SI Delegation to attend Pacific Early Childhood Development Forum in Fiji

The governments and representatives from 15 Pacific Island countries will gather together in Nadi, Fiji next week for the Pacific Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum.

The three day forum is scheduled to take place at the Sofitel Hotel from the 22nd to the 24th of February.

Solomon Islands as a representative member country of the Pacific Regional Council for ECD (PRC4ECD) will be represented in the forum by a delegation led by the Minister for Education and Human Resources Development Hon Lanelle Tanaganda.

Minister Tanaganda is expected to inform Pacific leaders on the country’s 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.

A briefing was held for the delegation at the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development this morning (17 February 2023) in preparation for the forum.

The briefing allowed delegates to be informed and updated on the country’s reflections on the development of the country’s National ECD Policy, Action Plans and the way forward.

Meanwhile, the theme for this year’s forum is ‘Building a Resilient Blue Pacific Through Early Childhood Development’.

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 Minister and her delegation is expected to leave the country for Nadi on Tuesday 21st February 2023.

ENDS///

By Fredrick Kusu