From right: MPNSCS Acting Permanent Secretary Julia Twumasi and Emily Davis, Solomon Islands Programme Manager for The HALO Trust, sign the MOU during a signing ceremony held at the SIPEU Conference room.
MPNSCS and The HALO Trust Renew Partnership to Strengthen National UXO Response
Officials pose for a group photo after the signing of the renewed MOU.
The Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS) and The HALO Trust Solomon Islands have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reaffirming their partnership to address the ongoing threat of unexploded ordnance (UXO) across the Solomon Islands.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Acting Permanent Secretary Ms. Julia Twumasi said the partnership has made significant contributions through nationwide UXO surveys and supported the development of the country’s most comprehensive evidence-based database on UXO contamination.
The renewed MOU will introduce a pilot Technical Survey Programme in Western Province and targeted risk-reduction activities across the Solomon Islands to support more effective UXO clearance, while the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force continues to retain operational authority for all explosive ordnance disposal activities.
Ms. Twumasi expressed the Solomon Islands Government’s sincere appreciation to the HALO Trust for its continued commitment to this important partnership, and acknowledged the funding support provided by the United States Government, through its Department of State, which has been instrumental in enabling the continued implementation of the programme.
The Government, through the MPNSCS, remains committed to working closely with national stakeholders and international partners to address the humanitarian and developmental impacts of unexploded ordnance and to promote a safer and more secure Solomon Islands.
Separately, United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Mathew Wale and announced that the State Department is providing $6 million in new funding to expand its unexploded ordnance removal program in the Solomon Islands.
Deputy Secretary Landau expressed his hope to visit the Solomon Islands and to see the reminders of the shared sacrifices made during World War II.
-MPNSCS Press