The 2023 Pacific Early Childhood Development (ECD) Forum, with the theme Building a Resilient Blue Pacific Through Early Childhood Development, was a 3-day high-level forum, 22-24 February, in Fiji for Pacific Island governments to discuss early childhood investments as a critical component of building resilience to climate change, natural disasters and other emergencies.
The Forum also gathered governments to discuss advances made since the declaration of the Pasifika Call to Action on ECD in 2017 – the region’s nine-point action agenda that lays out critical national efforts to secure the optimal development of young children.
The Forum was attended by 150 delegates, including Ministers and senior government representatives from Ministries of Education, Finance, Health, and Social Welfare from: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The Forum produced several important outcomes for ECD, as contained in an Outcomes Statement (see next page), foremost of which was the endorsement of Action Point 10 of the Pasifika Call to Action on ECD, to prioritize ECD as a pathway to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities to the effects of climate change and other emergencies; promote close collaboration between the areas of ECD and natural resources, environment and sustainable development; and commit to heightened advocacy for ECD in the global climate discourse and to call for global green financing mechanisms that allow for financing of ECD programmes and services.
Hon.Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molioo, Minister of Finance, Samoa and Hon. Lynda Tabuya, Minister of Women, Children & Poverty Alleviation Fiji, were appointed as co-chairs until the election of these positions at the next council meeting. UNICEF remains as the PRC4ECD Secretariat.
The Forum stimulated south-south learning on ECD, and multi-sectoral group discussions resulted in the delegates’ identification of priority actions that they would undertake immediately after the Forum.
Outcomes
Endorsement of Action Point 10 of the Pasifika Call to Action on ECD, to prioritize ECD as a pathway to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities to the effects of climate change and other emergencies; promote close collaboration between the areas of ECD and natural resources, environment and sustainable development; and commit to heightened advocacy for ECD in the global climate discourse and to call for global green financing mechanisms that allow for financing of ECD programmes and services.
Re-affirming the call of our Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ that securing the future of the Pacific cannot be left to chance; and supporting the regional collective expanded vision in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, for a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, prosperity, spiritual and cultural wealth that ensures all Pacific peoples especially children and young people lead free, healthy, productive and happy lives.
Re-enforcing the 2017 Pasifika Call to Action on Early Childhood Development which sets the strategic direction for ECD action in the region, and recognizing the Pacific Regional Council for ECD (PRC4ECD) as the regional governance mechanism whose mandate aligns and contributes to the realization of the 2050 Strategy for Blue Pacific Continent and national development priorities.
Recognizing the 2018 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders commitment and expanding on the regional vision to lead a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, at the national level to address Early Childhood Development.
Acknowledging capacity gaps and resource constraints and hearing the need for increased investment, call on UNICEF and partners to strengthen and harmonize support for ECD through capacity-building and technical support, south-south cooperation, funding including climate financing, regional initiatives and for programmes in countries.
Documents
2023 Pacific ECD Forum - OUTCOMES