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‘It’s a milestone for every artist. This is a happy day for me – it’s a step forward for protecting our music,’ said Solomon Islands musician Mr Chris Kamu’ana at the official launch of the Solomon Islands Performing Rights Organization (SIPRO) in Honiara on 21 May. 

For Mr Kamu’ana and many others, this historic moment marks more than the establishment of a new organization. It symbolizes long-overdue recognition of the creative sector’s vital role in Pacific societies and a deepening commitment to protecting the rights of artists.

The launch of the country’s first collective management organization for musicians and composers took place during UNESCO’s regional workshop on Enhancing Creative Industries through Intellectual Property Rights and Digital Transformation in the Pacific, hosted from 19 to 21 May and attended by government representatives, national artists and cultural professionals. 

Delegates included representatives from the Fiji Performing Rights Association (FIPRA) and the Department of Industry of Vanuatu, where promising progress is being made toward establishing the country’s first collective management organization.

FIPRA has been a key partner of UNESCO on this regional journey, actively participating in this regional event and, prior to it, playing a leading role in sharing knowledge and experience with other Pacific countries working to establish their own collective management organizations. 

The Fiji Performing Rights Association’s contribution to South-South cooperation and peer learning has been instrumental in building regional momentum and fostering solidarity among creative professionals.

The launch of the professional bodies for musicians in Fiji and Solomon Islands are the direct result of activities implemented under the four-year Joint UN Programme for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals by Improving Livelihoods and Resilience via Economic Diversification and Digital Transformation in the South Pacific, which winds up later this year. 

Coordinated by six UN agencies — UNESCO, the International Labour Organization, International Telecommunications Union, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Office for Project Services and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime —, the programme covers Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Over the past three years, it has sought to boost economic resilience and cultural rights through inclusive, rights-based development.

Over the past three years, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ led the joint UN programme’s work related to the cultural and creative economy, supporting Member States’ efforts to strengthen policy frameworks, build institutional capacity and empower cultural professionals. Through a series of six technical workshops held across Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, over 100 music sector stakeholders have been engaged in peer learning, regional dialogue and skill-building exercises.

This South–South cooperation model has proven to be one of the programme’s most valuable achievements, encouraging knowledge-sharing between countries and laying the foundation for the launch of the Performing Rights Organisation in Solomon Islands and progress towards the first collective management organization in Vanuatu. In Fiji, a pioneer in the region, the groundwork has been laid for the establishment of the country's first collective management organization for producers.

‘For too long, our local artists have been neglected from their own hard work but now a new chapter has unfolded,’ said Mr Bunyan Sivoro, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Solomon Islands, at the launch. 

He was joined by Mr Dennis Marita, Director of Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Solomon Islands, who underscored that ‘establishing the right foundations is essential and we thank our international partners, including UNESCO, for their continued support.’

A cornerstone of UNESCO’s work under this joint UN programme has been that of raising awareness and building capacity around two key UNESCO international instruments the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist.

These instruments provide practical frameworks for strengthening cultural and creative industries, advancing cultural rights and improving the working conditions and legal protections of artists. UNESCO’s work has emphasized the importance of fair remuneration, copyright protection and institutional support for creators.

This work is particularly timely, as this year marks the 20^th anniversary of the 2005 Convention, which remains a powerful tool for guiding countries in developing robust, inclusive cultural policies. The Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu have all expressed strong commitment to ratifying the Convention, having recognized its value in enabling them to harness the potential of their cultural and creative sectors fully.

‘The momentum we are seeing today speaks volumes for the power of cooperation and resilience. It also reminds us of the urgent need to scale up technical assistance, policy advice and institutional support across the region to affirm the right of artists to a decent livelihood and enable sustainable cultural ecosystems,’ observes Dr Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for the Pacific States.