Solomon Islands

In the Solomon Islands, same-sex sexual relations between men and between women are prohibited under the penal code of 1996, which criminalizes acts of “buggery” and “gross indecency” with a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment, although there are no recent reports of enforcement. This colonial law was inherited from the British occupation of the region and retained after independence.

There is no law protecting people from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics, leaving LGBTIQ people vulnerable to discrimination and exclusion. There is no procedure for trans, intersex, and gender-diverse people to change gender markers on legal documents.

Strong social stigma and widespread negative attitudes are fueled by a conservative, exclusionary brand of Christianity, contributing to invisibility, discrimination, and exclusion. The former prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, in office until 2024, made repeated queerphobic references and called for the censorship of queer content. During the 2024 election campaign, Jeremiah Manele, who succeeded Sogavare as Prime Minister, did not publicly address LGBTIQ issues. In November 2025, in the context of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process at the UN Human Rights Council, Manele acknowledged that LGBTIQ people’s rights are a human rights issue, but said that rights should be considered in relation to “cultural sensitivity, context, and our Christian faith, moral values, and principles.” During previous UPR processes, the Solomon Islands consistently rejected recommendations to decriminalize homosexuality, including in 2011, 2016, and 2021.