Regional Archive August 2011

Press Release - 30th August 2011 - As the 18th Consultation Meeting of the Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES) ended in Koror, Republic of Palau on 26th August, there was a general feeling of renewed commitment towards fast-tracking reforms in education in the region for the benefit of all Pacific children.

BUSAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has called for sustained commitment, leadership and partnerships to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS.

Staff and management of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) handed over a donation of $1,615.00 to the Walk On Walk Strong (WOWS) Fund yesterday (17th August).

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is assisting the people of the Kingdom of Tonga to gain high-speed internet access by financing the development of a submarine cable system.

Improving efficiency of agricultural markets in the Pacific through the use of information technology

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda reaffirmed ADB's strong partnership with Australia during an official three-day visit aimed at further strengthening cooperation between Australia and ADB in joint efforts to fight poverty and promote development in the Asia and Pacific region.

PRESS RELEASE - 17th August 2011 - The Pacific Plan endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2005 has recorded good achievements in the past year despite continuing challenges in the implementation of the Plan.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank are seriously considering a project that will help the Pacific Island nation of Tonga gain high-speed internet access for its population of 100,000 people through an underwater fiber optic cable.

PRESS RELEASE - 15th AUGUST 2011 - Pacific Islands Forum Smaller Island States have been commended for their implementation of the Forum Compact for Strengthening Development Cooperation endorsed by Forum Leaders in Cairns, Australia in 2009.

American Samoa and Tuvalu have joined other Pacific Island countries and territories in a joint initiative to tackle the epidemic of lifestyle disease such as heart failure, diabetes and cancer.

A World Health Organization (WHO) specialist in nutrition and physical activity has called on health experts from around the region to strengthen their health systems to combat the non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis.

PRESS RELEASE - 10th August 2011 - There must be a change of attitude and perception on how to address disability issues not only at the policy level but also at the operation level in the Pacific region.

PRESS STATEMENT - [Port Moresby, PNG - Tuesday 9th August 2011] Progressing market access offers by Pacific ACP States is an important step toward the establishment of a trade agreement with the European Union.

PRESS STATEMENT - [Port Moresby, PNG - Monday 8th August 2011] The Pacific is progressing steadily towards negotiating a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

PRESS STATEMENT - [Port Moresby, PNG - Monday 8th August 2011] Isolation, remoteness and fragmentation are elements the Pacific region is all too familiar with.

PRESS STATEMENT - [Port Moresby, PNG - Monday 8th August 2011] The Pacific's fish stocks remain instrumental to the region's negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Human Development Programme (HDP) has appointed tourism and handcraft consultant Jessie McComb to develop a strategy to market Pacific cultural industries to the European Union (EU) and other regions.

The Pacific meeting to prepare for the Earth Summit 2012, also known as Rio+20, provided the opportunity to reflect on the what was achieved since the first World Summit on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, 1992.

MANILA, 1 August 2011-Intimate partner and sexual violence against women is a major public health problem.

MANILA, 27 July 2011-The World Health Organization (WHO) today pledged to focus on nine countries in the Western Pacific Region facing significant challenges in meeting a 2012 target to reduce hepatitis B infection rates among children.

In Vanuatu, directors of government departments in the land-based resource sectors (agriculture, forestry, environment, water resources, meteorology and livestock & quarantine) are busy finalising the country's first National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) with input from stakeholders.