Education & Research Links: Indonesia is inviting universities to expand partnerships with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, including via a Port Moresby education exhibition and scholarship pathways that also support joint research and innovation. Scholarships & Skills: JICA’s 2026 SDGs Global Leader Programme is sending scholars from partner countries including the Solomon Islands to Japan to learn about development, infrastructure strategies and technological innovation. Marine Conservation: WCS has completed community consultations on the draft Kavachi Seascape National Park Management Plan in Western Province, with locals backing protection to curb overfishing and harmful activities while enabling research, education and sustainable livelihoods. Carbon Policy: Live and Learn Solomon Islands has launched the RISE forest carbon policy project to strengthen safeguards, community leadership and fair benefit-sharing in the country’s emerging carbon market. Education Funding: Government is preparing a fully funded initiative sending 1,000 students to China, starting with 200 later this year, targeting areas like agriculture, fisheries, forestry, healthcare, roads, renewable energy and IT. Payments Tech: The Central Bank of Solomon Islands has launched Instant Funds Transfer (IFT) through SOLATS, speeding cross-bank transfers with an initial SBD5,000 limit. Governance & Compliance: The High Court ruled the National Hosting Authority acted without lawful authority in how it spent 2023 Pacific Games funds, including an unlawful “Blanket Waiver” that bypassed competitive procurement safeguards. Regional Resilience: Pacific nations met in Honiara to coordinate earthquake, tsunami and volcanic resilience, agreeing on priority actions to improve seismic data sharing, monitoring interoperability and workforce development. Land Restoration Finance: Solomon Islands called at UNCCD COP17 for stronger, more accessible and predictable financing to support land restoration and drought resilience.