Delegation from Represented by

Solomon Islands Glacier Peak High School

Position Paper for Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

The topics before the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific are: 1)
Enhancing Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific; and 2) Building
Resilience to Natural Disasters. The Solomon Islands are committed to cooperating with other Member
States to help bring positive solutions relating to these topics.

I. Enhancing Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific

Since 1963, ECAFE held a conference on this topic that resolved to set up the Asian Development Bank
with the aim of assisting the countries in the region in rebuilding their economies. ECAFE was
established after the Second World War in order for the Member States to get assistance in rebuilding
their economies. Solomon Islands had gone through a period of civil unrest in 1998-2003 which severely
affected the country’s government and economy. Solomon Islands, as a least developed country, a
landlocked developing country, and a small island developing State, would greatly benefit from this topic.
In 2017, Enhancing Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific had the key
points of market integration, financial cooperation, and shared vulnerabilities. In 2016, it had the key
points of measuring regional economic cooperation and integration, drivers of regional economic
cooperation and integration, and agglomeration and economies of scale and scope. Solomon Islands in the
past were involved in these key points and have benefitted from most of them.

In early February of 2018, the Delegation from Solomon Islands made a statement at the Expert Group
Meeting on the Preparation of the Triennial Review of the List of Least Developed Countries, that
“Solomon Islands stands prepared to embrace the recommendations by the Committee for Development
Policy to the UN Economic and Social Council regarding its readiness and eligibility for graduation from
the LDC status. Nonetheless, Solomon Islands will continue to persist to pursue its aspirations embedded
in its NDS 2016-2035, the SDGs and the IPoA. Furthermore, Solomon Islands recognizes that in the
event. . . it is found eligible for graduation, it would require to have the benefit of LDC treatment under
the ‘smooth transition’ measures that would entail negotiations with development partners on a case by
case basis.” We would like to see if we can, through this committee, find ways to improve our economy
and decrease our vulnerability.

According to the United Nations Pacific Strategy 2018-2022, people in the Pacific will benefit from
inclusive and sustainable economic development that creates decent jobs, reduces multi-dimensional
poverty and inequalities, and promotes economic empowerment. One large step towards increasing
production is to bring youth over 16 years of age into the workforce. Solomon Islands also plans to
improve health and safety to prevent costs of occupational injuries. On that subject, the mortality rate for
children under the age of 5 years is currently 25.8 and the maternal mortality rate is 114. Solomon Islands
hopes to improve this with the use of vaccines and by improving the quality of child delivery. On top of
this, Solomon Islands will also be improving the quality of education and availability of education for
children. Solomon Islands’ current top exports are: rough wood, processed fish, palm oil, wood stakes,
and copra. Since the country’s attainment of Political Independence in 1978, it has been suggested that
Solomon Islands diversify and expand its export base, but because of many factors that impede the ability
of Solomon Islands to compete effectively, progress in that area has been slow. The country has
prioritized effort to the development of mining, but it is minimal due to land tenure issues. Tourism has
great potential but there is minimal tourism infrastructure and unreliable transportation. Solomon Islands
Government recently launched an Aid Information Management System which will help the Government
monitor aid inflows and coordinate donor-funded projects. Solomon Islands is open to recommendations
and any offers to help in our developments, especially those related to the ones aforementioned.

II. Building Resilience to Natural Disasters

Solomon Islands is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur, and
within the cyclone belt. Because of this, the country is highly prone to natural hazards such as tropical
cyclones, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, floods, and droughts. The developing
country is the country with the 6th highest risk of natural disasters as of the 2016 World Risk Index. Many
major disasters have affected Solomon Islands throughout history, including recent years. On December
9, 2016 part of the country was affected by a magnitude 8 earthquake, aftershocks, and then a magnitude
6.9 earthquake the next day. About 34,000 people were affected by this earthquake, and during this time,
seasonal rains made living without shelter increasingly difficult. Climate change is likely to increase the
frequency and severity of natural disasters in Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands is also vulnerable to
rising sea levels. In the next 50 years, estimates show that the Solomon Islands has a 50 percent chance of
losing more than $240 million to natural hazard events and suffering more than 1,600 casualties. It has a
10 percent chance of losing more than $520 million and suffering 4,600 casualties. The country is
expected to incur an average $20 million per year in losses due to earthquakes and tropical cyclones. With
80 percent of the population living in rural areas, disaster response is often time-consuming and
expensive. Post-disaster transportation costs add a significant fiscal burden and, in the past, have delayed
in the distribution of relief goods, according to the GFDRR.

The Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, the Global
Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and the World Bank are already helping communities in
Solomon Islands by: “supporting policy development, capacity building and institutional strengthening to
foster the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in government policies and
operations, both at the national and provincial level; . . . strengthening climate and disaster risk
information and early warning systems, including the establishment of an early warning network for
volcanic and seismic hazards and preparatory work for a national risk information platform; . . . [and]
supporting disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation investments at the community and
provincial level, including community shelters, improved water supply and storage systems, earthquake
retrofit strengthening or cyclone strengthening of buildings, foundation raising for flood alleviation, and
shoreline protection systems.”

Solomon Islands has already launched the Community Resilience to Climate and Disaster Risk in
Solomon Islands Project, which is supported by the Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union Natural
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and the
World Bank. Solomon Islands suggests an international version of this project or that other countries
replicate this initiative. Solomon Islands suggests improving countries’ ability to monitor seismic and
volcanic activity and building seismic sheds in priority areas. The country also suggests and annual work
plan and budget in preparation for specific natural disasters and for adaptation to climate change.
Furthermore, communities within countries are encouraged to develop localized risk-management plans.
The Solomon Islands Government also undertook legislation and institutional reforms in its five-year
Strategic Priorities (2015-2020) to create an enabling environment for climate change mitigation,
adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. The country has prioritized increasing understanding of risk,
increasing the use of risk information, strengthening institutional capacity development, and enhancing
emergency communications and monitoring. Solomon Islands Government would greatly appreciate any
contributions of knowledge and/or suggestions from other countries as to natural disasters on nations.