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

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 it's 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 govnerments in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.  The Conference noted the wide acceptance and use made 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.  Givne the over representation of persons with disabilities amongst the poor the conference also noted the need for govnerments to include the status of persons with dsiabilties 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 Porgram 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.