“People at the Centre”: Professor Aqorau calls for Merit, Fairness and Accountability.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) successfully hosted its Third Annual Conference of Parties 2026 (COP 2026) on 22^nd –23^rd September 2026 at the Aquatic Centre, Sports City, East Honiara.

Held under the theme “Law at the Centre of Good Governance: Promoting Responsibility, Accountability and Building a GREAT Solomon Islands,” the Conference brought together representatives from Government Ministries, agencies and other stakeholders including representatives from our respective provincial governments to discuss the role of law in promoting good governance and accountable decision-making.

For this year’s conference Professor Doctor Transform Aqorau has been invited as the Guest Speaker. His key note address is “Law at the Center: Building Institutions worthy of Public Trust” capturing the essence of the conference theme.

Prof. Dr Aqorau has called on Solomon Islands public institutions to put law at the centre of governance, saying public trust is earned through merit, fair process and accountability.

Delivering the keynote address at the Attorney-General’s Conference of Parties 2026 at the Aquatic Centre in Honiara on 23 September, Prof. Dr. Aqorau drew on experience in the public service, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and Solomon Islands National University (SINU).

He warned that political patronage and non-merit influence in appointments slowly erode the state’s capability, leading to weaker decisions, poorer services and declining public confidence. He welcomed the Public Service Act 2025 and its emphasis on merit, impartiality and public officers acting as trustees of the people.

Prof. Dr. Aqorau described wantok as a valued source of community support that becomes harmful when used to capture public jobs, contracts or resources. “Every Solomon Islander becomes our wantok” once a person holds public office, he said.

He pointed to the PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme, which helped lift regional fishing-access revenue from about US$60 million to around US$500 million, as proof that sound legal design can turn vision into results. Drawing on SINU, he stressed that investigations must examine systems as well as individuals, follow natural justice, and lead to recommendations that are actually implemented.

He also argued that merit-based appointment is a national-security safeguard, because organised criminal networks exploit weak, compromised institutions.

Prof Dr. Aqorau proposed seven commitments for public institutions:

• Make merit visible.
• Protect independent oversight bodies.
• Legal review of the Policy at the Policy design stage.
• Build traceable digital systems.
• Separate allegation, investigation and decision.
• Report on implementation.
• Invest in public officers.

“Law must be at the centre, not because lawyers should be at the centre, but because the people must be at the centre,” he concluded.

ENDS