The Government of Solomon Islands and the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) convened the 10th Joint Border Committee (JBC) Meeting in Noro on Monday (2nd March 2026) in which they reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening border governance, security cooperation, and sovereignty.
The meeting was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Mr. Collin Beck, and PNGโs Secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kuike Job Numoi.
In his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary Beck highlighted the significant progress made since the 9th JBC, particularly the signing in September 2025 of the MOU on Combined Surveillance of the Common Maritime Border and the Agreement concerning the Administration of Special Areas.
โThese milestones reflect our shared commitment to regional security, the rule of law, and the well-being of our border communities,โ Mr. Beck said, emphasizing that the focus must now shift to effective implementation and monitoring.
He further noted that โour borders are not merely lines of separation, but bridges of cooperation.โ
Among the key outcomes of the meeting were:
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐:
Both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the outstanding 4km maritime gap under the 1989 Treaty on Sovereignty, Maritime, Seabed and Continental Boundaries. Technical meetings will commence in April 2026, with both sides agreeing in principle to amended Treaty and Basic Agreement language ahead of a possible signing in August 2026.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
The Committee reviewed implementation of the Combined Surveillance MOU and agreed that its execution should remain strictly bilateral, prioritizing national resources and strengthening โhomegrownโ Melanesian capacity. Police counterparts will meet ahead of the anticipated Prime Ministersโ Meeting in August 2026.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ & ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
Both Parties agreed to institutionalize the Traditional Inhabitants Meeting and Joint Advisory Committee to strengthen community-government linkages. Solomon Islands updated PNG on the progress of the Western Border Post and Patrol Boat Base at Lofung, expected for handover in May 2026. The Police MOU will also be renewed.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ:
The Committee noted that 75% of the technical work on the Ontong Java Plateau Extended Continental Shelf submission has been completed and agreed to finalize maritime boundary delimitations this year.
Both Governments committed to concluding the revised Customs MOU by June 2026 and reviewing the Small Craft MOU to strengthen enforcement against unregulated vessels.
The meeting adopted the Joint Outcome Statement and agreed that a Special JBC Meeting will be held in Honiara in 2027, with the 11th JBC Meeting to convene in Milne Bay Province, PNG, in the final quarter of 2028.
The 10th JBC concluded with both Governments reaffirming their commitment to safeguarding sovereignty and strengthening cooperation along their shared maritime border.
