The appointment of three human development policy advisers and a human development officer has completed the HDP team. HDP is now also represented in SPC Northern Pacific Regional Office.

Major events

Youth stakeholders meeting(March) to improve regional and local coordination and collaboration of youth stakeholders

CEDAW workshopfor French territories (April) to discuss progress on CEDAW implementation and the reporting process

Gender partners meeting(August) to improve development cooperation and aid effectiveness in support of gender and development

Two Council of Pacific Arts (CPA) meetings – 21st CPA (March-April) and 22nd CPA held during 10th Festival of Pacific Arts (July) to discuss a range of cultural issues including strengthening the Council’s role, development of a regional cultural strategy, enhancing integration of culture in education, evaluation of the festival and implementation of measures to protect traditional knowledge.

10th Festival of Pacific Arts

Pago Pago, American Samoa 20-30 July 2008

- Assisted host country with preparations for festival in collaboration with SPC Publications and IT Sections, Regional Media Centre, Public Health Programme, Land Resources Division – three preparatory missions to American Samoa, liaison and communication with participating countries, translation/interpretation, media rights advice, HIV/AIDS and STI awareness campaign, quarantine support
- Organised symposiums  – traditional knowledge; youth and culture; actively participated in inaugural Artists Forum convened by the Pacific Arts Alliance
- Provided media coverage in collaboration with RMC (press releases, television coverage)
- Trained three media and photography interns in collaboration with SPC Publications Section
Conducted cultural evaluation of festival (ongoing)

Partnerships with the community and member countries

- Re-establishment of Pacific Youth Council secretariat
- Ongoing technical and capacity support to the Pacific Arts Alliance
- Policy review and development undertaken in  American Samoa, Nauru, Niue, Samoa and Tuvalu

Community development training

- CETC’s  seven-month community development course attended by 34 students from 14 PICTs
- Eleven in-country training courses in entrepreneurial development undertaken in six countries, with ongoing entrepreneurial training in Cook Islands and Tonga
- CETC review undertaken to strengthen its community development approach
- Data from 18 countries collected in phase two of  TVET inventory of Pacific
- Registered Technical Training Providers

Family Health and safety studies in Kiribati and Solomon Islands

Regional Project Advisory Committee meeting held (February) to exchange ideas and progress on the project, and to outline its future direction
- Researchers trained and data collection completed
- Preliminary presentation of the research, December 2008

For more information on the studies please contact: Mia Rimon (Regional Coordinator) - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it