The Fijian Government through senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Fiji MFA), Economy, Health and Medical Services, Education, Heritage and Arts, and Youth and Sports, participated in the national consultation for the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 7th Multi-Country Programme (MCP7) for all 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) including Fiji for 2023 - 2027.
UNFPA’s Pacific MCP7 consultation sets out these countries’ national development priorities, contributing to the UN system-wide Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the 14 PICTs for the same five years, also in line with the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent.
Representatives from Fiji, MFA Director Multilateral, Mr Peter Emberson, and Principal Foreign Service Officer, Mrs Keleni Seruvatu joined other stakeholders in this important consultation process.
“UNFPA appreciates the long-standing partnership with the Government and people of Fiji, which has resulted in many notable achievements during the current 6th Programme (2018-2022) which comes to an end in 2022. UNFPA is also grateful to the Fijian Government for hosting our Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO) here in Suva from which UNFPA extends our support to the rest of the 13 PICTs as well,” said Iori Kato, UNFPA Director for the Pacific and Representative in Fiji.
UNFPA looks forward to continuing to contribute to PICTs in the years to come under MCP7, advancing universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, especially for vulnerable women and young people including those impacted by health pandemics and climate-induced disasters, as well as harnessing the demographic dividend.