Delegates of the PIANZEA Senior Officials Meeting gather in front of the Heritage Park Hotel Conference Room, Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Pacific Election Officials Gather in Solomon Islands to Address Shared Challenges
Senior electoral officials from across the Pacific met in Honiara from 6 to 9 October 2026 for the annual gathering of the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network, bringing together representatives from 15 electoral bodies.
This year’s meeting placed particular emphasis on emerging challenges confronting electoral management across the region. Delegates examined the opportunities and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence in elections, strategies to safeguard electoral integrity, and the importance of ensuring electoral institutions are adequately resourced to fulfil their mandates. In addition, longstanding priorities for the Network were revisited, including approaches to improving voter turnout and youth engagement, as well as assessing the benefits and risks of different methods to facilitate out‑of‑country voting in today’s environment.
Deputy Australian Electoral Commissioner and PIANZEA Chair, Kath Gleeson, highlighted the importance of the forum.
“PIANZEA was established almost 30 years ago as a fundamental mechanism for strengthening electoral integrity in the Indo-Pacific region. This year’s meeting was especially significant as we explored the rapidly evolving AI environment and its potential impacts on electoral administration.”
Building on last month’s UNDP Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections in Ottawa, participants also received presentations from the UN Development Programme, International IDEA, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
The meeting was chaired by the Australian Electoral Commission and supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Chief Electoral Officer of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission, Mr. Jasper Highwood Anisi, expressed appreciation for hosting the regional gathering.
“We are honoured to welcome our colleagues from across the Pacific. Hosting this meeting in Honiara demonstrates the Solomon Islands’ commitment to strengthening democratic processes and fostering regional collaboration.”
Editor’s notes:
- The PIANZEA Network was established on 10 October 1997 in Fiji.
- Current Members of the PIANZEA Network are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kingdom of Tonga, Kiribati, Naoero, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
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