THE Pacific Youth Development Framework 2014–2023 was launched last week in Suva.
It was described as an era of greater coordination of youth-centred development in the pacific region.
Speaking at the launching last week, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said considerable consultation with young people, governments and other stakeholders had gone into designing the framework.
“The Pacific Youth Development Framework highlights the engagement of youth as a prerequisite for effective development and emphasises the need to target opportunities to key populations of young people who are missing out on mainstream development efforts.
“Young people can help make their communities more productive and resilient when they have the opportunity to become better educated, healthier, express their voice and engage in useful work.
“We’re committed to implementing the framework in partnership with the Pacific youth council, youth networks, governments and development partners, to help chart our region’s future prosperity,” the Director-General said.
He added that, the framework contains four priority areas identified by young people as having the most potential for positive impact: education and employment; health; governance and participation; and youth engagement in environmental action.
The launching also coincides with the International Youth day, which was commemorated on the 12th of August 2015.
In Solomon Islands, Save the Children also organized a youth forum for Honiara, Guadalcanal, Western, and Choiseul provinces to give young people an opportunity to raise their voice and concerns in the development of the country.
The youth forum is part of Save the Children’s Youth Outreach Partnership Project (YOPP) program, which has been running youth livelihood and development programs in the Solomon Islands since 2006.
Speaking during the forum last week, the acting director of youth development department within the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs Andre Tipoki said, that works are underway to review the National Youth Policy 2016.
He added that, stake holders will be part of the review process so he encourages the youths that were presenting in the forum to consolidate the issues raised properly to submit it to the government for further deliberations.
Meanwhile, youths in Honiara, will celebrate international youth day starting tomorrow through till this Friday during the youth market which was scheduled for this month.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
