Minister for Environment, Solomon Islands
Speeches
Waste Management and Pollution Control

Honourable Chair,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for this opportunity. Solomon Islands would like to express our deep appreciation to the Government and people of India for their exceptional hospitality in hosting the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia-Pacific in this beautiful city of Jaipur. I would also like to express our
appreciation to the Secretariat and the organizers for the excellent arrangements.

As Small Island Development States, we are blessed with a significant portion of the world’s ecosystems. Our people, our culture and way of life depends much on the environment. However, we are at the frontline of the biodiversity loss, climate change and waste and pollution. These global triple crises poses threats to our economy, livelihoods and deprives our future generations of the right to a
pristine environment. Hence, Solomon Islands welcomes the ability to participation in this 3R circular economy forum and the discussions that we will have..

Solomon Islands recognizes the urgency to transition towards a circular economy to safeguard our natural resources, enhance resilience and ensure sustainable livelihoods for our people and the wider Pacific Islands Countries. It is committed to promoting the 3R principles—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—to be aligned within our national efforts to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), particularly SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production, SDG 13 on climate action, and SDG 14 on protecting marine ecosystems. 

Of further importance, Solomon Islands would like to emphasize that some of the major waste issues such as the plastic pollution, marine debris and mismanagement of waste demands urgent global action and collective efforts to shift away from unsustainable extraction and consumption patterns towards a
zero-waste, resource-efficient, and low-carbon economy.

Solomon Islands strongly believes that the new 3R and Circular Economy Declaration (2025-2034) presents the opportunity for regional and national cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and investment in innovative waste management solutions. It is committed to strengthening policies, fostering public-private partnerships, and integrating circular economy strategies into our national development agenda. However, we call for enhanced international support, including financial assistance, technology transfer, and capacity-building, to implement these measures effectively. 

Chair, allow me to share two of the significant national efforts aimed to promote the circular economy and promoting the 3R’s principles. The Solomon Islands have recently gazette on 1st September 2023 a legislation to ban 5 types of single-use plastics and is now working towards having in place a product
stewardship legislation and container deposit scheme by end of this year. These efforts were made possible through support from national government, regional institutions, development partners and other stakeholders. As we move forward, let us work together to redefine progress—not by how much
we extract, but by how efficiently we use and regenerate our resources. Solomon Islands look forward to achieving the objectives of this 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia Pacific and remains dedicated to this transformative journey, ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable
future for our region and beyond.

Tagio tumas. Thank you.

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