- FIJI AND GRENADA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS – The Governments of Fiji and Grenada formalized diplomatic relations at a ceremony at the Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations in New York on 23 June 2015.
- SOUTH KOREA OFFERS ASSISTANCE IN CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS – Director General of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance International Cooperation Finance Bureau, Mr Kim Hoe Jeong, expressed Korea’s willingness to work with Fiji to utilize funds from climate change financing entities for climate change related adaptation and mitigation projects at a meeting with HE Ambassador Filimone Kau.
- CALF REARING AND MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP TO ENHANCE LOCAL DAIRY INDUSTRY– In an effort to continuously enhance Fiji’s dairy industry, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and stakeholders were trained on Calf Rearing and Management at the Koronivia Research Station this week.
- PATHOLOGY LABORATORY SERVICES GOES UNDER REVIEW – The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is focusing on improving its processes of laboratory services in all its health center facilities across the country.
- NEW GARBAGE TRUCKS AND SHREDDER MACHINE FOR SUVA CITY – The investment by the Suva City Council in two new garbage compactor trucks and a new green waste shredder machine to enhance solid waste management in the capital will go a long way in delivering effective and efficient services in the area of solid waste management.
- WOMEN THANKFUL FOR EXPOSURE – Women in the western division have lauded Government for showcasing their skills and talents to show to the global market through initiatives such as the National Women’s Symposium and Exhibition.
- FIJI AND GRENADA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
The Governments of Fiji and Grenada formalized diplomatic relations at a ceremony at the Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations in New York on 23 June 2015. Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Denis Antoine, and his Fijian counterpart, Ambassador Peter Thomson, signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The communiqué conveys the agreement of both States for their diplomatic relations to be guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, particularly on equality among States, respect for national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, and respect for international treaties.
The communiqué expresses the desire of both States to promote and strengthen bonds of friendship and cooperation between their two countries in political, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.
Following the formalization ceremony, Ambassadors Antoine and Thomson held talks on areas of common interest between their two countries and potential areas of cooperation at the United Nations. With both Ambassadors being founding members of the Group of Friends of Oceans & Seas at the United Nations, their talks covered measures to ensure the safeguarding of the Sustainable Development Goal on the sustainable use of marine resources.
- SOUTH KOREA OFFERS ASSISTANCE IN CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS
Director General of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance International Cooperation Finance Bureau, Mr Kim Hoe Jeong, expressed Korea’s willingness to work with Fiji to utilize funds from climate change financing entities for climate change related adaptation and mitigation projects at a meeting with HE Ambassador Filimone Kau.
Korea plays a leading role in establishing climate change financing entities like the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an international organization that aims to promote green growth in emerging and developing countries. Korea is willing to work with Fiji in projects such as Renewable Energy with Energy Storage Systems, Landfill Gas (or Biogas) Management, Distribution of Electric Vehicles and Smart Farms .
HE Ambassador Kau, said that such initiatives provide a good opportunity for collaboration between Korea and Fiji with the support of climate change financing entities . He added that this initiative from the Korean Government will greatly assist Small Island Developing States like Fiji in technology transfer and knowledge development. Fiji is appreciative of the commitment expressed by Korea to addressing climate change.
Mr Jeong said that the Korean Government is looking forward to working with Fiji in its efforts to fight climate change.”
- CALF REARING AND MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP TO ENHANCE LOCAL DAIRY INDUSTRY
In an effort to continuously enhance Fiji’s dairy industry, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and stakeholders were trained on Calf Rearing and Management at the Koronivia Research Station this week.
Director for Animal Health and Production (AH&P)Division Tomasi Tunabuna said that consultants, who had studied the local dairy industry had highlighted that poor calf management is thesingle biggest factor which contributes to restricted growth of the dairy industry in Fiji.
“It was identified by Kiwi Calf rearing expert Mal Eden and his team while visiting our dairy farms recently.”
There is a need,he said to train stakeholders especially livestock officers, Ministry staff and dairy farmers because they are key to unlocking this big challenge.
Mr Tunabuna said that the Ministry staff need to have visionary power and commitment to learn, the willingness to change and to improve performance in order to effectively accomplish goals.
Training and up-skilling of a workforce, he added plays a very important role in building an organization, and the strength of an organization is a product of knowledge and skills of its workforce.
In this regard, Mr Tunabuna said that training was necessary for the Ministry and particularly for the livestock and the veterinary services sector.
The workshop was supported by the New Zealand Aid Programme.
- PATHOLOGY LABORATORY SERVICES GOES UNDER REVIEW
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is focusing on improving its processes of laboratory services in all its health center facilities across the country.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Jone Usamate while opening the Laboratory Quality Management System Workshop for technicians and laboratory workers at Holiday Inn today.
Minister Usamate said the objective of the workshop is to strengthen the pathology services at all health facilities around the country and devise strategies to enhance the service delivery in the medical labs throughout the country.
“When the Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS) was introduced at CWM in 2002, there were numerous weaknesses in key processes of laboratory services such as lack of guidelines and standard operating procedures,” Usamate said.
Headded that further collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to lobby forGlobal Fund resulted in the award of laboratory health system strengtheningprogramme in Fiji under the Global Fund TB grant.
“With the Global Fund support, LQMS has been successfully rolled out to all pathology laboratories in the ministry in the last five years. To ensure the sustainability of LQMS in our Pathology Laboratory service, continuous quality improvement must become the heart of the practice in all our laboratories.”
The Minister said that issues such as staff retention needed to be addressed and constant capacity building of all levels of staff in terms of continuous LQMS and laboratory safety training should be achieved.
- NEW GARBAGE TRUCKS AND SHREDDER MACHINE FOR SUVA CITY
The investment by the Suva City Council in two new garbage compactor trucks and a new green waste shredder machine to enhance solid waste management in the capital will go a long way in delivering effective and efficient services in the area of solid waste management.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment Hon. Parveen Kumar at the official launch of the new machines today.
Minister Kumar said waste management is an expensive component of every municipal council’s budget and Suva City Council was proactive in implementing initiatives on waste minimisation through the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ (3R) concept.
“About 18 per cent or $5 million of council’s budget is utilized on waste management. On average, 10 tons of garbage is collected daily from Suva City for disposal at the Naboro landfill,” Minister Kumar said.
He said with the bulky nature of green waste in Suva, shredding provided an efficient and effective method of reducing both the mass and volume of waste going to Naboro landfill and could be used to rehabilitate Suva City’s flower gardens.
“Managing green waste is a challenge with problems such as increased cartage and disposal costs, wet weather conditions in Suva, contamination of the environment as well as a continual depletion of available landfill space. Composting presents asustainable, long-term alternative to the more traditional forms of green waste disposal at the landfill.”
Minister Kumar also called on residents and ratepayers of Suva to keep their environment litter-free.
“There is a compelling need for change of behaviour and mindset for us to sustainably “keep Suva clean” philosophy. To this end, the city needs to mount an aggressive interactive campaign to foster the “Keep Suva Clean” campaign,” Minister Kumar said.
Suva special administrator Chandu Umaria said the council will invest in two more similar garbage compactor trucks into its fleet upgrade programme next year.
The two garbage compactor trucks and green waste shredder were bought at a cost of $705,000.
- WOMEN THANKFUL FOR EXPOSURE
Women in the western division have lauded Government for showcasing their skills and talents to show to the global market through initiatives such as the National Women’s Symposium and Exhibition.
Speaking at the opening of the Western Division Craft Show, Irene Kumar of Balata Multicultural Women’s Group in Tavua said that she was grateful for today’s craft show as it is a stepping stone to better opportunities.
“Women have always been kept in the background for decades but what this Government has done is commended as it has given us an opportunity to showcase our talents and at the same time we are empowered and able to contribute positively to our families financially,” she said.
“Everyone has skills and talents but because of our culture, we have never been given opportunities such as this and we thank the government for its continued efforts in recognising the skills and talents of women.”
Mrs Kumar added that the craft show “has provided a platform for women to be recognised and be heard in the new Fiji”.
Over 700 women from 596 women’s groups from Lautoka, Sigatoka, Ba, Tavua, Ra and Nadi showcased their talents, skills and products.
With the Theme “Connecting Women to Markets: Making it Happen” women were not only able to sell their products but used the opportunity to further enhance their talents through networking.
“This has provided us an opportunity to also share information, ideas and network with various other women’s groups,” Mrs Kumar added.
65 – year – old Anaseini Baleisasa of Navunivi in Ra said that the event is a opportunity for the younger generation to also take interest in traditional weaving, carving and other talents that have been showcased through the events such as the Craft show.
“With modern technology, our youths are now into more advanced technologies and I fear that what their mothers and grandmothers used to do would be lost in the future and I hope these events would interest them to learn from their mothers and other women,” Mrs Baleisasa said.
The products at the Craft Show were assessed by the Fiji Arts Council and those selected for creativity and quality will be branded with “Fijian Made” products and later showcased at the National Women’s Expo2015 planned for October 14th to 16th in Suva.
Press Release