Prime Minister Matthew Wale has called on Solomon Islands’ development partners to better align their support with national priorities and help deliver tangible results for the people.
Speaking at the opening of the Solomon Islands Development Partnership Summit 2026, Prime Minister Wale said stronger cooperation between Government and development partners was essential to achieving the country’s development goals.
He acknowledged the significant contribution of development partners, noting that between 2016 and 2021, they contributed SBD$8.8 billion (US$1,096,718,404) of the SBD$13.6 billion (US$1,694,917,855) mobilised for development.
Prime Minister Wale said the GREAT Coalition Government’s reform agenda is focused on strengthening institutions, restoring trust, upholding the rule of law and ensuring Government serves the people.
“We are rebuilding trust between Government and our people, and between Government and our development partners, anchored in openness, mutual respect, transparency and accountability,” he said.
He said the Government’s priorities include Free Education, affordable electricity, stronger institutions, responsible decentralisation and people-centred development.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to transform and diversify the economy by strengthening agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism, mining, energy, commerce and small and medium enterprises, while building the country’s manufacturing base.
“We are resolved to transform this economy and widen the horizon of opportunity for every Solomon Islander,” he said.
Prime Minister Wale urged development partners to support coordinated national programmes, increase the use of local content and national systems, and ensure development investments create greater benefits for Solomon Islanders and local businesses.
“Let this Summit mark the passage from dialogue to action, from commitments to implementation, and from scattered individual projects to a coordinated national development effort,” he said.
With Solomon Islands set to graduate from Least Developed Country status in December 2027, the Prime Minister also called for continued support during the transition towards greater self-reliance.
He said the Development Partnership Summit will become an annual event, with the next Summit expected in 2027.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Matthew Wale has welcomed renewed assurances from the United Nations (UN) of its continued commitment to supporting Solomon Islands’ development priorities, including the country’s economic transformation and transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
The assurance was given during a courtesy meeting today at the Prime Minister’s Office between Prime Minister Wale and UN Resident Coordinator for Solomon Islands, Dirk Wagener and his delegation.
Wagener highlighted the UN’s significant presence in Solomon Islands, with around 140 staff permanently based in the country and 13 UN agencies delivering programmes across key development areas.
He said the UN delivered close to US$40 million in programmes and assistance in Solomon Islands last year, making the country one of the UN’s largest single-country presences in the Pacific.
Wagener also reaffirms the UN’s commitment to working closely with the GREAT Coalition Government by expressing the UN’s readiness to support stronger coordination among Solomon Islands’ development partners, including bilateral and multilateral partners.
He added, better coordination would allow development partners to provide more coherent and consistent support aligned with the Government’s priorities, including through larger and consolidated programmes rather than fragmented projects.
The UN Resident Coordinator also assured the Prime Minister that, despite ongoing UN reforms and global funding pressures, the Pacific remains a priority. He said that the UN continues to strongly support Small Island Developing States and Solomon Islands’ journey towards LDC graduation.
He noted that the Pacific has so far been relatively protected from reductions in UN staffing and resources because of the region’s structural vulnerabilities and development challenges.
However, he cautioned that continued support would require collective efforts to maintain international interest and development resources for the Pacific.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Wale welcomed the assurance, describing the news as encouraging for Solomon Islands.
He also outlined the Government’s economic policy direction, noting that much of its development agenda is informed by the need to transform and diversify the Solomon Islands economy and move beyond dependence on extractive activities.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of a strong partnership between the Government and the United Nations in advancing Solomon Islands’ national development priorities and ensuring international support remains aligned with the country’s long-term vision.
