Pacific Early Childhood Development Forum starts in Fiji
The three days Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum begins today at the Sofitel Hotel in Nadi, Fiji.
The governments and representatives from 15 Pacific Island countries are in Nadi, Fiji next week for the Pacific Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum.
The theme for this year’s forum is ‘Building a Resilient Pacific Through Early Childhood Development’.
Opening of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum
In his remarks to open the forum, Fiji’s Prime Minister Hon Sitiveni Rabuka said it is good to see the highest rank officials from 15 Pacific Island countries gathered for the youngest children of the Blue Pacific.
“Our children today are the future leaders of the 2050 Blue Pacific,” Prime Minister Rabuka said.
He congratulated those attending the forum for their efforts towards children.
UNICEF Representative Jonathan Veitch said investments in the early years of a child’s life are the most important investments that governments and societies can make.
Solomon Islands as a representative member country of the Pacific Regional Council for ECD (PRC4ECD) is represented in the forum by a delegation led by the Minister for Education and Human Resources Development Hon Lanelle Tanaganda.
Solomon Islands delegation to the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum in Nadi, Fiji
Minister Tanaganda is expected to inform Pacific leaders tomorrow on the Solomon Islands’ overall National Children’s Policy, the development of a National ECD Action Plan and the way forward for ECD.
She is also expected to inform the leaders on the Solomon Islands National ECD Policy that has been approved by the Cabinet on 1st February 2023.
The Pacific Regional Council for Early Childhood Development confirmed “the forum will provide an opportunity for the governments of the 15 Pacific Island countries to discuss early childhood investments as a critical component of building resilience to climate change, natural disasters and other emergencies.”
It said the other objective would be to agree and endorse action point number 10 on to the nine points of the Action on ECD which focuses on resilience-building opportunities that ECD presents.
The forum concludes this Friday.
ENDS///
By Fredrick Kusu
Nadi, Fiji