken, and no reports were presented to the House.
He said that no Private Members’ Business was introduced during the Third Meeting.
The Speaker of Parliament said that there remains a scope for greater productivity, particularly in relation to the oversight role of Standing Committees.
He emphasised the importance of conducting more inquiries into matters of public interest and tabling reports for consideration by the House, to improve the quality of life of citizens.
He highlighted that Statements by Ministers were underutilised, seeing that Ministers are accountable to the people through Parliament by reporting on actions and decisions taken within their portfolios.
The Speaker of Parliament also expressed hope that future meetings will see increased use of ministerial statements, a higher number of committee inquiries and reports, and the introduction of Private Members’ Business going forward.
He also encouraged the adoption of a parliamentary sitting calendar to enhance planning and operational efficiency.
The Speaker conveyed his sincere appreciation to all Members for their contributions to the deliberations of the House throughout the Third Meeting, despite these observations.
He expressed his hope that the coming year will bring renewed unity, peace, and prosperity to all communities across the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) has announced its proposal for Solomon Islands to have its own United Nations Resident Coordinator.
This move aims to increase the presence of United Nations (UN) in the country, a statement by MFAET Tuesday this week said.
This follows a meeting between permanent representatives of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to the United Nations with the three United Nations Resident Coordinators (RCs) for the Pacific.
The UN resident coordinators are: Dirk Wagener, UN resident coordinator for Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu; Karla Robin Hershey, for Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau; and Mamadou Kane, for the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati and Nauru.
The meeting was held on December 2 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America, the MFAET statement said.
The meeting was chaired by the Solomon Islands Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Her Excellency Jane Waetara.
Waetara acknowledged the United Nations’ continued commitment to the Pacific and underscored the vital role of Resident Coordinators in ensuring sustained UN engagement in the region.
She noted the importance in advancing national and regional development priorities and in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Pacific Island countries.
Waetara said the PIF group looks forward to tabling the biennial resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum.
Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed the UN80 reform initiative and its potential implications for the Pacific region.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the resident coordinators to brief permanent representatives on their work across the Pacific, promote information sharing and further strengthen cooperation between the Pacific Islands Forum group and the UN Resident Coordinator system.
The permanent representatives highlighted the importance of active engagement by the PIF group throughout the UN80 reform process.
A highlight of the discussions was the need to ensure that any reforms do not compromise support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including the preservation of UN programmes tailored to SIDS and strengthened coordination through the UN Resident Coordinator system in the Pacific.
Minister for Health and Medical Services and Member of Parliament for North Guadalcanal constituency, Dr Paul Bosawai Popora appeals to citizens across the country to celebrate this Christmas with dignity and safety.
He made the statement when speaking on the debate of the Sine Die Motion in parliament early this week, to lessen burden on health workers as they will continue to serve the country during this festive season.
Bosawai said, while many will celebrate this Christmas with families, health workers will remain on duty in facilities across the country.
“With that, let me ask our good people across the country to celebrate with dignity and safety, and not to burden our health services through accident-related cases that relate to alcohol.
“Christmas is not a day to drink a lot of beer, but it should be a time to reflect, celebrate, and moving forward to develop our beloved country, Solomon Islands,” the minister said.
He acknowledged all health workers for their great sacrifice this Christmas to save people’s health across the country.
Bosawai said that despite ongoing challenges, they must remain committed to strengthening the ministry and delivering quality health care services to all Solomon Islanders.
He also thanked partner ministries and development partners for their collaboration throughout the year.
Located far in the midst of Wanderer Bay, West Guadalcanal, far from the shoreline, past lush plants, and trees is the ECE (Early Childhood Education) Centre, the only one serving more than 10 communities in Wanderer Bay.
Supervising ECE Teacher Lorine Laubua
The day is sunny and the breeze is friendly as ECE Supervising teacher, Lorine Laubua from Sughu community of Wanderer Bay takes the lead in brining me to the ECE Centre.
A road leading outwards to the beachA walk along the beach to the school
We walk through a cocoa plantation from Sughu village and onto a road from another village ahead of us known as the “Roman Catholic community” before a short walk along the beach.
Passing through a small stream to get to the school
The path finally leads us inwards into what in Solomon Islands is locally called a “bush” that is after we pass a small stream. But the journey is still in its initial stages.
We walk for a good amount of time, trekking through a small path through trees, plants and all living things that dwell in the natural environment.
Mind you, from Sughu to the school is closer than where most children live and have to travel from to get to the school.
A road leading to the school compound
Finally, we arrive at the Wanderer Bay Community High School of which in its compound is the ECE Centre.
The ECE Centre in Wanderer Bay
The sight of the ECE classroom is just sad, a low structured classroom that is in dire need of not maintenance but replacement.
Inside the ECE classroom
From the window which lacks proper frames and louvers as most classrooms, you see before you dangling decorations, and as you look inwards, is where these children come to learn.
A total of 150 children from communities in Wanderer Bay were enrolled this year.
ECE Supervising teacher, Lorine Laubua explained that the number was initially 200 but given the lack of space in the classroom, they could only take 150 children, leaving the remaining 50 without the right to Early childhood Education.
“So, the rest of the kids were sent back home. This is not fair for the kids who cannot enrol in school because as children they have the right to be educated.
“ECE is the foundation of a child’s learning so it is not fair that we have to do this,” Lorine said.
Interestingly, with this high number of children enrolled at the ECE Centre, not all the children attend school consistently throughout the year.
The biggest reason for this is because they live very far from the school.
Most of these children have to walk for about 2 to 3 kilometres before they can reach the school and they all live in different places.
Some children live in communities along this part of Wanderer BaySome children live as far as in communities at the bottom of the mountain
Some children come from communities from the left end of the bay, others on the right end and then there are children who travel all the way from communities in the mountain and others from their homes in communities situated at the bottom of the mountains.
The distance has caused some parents to give up bringing their children to school consistently because they wouldn’t have time to attend to household duties and being in the village, the top priority is going to the garden to harvest crops as means of subsistence.
Lorine says the classroom is old, small and not spacious enough for them as well as the space they have outside of the classroom.
It was built a long time ago, and as population rose in the communities, it has little space to offer for children giving them the disadvantage of learning in an environment that is not conducive to healthy learning.
Like students, the environment is also not favourable for their teachers.
Lorine recalls that at one time, there were only three of them ECE teachers who cared for the children.
As there were many of them, this was a challenge especially when water supply is an issue for the school.
They would have to carry the children to the stream if they wanted to go the bathroom.
“They would also be scattered everywhere.
“We would also take turns to carry them to the stream because of our water supply.
“In class, we would all squeeze in together and this was very uncomfortable for all of us,” she said.
This struggle has been going on for a number of years.
Despite this, they have tried their best to address this issue, but it’s still a far-fetched solution.
The new classroom that is yet to be completed
A new ECE classroom was built back in 2017 during the time of a different Supervising ECE teacher.
However, progress on this projected ceased as years later the classroom was left idle.
Last year, Lorine tried her best to at least do something she says.
This involved efforts in getting timber, some brick work as well as a concrete slab of the classroom facility.
It is however far from reaching the finished line yet.
When asked where they get money from to build the new classroom, she said it comes from parents’ yearly contribution which is a mere SBD 200.
The have tried raising the amount to SBD 500 for a year per parents’ contribution, but parents say it’s too high.
Disappointed, Lorine stressed that parents don’t understand how important ECE is.
“Parents don’t understand the importance of ECE, in our community they regard primary and secondary education as more important.
“In ECE, if we put the amount to 500, they will say it is too high.
“ECE is the foundation of a child’s learning and materials for ECE are expensive as well and we’ve tried to explain this to the parents,” she said.
Lorine goes on to stress that for children to really have a good ECE they need to be able to learn in a good classroom.
When asked if the new ECE classroom if completed would be able to cater for all the children in Wanderer Bay, Lorine nodded, saying it wouldn’t.
To address this issue, there would need to be 3 or 4 ECE Centres throughout Wanderer Bay to cater for the many communities in and around the area.
Lorine says this is a serious need for children of Wanderer Bay.
“It is a need for our children to learn in a proper environment. So, I call on responsible authorities to look at this issue of ECE in Wanderer Bay.
“Because if we continue to operate like this, a lot of children will miss out on school. There are also some children who don’t even go to school and then just remain at home,” she said.
What is scary about this, is the impact it will have in the later years of children who miss out on ECE.
She said there are children who have not come to attend ECE until they reach the ages of 9 or 10 and by then, they shy away from going to school.
“So, when they miss out on school at a young age, they no longer have the interest to attend school and just remain in the villages.
“When they are older, they can somehow affect their communities by the things they get involved in.
“So, this is a big problem for the communities. When children miss out on school, they won’t be able to follow the rules in their communities,” said Lorine.
She again emphasises that if only, there were 3 more ECE Centres, it would be easier for parents to bring their children to school.
“It would be great if aid donors could help build ECE centres for us,” she says with little hope.
*Reporting for this story was supported by Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS)
Rural communities remain the country’s backbone yet often the least supported: MP Rina
BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Rural communities, which make up the majority of Solomon Islands’ population, remain the backbone of the country, yet are often the least supported.
Member of parliament for East Central Guadalcanal Lazarus Alfred raised this concern in parliament in his speech for the Sine Die motion yesterday.
Mr Rina said that the nation continues to face major national challenges with low service delivery and development pressures on urban centres and persistent inequalities between urban and rural communities.
He said that strengthening rural economies, expanding access to ancestral services, addressing rural-urban imbalance, promoting inclusive development, and ensuring accountability in government programmes are vital.
“These national issues affect every sector, health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and local entrepreneurship. Honourable Speaker, our rural communities sustain our nation. They drive agriculture, support fisheries, protect our cultural heritage and represent the majority of our population,” Rina said.
He said that national progress will only happen when the daily realities of farmers, market vendors, fishermen, youth, women and village-based entrepreneurs are improved.
“Some key areas requiring continued focus include improved roads, bridges, works and inter-island connectivity, reliable electricity, water supply and communication systems, stronger market and support for small businesses, access to digital technology for information, banking, education and innovation, support for value-added industries to boost local incomes,” he said.
Rina said that these are essential foundations for empowering communities and driving long-term development.
He stressed that to ensure meaningful progress, government support must continue and be strengthened in the polling areas, infrastructure development in the provinces.
“This is all inclusion for rural and remote communities, support systems for farmers, fishermen, women and youth, strengthening cooperative structures and market access, transparent implementation of community development programmes, strong monitoring, coordination and accountability across ministries,” he said.
He said that implementation, monitoring and accountability remain essential if national initiatives are to deliver real improvements on the ground.
