Regional Ministerial Meeting Set to Open in Nadi

PRESS RELEASE

Regional Ministerial Meeting Set to Open in Nadi

For Immediate Release

Suva, Fiji (18 July 2011) – The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Hon. Willy Telavi will be amongst ministers from the region who will meet in Nadi, Fiji, this week at the 4th Pacific Women’s Ministerial Meeting to consider outcomes and recommendations of the 11th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and relevant outcomes of the 2010 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM). The meeting will also agree on ways to effectively implement these outcomes at the national level.

The 4th Pacific Women’s Ministerial Meeting will be convened by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) on 21 July. It will be preceded by a one-day ministerial workshop on climate change on 20 July and will be followed by a half-day dialogue between ministers, donors and development partners on financing and programme support for gender and development issues in Pacific Island countries and territories on the afternoon of 22 July.

Pacific Ministers for Women last met in Noumea, New Caledonia, in 2007 in conjunction with the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women. This 4th Ministerial Meeting follows on from last year’s 11th Triennial Conference, which focused on the milestone 15-year review of the Beijing and Pacific Platforms for Action towards gender equality and the advancement of women.

The Ministerial Meeting will provide an opportunity for Pacific ministers to discuss and endorse the 11th Triennial Conference recommendations and engage on how to advance national and regional actions to promote the advancement of women; women’s legal and human rights; women’s access to services, particularly health; and the economic empowerment of women.

Although separate from the Ministerial Meeting, the ministers and development partner dialogue will be an important forum for sharing issues around financing for gender and development, programme development, coordination and the effective use of scarce resources, in line with country and regional priorities.

(ENDS)

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