The decision was made at the UCI Congress in Leuven in Belgium and brings the organisation's total number of member nations to 201.

"The UCI and OCC welcome the Solomon Islands as a member nation and I look forward to continuing to work with the Solomon Islands Cycling Federation to grow cycling in the Islands and across the Oceania Region," said Tony Mitchell, President of the Oceania Cycling Confederation (OCC) and UCI Management Committee member.

"The growth of National Federations continues to be a focus for the OCC and is an overarching objective of the OCC Pacific Development Plan, with a goal of the creation of a cycling culture in the Pacific and for cycling to be introduced into the Pacific Games."

The Solomon Islands joins Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, New Zealand, Samoa and Vanuatu as a full member.

New Caledonia, the Northern Mariana Islands and French Polynesia are also a part of the OCC but as associate members.

At the Congress, David Lappartient was re-elected as UCI President while OCC Executive Board member and AusCycling director Anne Gripper was elected to the UCI Management Committee.

"The OCC congratulates David Lappartient on his re-election as President of the UCI," said Mitchell.

"Having worked alongside him on the UCI Management Committee for the past four years I know he will continue to champion cycling globally.

"I also extend my congratulations to Anne Gripper on her election to the Management Committee. Anne brings more than two decades of experience in sports administration, including director, anti-doping at the UCI, chief executive of Triathlon Australia, executive director NSW Office of Sport and most recently as a director of AusCycling and a colleague on the OCC Executive.

"Having two members representing the OCC on the UCI Management Committee ensures our region will remain well represented on the world stage."

The UCI Road World Championships return to the Oceania region in 2022 with Wollongong in Australia set to host the event.

It will be the second time the OCC member has hosted the championships after the 2010 edition in Geelong.