Honiara, Solomon Islands – The UN Development Programme (UNDP) under the 'Strengthening Anticorruption, Transparency and Accountability in Pacific Island Countries' (Pacific Anti-Corruption Project) is conducting a two-day workshop corruption prevention and anti-money laundering awareness. 

More than 20 professionals from ‘non-financial’ businesses, including legal practitioners, accountants, casino, mining and gaming sector including representatives from the Solomon Islands Financial Intelligence Unit attended the two-day workshop.

This workshop has been designed to equip participants from non-financial businesses and professions to understand corruption methods which will enable them to prevent and detect bribery or corrupt behaviour.

Aiming to strengthen corruption prevention, anti-corruption advocacy and anti-money laundering awareness via cross-sectoral cooperation in Solomon Islands, it has provided participants with an opportunity to exchange information, learn and share insights on anti-corruption and anti-money laundering.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Mr Jimmy Sendersley, Director of the Solomon Islands Financial Intelligence Unit, Governor's Office, highlighted that according to a sizeable number of Suspicious Transaction Reports, corruption is identified as “one of the main crime types in the country.”

“It eats away much-needed government resources and leaves little funding for the improvement of vital services such as health and medical and education,” he noted. 

Mr Sendersley further expressed gratitude to the UNDP's Pacific Anti-Corruption Project and to the UK government and the British people for their funding assistance to “fight corruption in our region”.

“We need such partnership to be able to combat financial criminal activities in our region, especially corruption,” Mr Sendersley concluded. 

Echoing the same sentiments, His Excellency British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru, Mr. Thomas Coward noted that “money laundering and illicit financial flows are major global issues,” and requires work together across “all parts of the Solomon Islands – government, financial and private sectors – if we are to succeed in our fight against money laundering and corruption. 

“I am proud that the UK has funded this workshop. It brings us together to work as one against criminal flows,” Mr. Coward said. 

Ms Nanise Saune-Qaloewai, UNDP Programme Manager Accountability, Transparency and Peacebuilding highlighted the UNDP’s anti-corruption work in Solomon Islands is “framed around important international and regional anti-corruption commitments” and “anchored on related national policy and legislative frameworks on the country.”

She also acknowledged the long-standing support provided by the UK government to the Pacific Anti-corruption Project as partnerships with all sectors and stakeholders to “deploy at all levels” and “prevent and fight corruption and deliver sustainable development across the Pacific region, including Solomon Islands.”

Closing her remarks, Ms Saune-Qaloewai noted that UNDP remains “committed to continuing working together with all stakeholders across the country and region to contribute to improvement of anti-corruption results in the country.”

With the 2030 Agenda as a guiding thread, UNDP aims to reduce corruption and develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels to ensure effective and timely achievement of national development outcomes.

The two-day workshop was organized by the Pacific Anti-Corruption Project, which is implemented by UNDP and funded by the UK government.

For more information or media inquiries please contact:

Anastasiia Tiurmenko, Communications Specialist, UNDP Solomon Islands Office, anastasiia.tiurmenko@undp.org, +677 27 446/ +677 747 21 29