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. Pressrelease; More