Solomons, RAMSI mission still open ended

Updated May 20, 2009 16:25:30

Pacific leaders are expected to endorse last week's agreement between the Solomon Islands' Government and the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI. The deal, has been described by Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Islands Affairs Duncan Kerr as "historic". One topic which wasn't part of those discussion was an exit date for the mission. But Mr Kerr told Michael Cavanagh the core elements of the RAMSI agreement remain, and that it has also clarified its obligations.

Presenter: Michael Cavanagh
Speaker: Duncan Kerr, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Islands Affairs

KERR: Two things happened, one we got clear definition of the task of RAMSI into the middle future through the partnership agreement signed between the Solomon Islands and RAMSI, and secondly, the Australian Government was able to announce that in the recent budget Australia had provided forward funding for four years so that there can be confidence that RAMSI contingent will remain funded for that period. Of course it's not an indefinite commitment, but we see it as mission-based as to when the commitment starts to phase down and that of course is not in the immediate future.

CAVANAGH: In that funding in the budget, it now goes through to 2013, which will bring it up to ten years since RAMSI was implemented. Is there no clearer picture of when RAMSI itself will be able to leave and hand everything back?

KERR: The mission has been successful to date. It is seen as such by the people of the Solomon Islands and by the Solomon Islands Government and by the participating governments of all of the Pacific Island states that are involved. It's bringing a country back from a very long way, because of the crisis that engulfed it. And so the task is to build those basic strengths, to consult those and as that is done, then the balance will shift from the multilateral RAMSI involvement, that will ultimately phase out, although we have not said any fixed time lines in relation to that and we are putting greater weight of course as time passes on our bilateral relationships, Australia to the Solomon Islands, increasingly outside of the framework areas that have been agreed in the RAMSI-Solomon Islands Partnership. Australia will be placing greater weight on its bilateral relationships. So the weight will change as the mission progresses, but the basic core mission of RAMSI remains the same. Ultimately it will be phased out, but it would be wrong to put a fixed date on that. We're not seeking to do that, that will depend on the judgements and assessments made as to the achievements of the mission.

CAVANAGH. You say that there has to be a re-engagement with the Solomon Islands Government. Has it lost a little bit of direction between RAMSI and the Solomon Island Government?

KERR: No, I don't believe so, but of course in the aftermath of the crisis, the major intervention that occurred was through RAMSI, through the very unique intervention that happened with the cooperation of all Pacific Island countries, all of whom are represented in the policing involvement and in supporting for the mission. It was not unnatural for Solomon Islands to look to RAMSI for a whole range of things, which more properly are part of a bilateral relationship with Australia and with other partners and donors. But, the partnership agreement between the Solomon Islands Government and RAMSI clarifies the scope of the involvement of RAMSI. It is very useful in terms of defining the mission tasks very precisely and it enables a more natural evolution of the ordinary relationships between the two governments and the communities on the bilateral side, not only with Australia, of course, but all the other Pacific Island countries, and the other countries that have missions in the Solomon Islands.

CAVANAGH: This has to be endorsed by the coming Forum leader's meeting. What sort of work does also the Solomon Island Government have to do in relation to this agreement?

KERR: In all practical senses, the back has been broken of the task of the Solomon Islands Government, its officials and team for RAMSI worked very hard to find all the common ground that was ultimately achieved and the RAMSI Ministerial Meeting which I attended, representing Australia, received the final sign off in relation to that. So I think we can say the work has been done.