Guadalcanal Province, Representative and UNDP´s project manager, Mozammel Haque during the signing ceremony
GUADALCANAL Province takes a significant step towards improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as it signs a Letter of Agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Provincial Governance and Service Delivery project, supported by funds from the European Union.
The signing of this agreement marks the initiation of a partnership aimed at enhancing essential services for the people of Guadalcanal Province. Through an initial grant of SBD 1,220,500 (USD $149,260), the provincial government will embark on three key interventions targeting two schools and one healthcare facility. These initiatives aim to uphold the fundamental rights to water and sanitation, benefiting a total of 1290 individuals, including 94 women, 124 men, 997 girls, and 75 boys.
Hon. Francis Sade, Premier of Guadalcanal Province, thanked UNDP and the European Union for their support to Guadalcanal Province in activities that they are as basic as needed.
Mozammel Haque, UNDP’s project manager, commended Guadalcanal’s provincial government for their collaboration in finalizing the Letter of Agreement, which serves as a blueprint for the other provinces participating in the project. Haque reiterated the project’s commitment to decentralization, underscoring its importance in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Solomon Islands.
Guadalcanal Province now joins Central Province in benefiting from these grants, with Choiseul, Isabel, Temotu, and Western Province poised to follow suit. The Provincial Governance and Service Delivery project addresses challenges such as limited resources, weak capacity, and ineffective coordination among line ministries and Provincial Governments (PGs), aiming to enhance service delivery to communities.
Recognizing the slow pace of reform initiatives in decentralization, the project seeks to bridge gaps in service delivery, thereby contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, and 16.
The project operates in close collaboration with the Solomon Islands Government at national, provincial, and community levels, leveraging sector grants for health and education to facilitate critical water and sanitation activities. Through the existing Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF), administered by the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening, the project disburses these grants and facilitates consultations on policy areas to enhance decentralized, people-centered service delivery.
Story & pictures: UNDP PRESS
