Pacific

The representatives are meeting with government officials, development partners and relevant stakeholders.  

The Pacific Youth Consultation and Training: Improving Employment Opportunities for Youth in Fragile and/or Conflict-Affected Situations is being hosted in by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Youth Council (PYC).

Over half of the Pacific’s 10 million people are under the age of 25, of which an alarming 23 percent are unemployed.

The decision to create a Healthy Islands Monitoring Framework follows deliberations by senior health officials from 22 Pacific Island countries and territories at the Fourth Heads of Health meeting in Suva, Fiji, last week, based on an outcome of the Pacific Health Ministers meeting held in Fiji last year. 

RNZI reports Gold Coast Titans players David Mead and Nene Macdonald are included in Papua New Guinea's squad along with Wests' second rower Rod Griffin.

Despite the loss of Semi Radradra to Australian duties, Fiji has exciting and experienced outside backs in the form of Sisa Waqa, Akuila Uate and Kevin Naiqama.

Released today, the 'Precautionary Management of Deep Sea Mining Potential' report recommends that Pacific countries supporting or considering deep sea mining activities proceed with a high degree of caution to avoid irreversible damage to their ecosystems.

It also stresses the need for strong governance arrangements to ensure that appropriate social and environmental safeguards are in place.

After launching three surfboard brands — the first in 1973 — Hyman initially invested in plastics recycling.

“Being in Bali in the late 70s and early 80s and seeing how fantastic [Bali] was, and then going back there and seeing more and more rubbish in the oceans ... I ended up thinking I might as well invest in a plastics recycling company,” he told 7.30.

NZ Herald reports the study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, suggests the Zika virus sweeping through Latin America may have been introduced to Rio de Janeiro during the 6th World Sprint Championship canoe race in August 2014.

The race included teams from four Pacific countries French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Cook Islands and Easter Island where the virus circulated during 2014.

Zika is believed to cause defects in the brains of fetuses if women become infected during pregnancy.

RNZI reports millions of documents from a boutique Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca -- now known as the Panama Papers -- were given to several media organisations around the world and have revealed the firm's involvement in setting up shell companies in offshore jurisdictions, which has allowed the world's richest people to avoid paying taxes.

RNZI reports Māori and Pacific Islanders make up nearly 70 percent of New Zealand's prison population, according to police statistics, and the force is hoping that the recently established liaison roles in districts across the country could help reduce the high number of Pacific offenders.

The ITC is the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation and advises and trains producers on how to reach international markets.

Following a visit to Fiji, Arancha Gonzalez identified climate change as being the biggest challenge to Pacific farmers being able to access international markets.

RNZI reports the focus of World Health Day this year is Beat Diabetes with emphasis on scaling up prevention, strengthening care and enhancing surveillance.

The Director-General of the Pacific Community Colin Tukuitonga said diabetes rates in the region continue to climb at an alarming rate and a multi-dimensional approach is needed if there is to be any hope of slowing let alone stopping the trend.