Address by the Minister for Youth, Employment Opportunities and
Sports, of The Republic of the Fiji Islands
The Honourable Mr Jonetani Kaukimoce
09/08/1998
Mr Chairman
Before I report on the progress made by my Government in implementing the "World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 And Beyond", I wish to add my voice to that of other speakers before me, in congratulating you, on your appointment as the Chairperson of the first World Youth Ministers Conference. I would also like to thank this Forum for endorsing Fiji-s nomination through the Asia Group as one of the 27 Vice Presidents for this Conference.
I also thank, the Government of Portugal, for taking on the enormous challenge, of hosting this conference. It is my sincere hope, that this conference will produce a comprehensive blueprint for Youth Development in the 21st Century.
Mr Chairman, I would like to report that a new Constitution came into force for The Republic of the Fiji Islands, on the 27th of July 1998.
New provisions of the Constitution included changing my country's name from the Republic of Fiji to The Republic of the Fiji Islands and all its citizens being known as Fiji Islanders.
A new clause also provides for the guarantee to all its citizens, including young people, and the formation of a Human Rights Committee to ensure that the fundamental Rights and Freedom of the people of Fiji are guaranteed. It is in this context that a National Youth Policy is to be formulated and implemented by the Year 2000.
The Republic of the Fiji Islands is 1 of 22 Pacific Island countries and territories in the Pacific Sub Region, with an estimated total population of 7.1 million people. Approximately 20% or 1.4 million of this, population, are between the 15 to 24 year age group. Approx 160,000 are in Fiji. This represents 20 % of Fiji's total population of 780,000. 60% of Fiji's youth live in rural areas.
The literacy rate for Fiji's youth population between the age of 15 to 24 years, is 84% with Secondary School enrolment rate of 57%. However only 25% continue with Tertiary Education.
Every year an estimated 13000 youth drop out of the Formal Education System. Approx 2000 are absorbed into formal sector employment and the remaining 11000 are the target of Fiji's Youth Intervention Programme.
Due to time constraints, I will briefly highlight 5 areas in which the Government of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, has implemented the "World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond" within the context of its overall and interrelated themes of PARTICIPATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PEACE.
The Fiji National Programme of Action includes;
1. Agricultural and Non Agricultural Skills Training, for employment or self-employment which currently caters for more than 3000 youths Annually. An additional Youth Training Center, with the capacity to train, 1500 youths Annually is to be established in 1999.
2. Capacity building and training of youth leaders and Youth NGOs through Leadership Training Programmes, Consultative Meetings Financial Support for NGOs, that provide Services for Street Children, and poor Youths in urban and rural areas, Social Integration of Youths with disability, and the inclusion of young persons in the official Fiji Delegation to Regional, and International Conferences, on Youth Development, including this Inaugural World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth.
3. Formulation and implementation of an Integrated and Intersectional Policy for Youth Development in the New Millennium.
4. Establishment of a new Research and Data Collection Unit to build a database for Policy Formulation, Programme Implementation and
Information Dissemination to youth groups.
5. Participation of youths in the protection, preservation and improvement of the Environment in collaboration with the "Organisation for Industrial, Social and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) of Japan.
Consultations are taking place, on new programmes which include Small Enterprise Development, Micro-Credit Scheme and "Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health" in keeping with the "Programme of Action on Adolescent Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health", adopted at the "1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo".
Given the Multi Sectoral and Multi Disciplinary nature of Youth Development Programmes and the constant need for resources to implement them, Fiji has endeavoured to collaborate with Regional and International partners to effectively implement the "World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond".
In this respect, Fiji is committed to and fully supports the:
- "Pacific Youth Strategy 2005" adopted by "The Pacific Community's 12t Regional Conference of Youth Ministers" in Tahiti in June this year;
- "The Asia-Pacific Position for the Lisbon World Conference Ministers Responsible for Youth" adopted by the "2nd Asia Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on Human Resource Development for Youth" held in Bangkok in June this year;
- and "The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment" adopted by the "4th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting" in Kuala Lumpur in May this year.
Mr Chairman my Government also ventures to request that these documents be accepted as official documents for this Conference, as it reflects the commitment to the objectives of developing our Youths for the New Millennium, by the Pacific Sub Region, the Asia-Pacific Region and the Commonwealth member States who are also members of the United Nations.
Mr Chairman, I thank you for this opportunity to briefly outline the progress made by the Government of The Republic of the Fiji Islands in implementing the "World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond".
Finally I would like to thank the United Nations Fund for Population Activity for their assistance in funding Fiji's participation in this Conference.