EU continues support for Solomon Islands project
The Government of Solomon Island, a country in Melanesia consisting of almost 1 000 islands, recently announced that the EU-backed Phase 3 Micro-Project, which targets growth and sustainable rural development, will be implemented in 2009, effectively continuing the successes of Phases 1 and 2. Funding for Phase 3 stands at EUR 7.2 million. Commenting on the good news, Solomon Islander Minister of National Planning and Aid Coordination, Steve Abana, noted how Honiara finalised the Phase 2 Rara Water Supply Project recently. With a population of more than 580 000 people, the Solomon Islands is the most poverty-stricken island nation in the Pacific region. Over the years, the country has been hit hard with political strife and ethnic tensions. From an economic perspective, Solomon Islands may have reported growth in recent years, but the country is still dependent on fisheries and agricultural products, including cocoa and palm oil, for sustainability. Since 2002, cooperation between the EU and Solomon Islands has focused on strengthening and sustaining rural development, as well as human resource development. The EU forged a Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Solomon Islands providing the latter with support for its fisheries sectoral policy and resource management. The agreement also gave EU vessels the right to fish in territorial waters. The areas the EU and Solomon Islands are targeting are sustainable rural development with capacity building, and furthering activities in agriculture, fisheries, transport and forestry. Support from the EU, commented Mr Abana, is effectively improving the lives of Solomon Islanders, particularly for those residing in rural areas. Mr Abana noted how the EU support is in line with the 'Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement (CNURA) Government Rural Advancement Policy'. The Minister spoke to the residents of Rara, which is located in Central Islands province, and expressed how the EU and the Solomon Island Government have joined forces to ensure that the rural areas of the country gain better access to improved social services. Under the development initiative of the two parties, the Phase 2 Rara water supply project was kicked off to improve access to clean and safe drinking water, and to provide better sanitation and hygiene in Solomon Islands' rural communities. According to Mr Abana, the EU and Solomon Islands are hopeful that their objective to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation will be met within the next seven years. Besides providing improved access to safe water and sanitation, the EU and Solomon Islands seek to meliorate the well-being of the rural dwellers and reduce water-borne diseases; and create opportunities for people to generate money. With the end of Phase 2, it is now up to the people of Rara to manage the project, Mr Abana remarked. 'The community is entirely responsible for ensuring its long-term sustainability so that its benefits are passed on to the future generations,' he said. Phase 1 of the Micro-Project targeted education and human resource development. The EU and Solomon Islands tackled various issues, such as supervising and observing the implementation of pilot projects, as well as finalising guidelines and implementing manuals for secondary schools.