Suva, October 13 – The Minister for Youth and Sports, the Honourable Laisenia Tuitubou, participated in a two day International Ministerial Meeting of Ministers, Secretaries and Head of Departments responsible for national youth policy in Moscow, Russia. The meeting was held from 12 to 13 October 2017.

The meeting was attended by Youth Ministers from 51 countries that allowed an exchange of best practice on national youth policies of the states to achieving ongoing development to create a strong partnership for further bilateral cooperation, to determine youth’s role in achieving development and to create a dynamic youth sector that responds smartly and systematically to the ever-changing needs and aspirations of young people.
The Honourable Minister for Youth and Sports said “Youth initiatives are often seen as a driving force behind social change and an inspiration to others, hence the Ministry of Youth and Sports is committed to empower youths continuously to become agents of change and take a lead role in advocating for the issues faced world-wide, the recent being the impact and effects of climate change.”
The Ministry continues to develop new training programs to better the lives of youths in Fiji.
The Minister further stated that: “the Ministry continues to provide equal opportunities to youths in Fiji and assist them in finding solutions to the challenges they face”.
“Next month, Fiji takes up the chair of the 23rd Conference of Parties on climate change recognising the impact a Small Island Developing State can have. We recognize the importance of our marine environment being an important part of our culture, development and progress as a nation. We reinforce the definition of the life that we lead hence the slogan “Our Sea of Islands” as opposed to “Our Island in the Sea”, he said.
“Recognizing that we are the Oceans People, ecological stability has always been paramount in our pursuit of progress and development in the modern world. The focus areas are to promote a green and blue economy, reduce overfishing, restore the health of our oceans, and limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees. The Ministry, in partnership, will build a more resilient and knowledgeable youth by providing training in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction.”