Papua New Guinea Announced As First Pacific Island Nation To Host The 2025 CPEM

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – October 17, 2024 – Papua New Guinea has made history by becoming the first Pacific Island nation to host the 2025 Conference of Pacific Education Ministers Meeting (CPEM).

To be held from March 18-20, 2025 in Port Moresby, CPEM 2025 will gather Education Ministers from 18 countries which include Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia and New Zealand.

The Melanesian Island nation had successfully hosted the 2010 Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM) - the predecessor of CPEM. CPEM further reflects a more active and formal engagement with civil society organisations (CSOs) who are important stakeholders in education development in the Pacific.

In conjunction with the announcement, Chair for the Conference of Pacific Education Ministers Meeting (CPEM) and Papua New Guinea Minister for Education, Hon Lucas Dawa Dekena, MP, also launched the CPEM 2025 logo with the theme, Transforming Edukesen for a Better Pacific and the 2025 CPEM website.

“The theme reflects the importance of the region needing to shift its focus and adopt innovative approaches, particularly in embracing global educational changes. We are just not unveiling a logo. We are embracing a vision. A vision rooted in the outcomes of the recent Pacific Forum Leaders Meeting held in Tonga, where we collectively reaffirmed our commitment to advancing education as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,” he said.

Co-host, The University of the South Pacific, Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pal Ahluwalia. in congratulating Papua New Guinea said the 2025 CPEM will not only shape the future of education in the region, but also strengthen the bonds between island nations and forge a path towards a more inclusive and dynamic educational landscape.

The USP will co-host the meeting through the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) Facilitation Unit, which is housed at USP and is an initiative of Pacific Education Ministers, that emphasises their dedication to improve the quality of education in the Pacific at all levels.

PacREF is a regional action plan that allows all stakeholders in education in the region to work together and share their expertise for the benefit of the participating countries.

“By hosting PacREF, USP, underscores its commitment to high-quality, culturally relevant education that meets the needs of Pacific communities. We aim to address critical issues such as access, equity and quality, ensuring that our education systems are resilient and inclusive,” Professor Ahluwalia said.

The maiden CPEM was held from March 20-23, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand and was established to share strategies and discuss key issues such as education financing, quality, and building resilience, inclusion and equity.

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