Opening remarks by Dr Filimon Manoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
Delivered at the Pacific Heads of Education Steering (PHES) Committee Meeting
23 November 2022
Chair of the Pacific Heads of Education Steering Committee
Esteemed Heads of Education and members of the Steering Committee
Members of CROP and partner agencies
Good morning to you all.
It is my pleasure to be with you this morning and to warmly welcome you to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
We are pleased to be able to host your meeting here today and support the work of your committee for education in the region.
I understand you have had fruitful and robust discussions over the last two days in strengthening and enhancing through the Pacific Regional Education Framework, PacREF looking at education policies, strategies and collective action for our children, the future of our Blue Pacific Continent.
The last two years have been challenging, globally, regionally and nationally with the socio-economic impacts of COVID 19 and for some of our countries experiencing natural disasters and on-going threats of climate change.
We continue to thank you and all our partners for continuing to progress implementation through collaboration and on-going commitment despite these challenges.
I also take this opportunity to thank the Global Partnership for Education for support towards the implementation of PacREF, and support from Implementing agencies. The Secretariat continues to highlight education and its role in delivering on our Leaders vision through key policy areas and existing regional frameworks and commends the PacREF Facilitation Unit for taking this forward.
You would have been made aware of the political commitment by Pacific Leaders made early this year towards a long-term vision as articulated in our ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent’.
The Strategy sets out our long-term vision of prosperity, harmony, peace and security and commitment to work together as a region to achieve this vision, and recognizes the role of education as strategic pathway to driving the future that we want for our children.
We look forward to hearing of the outcomes of your deliberations today, and plans towards the upcoming Conference for Pacific Education Ministers Meeting in 2023.
The Secretariat remains committed to support the work by PacREF in achieving its objectives and goals and strengthening our systems through collective action.
I thank you and wish you the best for todays discussions.
[ENDS]
