Pacific leaders today reaffirmed their support for each other in order to achieve international committed goals in the region.
Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma while officially closing the Pacific Conference for Parliamentarians Advocacy on the International Conference for Population and Development, said the discussions provided an avenue for Pacific leaders to gather, share and address issues such as migration, aging population, climate change and urbanisation.
“The ‘Talanoa’ session in a Pacific way provides a sustainable means to share each other’s commonalities and learn difference,” Dr Sharma said.
“Talanoa sessions recognise the concept of partnership and need for equity. As team leaders we need to apply our collective wisdom in our own settings to common good on issues of population development.”
Dr Sharma added that succession planning was an essential part of governance which is not possible with current migration trends demonstrated in the region.
“Pacific governments have continued to struggle to achieve their target for reasons such as social, economic and fiscal constraints which needs to be addressed in the next development agenda post 2015,” Dr Sharma said.
“The unfinished business of ICPD agenda to 2014 and that of MDG in 2015 must be inter-twinned, prioritized for the sake of the grass root people we support.
“That post 2015 development agenda will carry forward the unfinished business of MDGs, issues of aging population, climate change and NCDs including cancer and mental health which must be factored in the next development agenda,” he added.
The three day meeting organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had participants from Pacific Island Countries (PIC), non-governmental organizations and other United Nations agencies.
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