On 3 April 2019, the people of Solomon Islands will go to the polls to elect their representatives in the national parliament for the next four years, but the outcome of the 2019 national election will not change the core challenges facing Solomon Islands.

Global interest in seaweed production is increasing in response to the environmental and economic benefits that seaweed farming can provide.

In the Solomon Islands, where around 87% of land is under customary tenure, commercial ventures need support from customary landowners, otherwise they are unlikely to succeed. This report is part of a broader regional study on sustainable economic development of customary land in the Pacific intended to inform New Zealand’s engagement as a bilateral donor.

This report uses detailed research, satellite imagery, drone photography and trade data, to show that tropical timber across the Solomon Islands is being harvested on an unsustainable scale, and that much of the activity driving this environmental destruction is at high risk of being illegal.

This Office of Development Effectiveness evaluation examined the effectiveness, inclusiveness and efficiency of Australian electoral assistance to major national elections in eight countries between 2006 and 2016: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga.