EXCHANGE OF NOTES CONSTITUTING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW ZEALAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF SOLOMON ISLANDS ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VISIT BY A CONTINGENT OF THE NEW ZEALAND ARMED FORCES TO SOLOMON ISALNDS FOR EXERCISE TROPIC WING 90

(Honiara, 23 November 1990)

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23 NOVEMBER 1990 WITH EFFECT FROM 26 NOVEMBER 1990

No. 1 

Mr Bernard Hillier 
High Commissioner of New Zealand for the Solomon Islands 

to 

Rt Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations

New Zealand High Commission 
Honiara 

23 November 1990

Dear Minister

I have the honour to refer to the talks held between officials from New Zealand and Solomon Islands in May 1990 concerning the visit of a contingent of the New Zealand Armed Forces to Solomon Islands for Exercise TROPIC WING 90 to be held between 26 November and 14 December 1990. The purpose of the exercise is to give New Zealand Service personnel experience in patrol procedures in a tropical environment and to undertake training with and to provide assistance to the Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) at the request of the Government of Solomon Islands.

I now propose on behalf of the Government of New Zealand that an agreement be concluded between our two Governments relating to these exercises on the following terms:

1. The Government of New Zealand shall send a contingent of 34 Army personnel, including eight personnel from the Australian Defence Force, to Solomon Islands between 26 November and 14 December 1990 to take part in Exercise TROPIC WING 90. The contingent shall deploy to and from Solomon Islands by RNZAF Hercules aircraft.

2. For the purposes of this Agreement, and unless the context otherwise requires, the terms set out below shall have the following meanings:

"New Zealand contingent" means that group of New Zealand and Australian servicemen who will be visiting Solomon Islands for the purpose of taking part in Exercise TROPIC WING 90 in Solomon Islands.

"New Zealand serviceman" means an individual member of the contingent of the New Zealand Armed Forces who will be visiting Solomon Islands for the purpose of taking part in Exercise TROPIC WING 90 and "New Zealand servicemen" means such members.

"New Zealand Service authorities" means the authorities empowered by the law of New Zealand to exercise command or jurisdiction over members of the New Zealand contingent while they are participating in Exercise TROPIC WING 90.

"Solomon Island authorities" means the authorities from time to time designated by the Government of the Solomon Islands for the purpose of exercising the powers in relation to which the term is used.

3. The New Zealand contingent shall be permitted to:

a conduct patrol operations training on Tetepare;

b establish a headquarters at Munda airfield;

c conduct basic reconnaissance, observation post and map reading training for 15 members of the RSIP;

d exercise with the RSIP Patrol Boat LATA, the Marine Division boat VELE and 15 members of the RSI P in the Tetepare area;

e conduct a parachute display drop into Iron Bottom Sound, in conjunction with the LATA acting as the safety boat.

4. The Solomon Islands Government shall make available up to 15 members of the RSIP for training and to provide the enemy party, interpreter support, liaison, and advice to the New Zealand contingent.

5. The Solomon Islands Government shall make available the LATA and the VELE to exercise with the New Zealand contingent.

6. The Solomon Islands Government shall make available a 25 ft motor canoe, two boatmen and a liaison officer from the Marine Division to provide support to the New Zealand contingent.

7. The New Zealand contingent shall supply rations and blank ammunition for RSIP and Marine Division personnel.

8. The Government of New Zealand shall facilitate the movement to and from Honiara of those RSIP personnel taking part in Exercise TROPIC WING 90.

9. The Government of New Zealand shall pay the fuel costs of the LATA, VELE and 25 ft motor canoe for the duration of Exercise TROPIC WING 90.

10. The Government of Solomon Islands shall not levy landing charges against the Government of New Zealand for the use of airport facilities in connection with Exercise TROPIC WING 90.

11. The Government of Solomon Islands shall facilitate the entry of the New Zealand contingent into Solomon Islands by not requiring passports of its members. The following documents shall, however, be required for entry into Solomon Islands:

a. a personal identity card issued by the appropriate authority of the Government of New Zealand showing the full name, date of birth, rank and number, Service and photograph of the holder;

b an individual or collective movement order issued by an appropriate authority and certifying to the status of the individual or group as a member of a New Zealand contingent.

12. All freight and exercise stores and equipment required by the New Zealand contingent for the exercise shall be given entry free of all duties and taxes by the Government of Solomon Islands provided that a detailed list of New Zealand stores and equipment is forwarded to the Government of Solomon Islands. The New Zealand contingent shall provide to the Government of Solomon Islands a list of weapons by type and serial number prior to the commencement of Exercise TROPIC WING 90.

13. The New Zealand contingent shall be permitted to take with it upon departure all equipment brought by it into Solomon Islands for the purpose of Exercise TROPIC WING 90 free from export duties and related charges and restrictions.
14. New Zealand servicemen shall be entitled to use valid New Zealand drivers licences and New Zealand Army drivers licences.

15. The New Zealand contingent shall provide its own 24 hour ration packs which shall comply with the agricultural requirements of Solomon Islands.

16. For the purpose of the command and control of members of the New Zealand contingent and for exercise purposes, the Government of Solomon Islands shall allow the New Zealand contingent to establish and operate HF and VHF radio stations using frequencies approved by the Solomon Islands Government.

17. New Zealand servicemen shall be permitted to wear uniform while performing official duty in Solomon Islands.

18. New Zealand servicemen shall be permitted to possess and carry arms on condition that they are authorised to do so by their orders and provided that arrangements regarding the carrying of arms outside areas and facilities in use by the visiting contingent have been made between the appropriate authorities of the two Governments. Live ammunition shall not be used during Exercise TROPIC WING 90. Blank ammunition and pyrotechnics shall be used during training.

19. The Government of Solomon Islands shall grant New Zealand servicemen exemption from departure tax.

20. The rights of the two Governments with respect to criminal and disciplinary jurisdiction over the New Zealand contingent participating in Exercise TROPIC WING 90 shall be as follows:

a. The New Zealand Service authorities shall have the right to exercise within Solomon Islands all criminal and disciplinary jurisdiction conferred on them by the law of New Zealand over New Zealand servicemen, and exclusive jurisdiction over the New Zealand servicemen with respect to offences punishable by the law of New Zealand but not by the law of Solomon Islands.

b. The Solomon Islands authorities shall have the right to exercise jurisdiction over new Zealand servicemen with respect to offences committed in Solomon Islands and punishable by the law of Solomon Islands and the right to exercise exclusive jurisdiction with respect to offences punishable by the law of Solomon Islands but not by the law of New Zealand.

c. In cases where the right to exercise jurisdiction is concurrent, the following rules shall apply:

(1) The New Zealand Service authorities shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over New Zealand servicemen in relation to:

i) offences solely against the property and security of New Zealand;

ii) offences solely against the person or property of another New Zealand serviceman;

iii) offences arising out of any act or omission done in the performance of an official duty as a New Zealand serviceman.

(2) In the case of any other offences the Solomon Islands authorities shall have the primary right to exercise jurisdiction.

(3) If the authorities having the primary right to exercise jurisdiction under these rules decide not to exercise jurisdiction they shall notify the other authorities as soon as practicable. The authorities having primary right to exercise jurisdiction shall give sympathetic consideration to a request from the other authorities for a waiver of jurisdiction.

(4) The foregoing paragraphs shall not confer any right on New Zealand Service authorities to exercise jurisdiction over persons who are nationals of or ordinarily resident in Solomon Islands unless they are New Zealand servicemen.

d. The New Zealand Service authorities and the Government of Solomon Islands shall assist each other in the arrest of New Zealand servicemen where such arrest is necessary to allow the exercise of jurisdiction provided for in the above sub paragraphs and, subject to sub paragraphs h and i of this clause, in handing them over to the authorities which are to exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the above paragraphs.

e. The Government of Solomon Islands shall notify promptly the New Zealand Service authorities of the arrest of any New Zealand serviceman.

f. Where the Solomon Islands authorities have arrested a New Zealand serviceman taking part in Exercise TROPIC WING 90, the Government of Solomon Islands shall if so requested release him to the custody of the New Zealand Service authorities in Solomon Islands pending completion of trial proceedings provided that he shall, on request, be made available to the Solomon Islands authorities.

g. The New Zealand Service authorities and Solomon Islands authorities shall in all cases, including those giving rise to concurrent jurisdiction, assist each other in the carrying out of all necessary investigations into offences and in the collection and production of evidence, including the seizure of and, in appropriate cases, the handing over of objects in connection with the offence. The handing over of such objects, however, may be made subject to their return within any reasonable time specified by the authorities authorising their delivery.

h. The New Zealand Service authorities and Solomon Islands authorities shall notify each other of the disposal of all cases in which there are concurrent rights to exercise criminal jurisdiction.

i. Where an accused serviceman has been tried or summarily dealt with in accordance with the preceding paragraphs by the New Zealand Service authorities or in a Solomon Islands Court and has been convicted or acquitted (which expressions shall include any other final disposal of a charge) he may not be tried or summarily dealt with again for the same or substantially the same offence under New Zealand or Solomon Islands law. This paragraph shall not prevent the New Zealand Service authorities from trying or dealing with a New Zealand serviceman for any violation of rules of discipline arising from an act or omission which constituted an offence for which he was tried under Solomon Islands law.

j. In addition to the provision of any agreement entered into between new Zealand and Solomon Islands concerning the return of prisoners from one country to the other, where a New Zealand serviceman has been sentenced under the law of Solomon Islands to a term of imprisonment and he makes a request, which is supported by the Government of New Zealand, that his term of imprisonment be served in New Zealand, his request shall be given sympathetic consideration by the Government of Solomon Islands.

21.	a. The two Governments shall consult on the settlement of claims by one against the other arising from the loss of or damage to property owned or being used by one of them and caused by an act or omission of a member of the armed forces or an employee of the other in the performance of official duty where such damage or loss has occurred in the course of Exercise TROPIC WING 90, due regard being had in the settlement of such claims and in the determination of appropriate compensation payable to the criteria set out in sub paragraph b of this clause for the settlement of claims against the Government of New Zealand by third parties.

b The Government of New Zealand shall pay just and reasonable compensation in accordance with the law of Solomon Islands for meritorious claims by third parties in respect of loss or life or injury to such third parties or loss of property or damage to property belonging to such third parties where such damage or loss is caused by the act or omission (done in the performance of official duty) of a New Zealand serviceman or servicemen and where the Government of Solomon Islands, after investigation, certify the claims:

(1) as having been submitted in good faith, within three months of the act or omission,

(2) as being reasonable in nature, and

(3) where they relate to property damage, as seeking sums which reflect accurately the current market prices for returning the damaged property to the condition it was in before such damage, and

(4) where they relate to loss of property, as seeking sums which reflect accurately the value of such property immediately prior to such loss.

22. The Government of New Zealand shall take measures to ensure that members of the visiting contingent are aware of their duty to observe the law of Solomon Islands.

If the foregoing is acceptable to the Government of Solomon Islands, I have the honour to propose that this Note, together with your reply to that effect, shall constitute an agreement between our two Governments which shall enter into effect on the date of your reply.

Accept, Sir, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.

BERNARD HILLIER 
High Commissioner

No. 2 

Rt Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations 

to 

Mr Bernard Hillier 
High Commissioner of New Zealand for the Solomon Islands

Honiara

23 November 1990

Dear High Commissioner,

I have the honour to refer to your letter of today's date 23.11.90 and confirm that all arrangements as spelt out under the text of the initiating Note for the Exercise of Tropic Wing 90 are acceptable to the Government of Solomon Islands.

This reply places on record the understanding reached between our two Governments which will come into operation on Monday 26th November 1990.

Yours sincerely

Rt. Hon. Sir PETER KENILOREA
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations