The Solomon Islands successfully Chaired the 58th Pacific Immigration Development Community (PIDC) Board Meeting early this month.
The meeting was convened on the 3rd – 4th March 2025 in Apia, Samoa.
The Board Meeting was successfully succeeded by the PIDC strategic plan review workshop of the existing regional framework which was successfully concluded on the 5th – 6th March 2025.
The PIDC Board consisted of twenty regional countries. The review of the PIDC strategic plan will help the Secretariat implement its work plan for the next five years.
The PIDC board members for this financial year 2024/2025 are; Solomon Islands (Board Chair) American Samoa (member), Australia, (Member), Kiribati (Member), Fiji (Member), Vanuatu (Outgoing Chair), Tonga (Incoming Chair) Cook Islands (Member) and New Zealand (member).
The PIDC Board was elected during the 26th PIDC Regular Annual Meeting in Honiara in June 2024 in which Solomon Islands is the current Chair.
The PIDC Board represented the 21 Pacific Islands in the region, including the French and United States of America territories. Its Secretariat is based in Apia, Samoa overseeing and coordinating the membership.
During the meeting, the Chair commended the ongoing support and firm commitment towards the board leadership and the Secretariat.
This has resulted in the PIDC Secretariat raising the profile of the membership in the region by supporting members with development programs, building the organizational resilience and capability.
The Chair is looking forward to the Secretariat delivering the last three months’ projects and work plan activities.
The Head of Secretariat Mr Akuila Ratu expressed his appreciation for the board’s support and commitment towards the secretariat. The Secretariat provides ongoing support for the members developing capacity and capability through Immigration reforms, trainings, technology and infrastructure developments.
The 58th PIDC Board meeting approved; ongoing funding support for legislation reforms for the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands.
‘The board acknowledged support for the partnership with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes Transnational Organized Crime network and profiling pilot support for members to be held in Brisbane in April 2025.
The board supports the leading role of Papua New Immigration Citizenship Authority leading the regional International Capacity Building Working Group for the members’ upgrading of e-passport and biometric system.
The board also confirmed implementing PIDC members’ capacity developments by partnership with USP to roll out the Masters in Border Security (Thesis), and Course work including Post Graduate Diploma in Border Security and Intelligence management.
The board also recognizes the role women played in border security and supporting leadership programs for Immigration women in the region.
The Meeting also confirmed the Kingdom of Tonga for hosting the 27th PIDC Regular Annual Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Kingdom of Tonga from 16th – 20th June 2025.
The 27th PIDC RAM will be held back-to-back with the 5th PIDC Board meeting. The Chair of PIDC will be officially handed over to the Kingdom of Tonga during the 27th PIDC RAM.
Solomon Islands Immigration Division confirmed the progress of the new Immigration bill for the drafting stage.
The Immigration Division anticipated the new bill would create the environment to increase non-tax revenues for the government and strengthen compliance and national border security.
– GCU
