1.PRESIDENT OPENS PACIFIC AIDS CONSULTATIONS – His Excellency the President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau opened a regional consultation on HIV and AIDS in Nadi today.
2.TRAINING GUIDE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS AVAILABLE – The Public Service Commission’s has released the 2013 Training Handbook through its Centre for Training and Development.
3.SPORTS COUNCIL HOSTS NAVUA RUBGY 7s CARNIVAL – The Fiji Sports Council in promoting sports, health and fitness will organize the Navua Rugby 7s carnival.
1.PRESIDENT OPENS PACIFIC AIDS CONSULTATIONS
His Excellency the President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau opened a regional consultation on HIV and AIDS in Nadi today.
The consultation forum attended by Government, legal, human rights and health leaders from Pacific nations is to review laws and policies that are blocking progress on HIV and AIDS issues in the region
Attended by representatives from seven Pacific nations (Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), Ratu Epeli said the initiative was important to the small island States which impacted on human rights-based health programme initiatives and the rights of people living with HIV.
“This consultation to discuss the review of laws and policies hindering access to HIV services for people living with HIV and key populations is one of the steps agreed to in the ESCAP regional framework which I chaired some years back,” Ratu Epeli said.
“As the first countries in the Asia Pacific region to hold the consultation, we are again showing our leadership and commitment to effective responses to HIV and to the human rights of those living with or vulnerable to HIV.
“It is, therefore, incumbent upon us, the participants at this consultation, together with our UN partners, to ensure objectives of this consultation are fully met.”
The meeting has been seen as an example to other countries in the region that will soon be holding similar consultations.
United Nations AIDS Pacific co-ordinator, Mr Tim Rwabuhemba said punitive laws, policies and practices hamper access to HIV-related services across Asia and the Pacific.
“Almost all Pacific nations have laws and policies which contribute to the obstruction of rights of people living with HIV and key affected populations,” Mr Rwabuhemba said.
“Many have laws and practices that effectively criminalize people living with HIV and key affected populations, mitigate or sustain violence and discrimination against women and sexual minorities and impede HIV-related treatment access.”
The meeting is a follow up to commitments made at the United Nations General Assembly (2011) and through the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2010, 2011) to review laws and policies that adversely affect the successful delivery of HIV services to people living with HIV.
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2.TRAINING GUIDE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS AVAILABLE
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has released the 2013 Training Handbook through its Centre for Training and Development.
PSC permanent secretary, Mr Parmesh Chand said the handbook contained a wealth of information regarding the dynamics of training in the public service.
“I recommend the utilization of this document by civil servants and government ministries as they liaise with the CTD in trying to upskill themselves in response to their individual, occupational and organization needs,” Mr Chand said.
This will ultimately lead to maintaining and sustaining continuous improvement in Human Resource Management within the public service.
The PSC’s Training Division promotes and strengthens approach that combines professional, technical and managerial expertise with ethics and integrity as integrated components of leadership roles for senior executives in the public service.
In addition, it continues departmental capacity building in promoting work based on-the-job training as a pivotal strategy in the future development of scholarships, in the PSC Local Scholarships Programme, PSC Overseas Scholarships, Student Loan Scheme, Tertiary Education Loan Scheme and the Multi-Ethnic Scholarship Programme.
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3.SPORTS COUNCIL HOSTS NAVUA RUBGY 7s CARNIVAL
The Fiji Sports Council in promoting sports, health and fitness will organize the Navua Rugby 7s carnival.
This event is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 at Thomson Park in Navua.
The FSC as a sports facility provider is committed to organising sporting tournaments in its facilities around the country.
There will be $4,000 worth of prizes for the main cup winner, runner up, losers from main quarter and semi-finals who can all be assured of taking home a prize. There are also prizes for the best player and the most disciplined team.
A special invite is being sent to teams from around Serua, Deuba, Namosi to participate in this one day-tournament.
There will also be a rugby 7s tournament at Lawaqa Park in Nadroga, Ra Sports Ground and at the ANZ Stadium in Suva later in the year. Teams who play in previous three tournaments will be given priority placements in the final tournament at the ANZ Stadium.
Interested teams are to register with Fiji Sports Council on 3312177 or 9928514. The registration fee is $250 per team and FSC will accommodate 24 teams only. Registration closes on April 23.
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