Followup Mission to Samoa on Disability Consultations and Draft Community Sector Plan, 2 - 8 December 2008, Apia, Samoa.

The Centre's Regional Adviser for Social Development and Planning provided technical assistance for the final stages of developing a national disability policy for Samoa and also facilitated a final disability policy review workshop with National Disability Taskforce.

Pacific Governance Network, 1 December 2008, Suva, Fiji.

The Pacific Operations Centre Economic Affairs officer and two regional advisers attended part of a University of the South Pacific (School of Governance and Development Studies) and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat "Pacific Governance Network" meeting, 1 December 2008. The network was established in 2007 as a "type II umbrella iniative" to link the work of interested agencies in diverse regions of the world across a range of critical sectoral challenges. Strengthening regional cooperation and capacity development around sustainable development and governance is articulated in the "Pacific Plan" as a priority area.

The Regional Adviser for Social Development and Planning and the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre based UN-Habitat Programme Manager made a joint presentation on the Pacific Urban Agenda and the "Global Campaign for Good Urban Governance."

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Meeting for Government Focal Points for Disability in Forum Island Countries, 24- 26 November 2008, Nadi, Fiji.

EPOC's Regional Adviser for Social Development and Planning conducted an information session on the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific at the above Pacific Islands Forum meeting and both EPOC Regional Advisers provided a half day capacity development session on policy development and national planning processes. Meeting Report, Disability Policy Making, Draft Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability.

ESCAP/ILO Workshop on Paving the Way for National Action Plans, 17 - 21 November 2008, Nadi, Fiji.

EPOC's two Regional Advisers conducted a capacity building session at the training workshop to improve understanding among the participants about integrating national action plans on youth employment into national policies. The workshop participants were Government offiicials, worker and employer representatives, and youth group representatives from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and Kiribati. The workshop is a first step in assisting countries to develop national action plans for youth employment. Next steps were identified by countries and assistance will be provided early next year for some countries to map existing youth employment activities and organise a national workshop to develop their national action plans. Meeting Report, Integrating Youth Action Plans into National Policies, Presentation, Agenda

Advisory Mission, 28 October - 11 November, Apia, Samoa.

The Regional Adviser for Social Development and Planning attended the Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Office's Technical Advisory Panel from 28-31 October and delivered a presentation on the 'Pacific Urban Agenda' and related urban management issues in the sub-region; assisted the Government of Samoa's Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development complete their 'Community Sector Plan'.

"A workshop held on 6 November 2008 convened by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) and facilitated by EPOC's Regional Adviser for Social Development and Planning drafted Samoa's first national policy on disability. Workshop participants included representatives of diability NGOs, a suicide preventing NGO, representatives from Ministries of Education, Health, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Commerce and Labour, Attorney General's Office, as well as representatives from special schools, and the church.The Policy development process is being coordinated by a Government appointed 'Taskforce' chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Women, Communtiy and Social Development and comprising repsentatives of disability NGOs and the heads of kay government Ministries. MWCSD intends to proceed with a national consutlation process over the next few weeks and develop a second draft of the policy by early December."

Regional Workshop on Trends and Progress in Triangular and South-South Cooperation, 21-22 October 2008, Bangkok.

ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre's Regional Adviser Development Policy, Mr David J Smith and Regional Adviser Social Development and Planning, Mr Alastair Wilkinson participated in this workshop. More.

Disability, Disadvantage and Development in the Pacific and Asia, 29 September-1 October 2008, Canberra, Australia

ESCAP's Pacific Operations Centre was represented by its Regional Adviser on Social Development and Planning, Alastair Wilkinson, at the International Conference on “Disability, Disadvantage and Development in the Pacific and Asia”, Canberra, National Museum, September 29-30 and Policy Consultation, October 1, 2008, Canberra, Australian National University.

The Regional Advisers presented a paper on developing "rights-based policy" in the Pacific and outlined the challenges facing Pacific island governments in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.  The Conference noted the wide acceptance and use of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific as a development tool.  Given the over-representation of persons with disabilities amongst the poor, the conference also noted the need for governments to include the status of persons with disabilities when reporting on achievement of the MDGs.

 The policy dialogue provided an opportunity to discuss and comment on Australia's regional disability policy,  "Development for All: A Disability Strategy for the Australian Aid Program 2009-2014".

Project Planning Workshop, 25-29 August 2009, Honiara, Solomon Islands.

EPOC's Regional Adviser on Development and Policy conducted a three day Project Planning workshop in Honiara, Solomon Islands recently. The workshop was opened by the Minister for Development Planning and was attended by 26 participants from sector ministries and the Department of Development Planning and Aid Coordination.

Workshop participants learned logical framework concepts and then applied these, in group work, to project proposals they were developing for the government's 2009 Development Budget.

Advisory Service on Review of the Draft Community Development Sector Plan, 12-22 August, 2008, Apia, Samoa.

EPOC's Regional Advisor on Social Development and Planning conducted a mission to Samoa to advise the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development on reviewing their draft Community Development Sector Plan; the development of policies in the areas of disability and the elderly and to discuss the development of initiatives and policies on combating gender based violence.

Disability Policy and International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities workshop, 14-18 July 2008, Palikir, Federated States of Micronesia.

EPOC's Advisor on Social Development and Planning conducted a joint mission with the Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Disability Forum to the Federated States of Micronesia to review disability policy developments in Micronesia. Press release.

Pacific Urban Agenda workshop, 8-9 July 2008, Majuro, the Marshall Islands.

EPOC's Advisor on Social Development and Planning conducted a national workshop on urban management issues and the Pacific Urban Agenda for local government and national government officials in Majuro, the Marshall Islands.  While visiting the Marshall Islands the Regional Advisor also met with people with disabilities to discuss disability policy and the new International Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities. Marshall Islands strategic urban management and planning priorities.

MDG Initiative Scoping Missions, 16 – 27 June 2008, Port Vila, Vanuatu & 21 July - 1 August 2008, Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The United Nations Multi-Country Team is rolling out the MDG Initiative in two Least Developed Countries, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, as part of the joint programming of activities under the Pacific subregional UNDAF. The MDG Initiative is aimed at supporting MDG-based National Development Strategies and their implementation. The scoping mission gauged areas that need assistance, undertook initial activities to launch the MDGI, and programmes subsequent activities. It also made contacts with line ministries that will use the MDG costing tools which were introduced to these countries through a series of workshops. ESCAP and UNDP co-funded the second such workshop and EPOC’s regional advisor was a resource person in all three.

UNDP Pacific Centre, sub-regional MDG workshop on planning, costing and budgeting for Polynesian countries, 26-29 May 2008, Rarotonga, the Cook Islands.

UNDP Pacific Centre organized a subregional workshop on MDG based planning, costing and budgeting for countries in Polynesia in the Cook Islands from 26 to 29 May 2008. The workshop, which introduced MDG costing tools to, was the third in a series of three workshops in the Pacific. The first workshop for countries in Micronesia was held in Pohnpei in June this year, and a second workshop for countries in Melanesia was held in November 2007 in the Solomon Islands. At the workshop, ESCAP’s regional advisor highlighted good practices in preparing, implementing and monitoring National Sustainable Development Strtategies (NSDSs) to achieve the MDG’s. More

Pacific Disability Forum, Seminar on the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, 16 May 2008, Suva, Fiji.

EPOC's Advisor on Social Development and Planning contributed to a Fiji national workshop on 'rights based disability policy and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities organised by the Pacific Disability Forum for people with disabilities in Fiji.  Presentations were also made by representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Fiji Office, the UNDP's Regional Rights Resource Team and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.  The purpose of the workshop was to create greater awareness of human rights concerns for persons with disabilities and the new International Convention. 

Headquarters agreement signed between ESCAP and Government of the Republic of Fiji, 12 May 2008, Bangkok, Thailand.

An important headquarters agreement between the United Nations and the Government of the Republic of the Fiji Islands on the establishment of the Pacific Operations Centre of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Fiji, was signed on 12 May 2008 by H.E. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji, and Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. The signing ceremony was held at the ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok.In her statement delivered on the occasion, Ms. Heyzer reiterated that ESCAP would continue to strengthen the Pacific dimension of its work, and focus its activities on key challenges faced by the Pacific Island countries and potential solutions with a focus on South-South cooperation. The signing of the agreement was a significant step towards strengthening the subregional component of ESCAP's work. More

Development of national urban policy, 5-9 May 2008, Port Vila, Vanuatu.

An official from the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and the EPOC Social Development and Planning Adviser visited Vanuatu to advise the Government of Vanuatu on developing a national policy on urban management and planning. A range of social, economic and environmental issues were discussed in a workshop held at the Port Vila Municipal Chambers in response to the rapid urban expansion of urban and peri-urban areas of Port Vila and Luganville.  Officials from a range of government agencies, the municipality of Port Vila as well as representatives from nongovernmental organizations and the private sector met to discuss the priorities that need to be considered in developing a national policy on urban development for Vanuatu.  The role or purpose of policy was discussed and the importance of taking a broad and integrated approach to developing urban policy given the social, economic and environmental impacts of urban development.  Emphasis was also placed on strengthened inter-departmental coordination and the need to identify key stakeholders, particularly chiefs and land owning families and effective engagement of a wide range of stakeholders in the policy development process to ensure broad commitment to the implementation of the policy.

Pacific Disability Forum, Women with Disabilities Forum and Regional Training Workshop, 21-25 April 2008, Apia, Samoa.

The Regional Advisor on Social Development and Planning facilitated sessions at the above meeting on ' The Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities,' the 'Biwako Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free, Rights-based Society for All People with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific' and 'developing a national policy on disability in Pacific island countries,' in collaboration with the Disability Officer of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries, tenth session, 22-23 April 2008, Bangkok, Thailand.

The meeting, of the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries of ESCAP, is held every two years in the run-up to ESCAP's annual high-level Commission session. It provides inputs on how ESCAP can better serve its member States in the Pacific and strengthen links between the Pacific and Asia. Speaking in Bangkok at the meeting on Pacific island developing countries, Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific noted that “there are continuing employment challenges, especially for youth and women, in Pacific communities.” Special Body Pre-session documents - tenth session; Viable Economy and Human Investment Key to Create Jobs in Pacific Islands; Addressing High Unemployment Focus of UN Meeting on the Pacific Islands; Closing statement; Documents from sessions on Special Bodies.

Vanuatu Budget Policies for 2009, 1-15 April 2008, Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The Regional Adviser on Development Policy recently completed a mission to Vanuatu working with Ministry of Finance and Economic Management officials to develop a “Budget Policy Statement”. The Statement is required to be published well in advance of annual budget preparation under Vanuatu’s Public Finance and Economic Management Act. The Statement, together with other economic and fiscal reports produced during each year, were introduced as part of Vanuatu’s Comprehensive Reform Programme in the late 1990s.  In recent years the value of the Statement had not been fully realized. The Regional Advisor assisted Vanuatu Government officials to prepare a Statement that clearly states the priorities for the 2009 budget and links these to the expected economic and fiscal situation.

Launch of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2008, Sustaining Growth and Sharing Prosperity, 28 March 2008, Suva, Fiji.

The Pacific launch of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2008 was held in Suva, Fiji on 28 March 2008. The launch was attended by some 50 participants, including representatives of media, academia, government, diplomatic community, regional and international organisations, NGOs and the private sector. Mr. David Smith, regional advisor of ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre presented the key findings of the report. Professor Biman Prasad of the University of the South Pacific discussed employment opportunities in the Pacific. Download the Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific; Pacific Press Release; Pacific Launch Presentation.

Choiseul Provincial Development Plan, 4-24 March 2008, Choiseul, Solomon Islands.

EPOC's two Regional Advisers, Economic Planning and Social Development, have completed working with the Choiseul Provincial Government of the Solomon Islands to develop a draft three year rolling Provincial Development Plan.  The work started in June 2007 with initial consultations in Choiseul followed by more extensive community consultations completed in late 2007 with the assistance of a local consultant.  the final draft of the Plan was presented to the Provincial Government in March. The April 2007 tsunami affected nearly 50% of the approximately 30,000 people living on Choiseul destroying many homes, damaging infrastructure, schools and medical facilities.

High-Level Consultative Meeting with Pacific island countries, 12-13 March 2008, Noumea, New Caledonia.

The heads of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and leaders and senior ministers from selected Pacific island states met with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Noumea, New Caledonia, on 12 and 13 March, 2008. Press release; More