On the occasion of RAMSI’s 12th anniversary in Solomon Islands I would like to sincerely thank the Solomon Islands Government and people for their continued support of our Mission.
Twelve years ago today, the first RAMSI police, military and civilian personnel from all around the Pacific region arrived in their thousands to “helpem fren”.
RAMSI quickly set to work to restore law and order throughout the country. And in the decade which followed, the Mission helped successive governments to rebuild national institutions, stabilise the economy, reduce government debt and improve service delivery.
Today, the Hapi Isles are back on the global map as a safe destination for business, investment, and tourism. In recognition of the improved economic and security climate, RAMSI’s footprint in Solomon Islands has been gradually scaling down in recent years. But the theme of “helpem fren” still guides all our work.
RAMSI now is a regional police capacity development mission. RAMSI’s Participating Police Force (PPF) work as mentors and advisors, and provide training and support to their Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) colleagues across a broad range of areas. The PPF are no longer performing front-line policing roles. That responsibility shifted to the RSIPF some years ago. Today, the RSIPF is the lead law enforcement agency in Solomon Islands.
Like RAMSI, the RSIPF has been undergoing an almost constant process of change and renewal in recent years. Around seventy per cent of the force has been recruited since RAMSI’s arrival in 2003. The Police Act passed in late 2013 provides the necessary governance framework for a modern, accountable and professional institution. The RSIPF has also benefited from twelve years of support and capacity development from the PPF.
I’d like to acknowledge the dedication of RAMSI PPF members who come from fifteen countries around the Pacific. Founded under the auspices of the Pacific Islands Forum and led by Australia, RAMSI has retained its unique regional identity throughout its lifetime. Our Australian, New Zealand and Pacific police and civilian personnel continue to bring considerable skills, experience and diversity to their work.
For the four years my family and I have been lucky enough to be in Solomon Islands, I have seen first-hand how PPF officers go about building relationships of trust and mutual respect with their RSIPF counterparts. As a result of this cooperation, and thanks to the close partnership shared between the Government and RAMSI, the RSIPF is now taking its rightful place as a leader among police services in Melanesia. Let me provide some examples of the changes and improvements that I have seen.
Training – RAMSI has invested greatly in the professional development of RSIPF personnel across all ranks. The RSIPF is now one of the best trained (if not the best trained) police forces in the region. This relates not just to recruit training but also to leadership development, command and control courses and other specialist programs.
Discipline and Accountability: In line with community expectations, the Commissioner of the RSIPF has placed a high priority on enhancing the discipline and accountability of the police force. RAMSI has supported this fundamental principle, including through providing front line mentoring and targeted training on issues such as accountability, authority and responsibility. The Mission has also supported workforce reform initiatives.
Capability – the RSIPF’s public order management and community policing capabilities are already well-known and greatly respected across the region. But there have also been significant improvements in the force’s information and communication technology systems. This has been backed up by the introduction of a new case management system, which will enhance the RSIPF’s ability to manage and investigate serious crimes. These and other initiatives have seen the RSIPF making arrests in high profile murder and burglary cases.
On mobility, relative to other Pacific nations, the RSIPF has a large fleet of motor vehicles and vessels. It will soon take possession of another 9 Stabi Craft longer-range vessels that are part of RAMSI’s ongoing program to improve the force’s maritime capability. When rolled out, these new vessels will further strengthen the RSIPF’s ability to police more remote parts of the provinces and the nation’s border regions.
New Policing Model – with support from RAMSI, the RSIPF is moving away from a reactive or “response” model of policing and is introducing a new operating model focused on crime prevention. This new model will require closer cooperation and collaboration between the RSIPF, communities and other stakeholders to understand what is causing crime and then work together to mitigate those causes.
The RSIPF’s very active community policing program is placing significant emphasis on preventing family violence, reducing alcohol-related crimes, and on deepening police engagement with youth. To this end the Seif Ples clinic located at Rove Police Headquarters is providing real and practical support to survivors of family violence; the RSIPF and Youth@Work have begun closely aligning their activities and programs; and the RSIPF’s Police Youth Club is set to resume in the near future.
Operations: The RSIPF has a proven ability to plan and execute major operations professionally and independently. The November 2014 national elections were an outstanding example of this, but there are many other more recent examples, including the successful security operations for the Melanesian Spearhead Group Summit. The RSIPF was able to support the relief effort in Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam by deploying its patrol boat, and also assisted communities across Solomon Islands affected by Cyclone Raquel.
Infrastructure – RAMSI and the Ministry of Police continue to work together to develop and modernise the RSIPF’s infrastructure. This has ensured that most provinces now have modern police headquarters and additional police housing, improving the efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of the police. RAMSI has also been instrumental in developing specialist police infrastructure as evidenced by the new Police Forensic Building, the new Police Armoury and the modern Fire Station being built in Honiara.
Limited rearmament – RAMSI continues to work with the RSIPF and the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, to prepare the way for the limited rearmament of parts of the RSIPF. Reintroducing firearms to some parts of the force would enable the RSIPF to be able to operate as a sovereign entity into the future. Currently RAMSI performs all functions requiring the use of firearms in Solomon Islands. This includes the provision of armed security at Honiara’s international airport; close personal protection of dignitaries; tactical policing support and crocodile destruction.
The phased and limited rearmament project is currently in its first stage. The Solomon Islands Government will decide whether to authorise implementation of the project towards the end of this year.
Our focus now is on preparing for the future. RAMSI is progressively drawing down its resources in Solomon Islands, as the RSIPF’s own capabilities are growing. RAMSI’s current budget cycle – that is, the money we receive from the Australian Government as our lead funder - will end in the middle of 2017.
Preliminary discussions with the Solomon Islands Government and the Pacific Islands Forum on the future security needs of Solomon Islands from 2017 onwards have begun. No final decisions have yet been taken on RAMSI’s future as we will be consulting extensively with the Solomon Islands Government and our regional stakeholders.
RAMSI may “go finis” and depart Solomon Islands in mid-2017. But Australia, New Zealand and the contributing nations to RAMSI remain committed to supporting the RSIPF for the long term, whether this is managed through RAMSI or through other forms of police development assistance.
To sum up, the RSIPF has made significant progress in recent years but our collective task is not yet done. We should not gloss over the fact that the force still faces many challenges. Resource constraints, difficulties with mobility and logistics, and the need for greater support in the “back of house” or enabling services of the RSIPF are among the key issues we’re working to address.
Looking forward, the RSIPF will need a high level of ongoing support and additional resourcing from the Solomon Islands Government if it is to be able to provide an appropriate level of policing services across the country.
Police officers can also only be effective if they are assisted by the communities who they serve and protect. I ask everyone to support your police, to welcome them into your villages and help them to prevent and deter crime and anti-social behaviours.
To conclude, may I wish all the good people of Solomon Islands a very happy twelfth anniversary today!