Press Releases
Signing and Exchange of Notes concerning support for strengthening human resource development to Solomon Islands (Grant aid “the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship”)
On August 20, in Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands H.E. Mr. MIWA Yoshiaki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Solomon Islands, and the Honourable Peter Shanel AGOVAKA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Solomon Islands, signed and exchanged notes for "the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship" (project up to one hundred and forty-nine million yen).
- Given the complexity of development challenges, the agencies and ministries in charge of Solomon Islands are suffering from shortage of staff and management capacity as well as administrative and legislative framework that can respond to the challenges. Therefore, the establishment of adequate systems in the administrative legislative framework and the building of the capacities of individual administrative officers are essential, and the development of quality human resources is indispensable to take on these tasks.
- This cooperation supports young administrative officials who are expected to engage in policy making to obtain master's degrees at graduate schools in Japan. This cooperation for Solomon Islands is the first cooperation to be implemented in Pacific Island countries. It is expected that the human resources developed through this cooperation will contribute to solving development issues in various fields in Solomon Islands in the future, as well as to building mutual understanding and friendly relations between Japan and Solomon Islands.
- In the “Leaders Declaration” and the "Joint Action Plan" issued at the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) held on July 18, Japan has announced "People-centered Development" as one of the priority areas of Japan’s cooperation, and this project will help to realize the Plan.
Solomon Islands has an area of 28,900 square kilometers, a population of 724,273 (World Bank, 2022), and a gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$2,210 (World Bank, 2022).
On July 18, the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 10) was co-chaired by Prime Minister KISHIDA and Prime Minister BROWN of the Cook Islands, the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The Meeting was attended by the leaders and representatives of 19 countries, regions and regional organization including Japan, 14 Pacific Island countries, two French overseas collectivities, Australia, and New Zealand, and the chair of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). From Solomon Islands, Prime Minister Manele attended.
The Government of Japan announced Japan’s commitment to continue its robust development assistance and support for more than 6,500 people-to-people exchanges as well as human resource development over the next three years based on the seven priority areas of cooperation which are in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent or “2050 Strategy" of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF): (1) Political Leadership and Regionalism, (2) People-centered Development, (3) Peace and Security, (4) Resources and Economic Development, (5) Climate Change and Disasters, (6) Ocean and Environment, (7) Technology and Connectivity.