The Solomon Islands Government has signed the Shiprider agreement with the United States of America in Honiara. A government statement emphasised that the Shiprider agreement establishes a framework allowing authorised Solomon Islands law enforcement officers to embark on designated U.S vessels to jointly undertake maritime surveillance and enforcement operations. “Under this arrangement, Solomon Islands officers will exercise their authority in accordance with Solomon Islands law and agreed operational procedures, particularly in matters within national jurisdiction,” the statement said. For a nation of hundreds of islands dispersed across a vast ocean, effective maritime surveillance is both critical and resource-intensive. It said the Government emphasises that the Shiprider Agreement is a cooperative law enforcement arrangement that reinforces, rather than compromises, Solomon Islands’ sovereignty.