A Planning Forum for Children was held from the 25th -26th November 2014 in Choiseul provincial capital, Taro.
It was co-facilitated and funded by the Provincial Women’s Development Division and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs’ Children’s Division with funding support from Save the Children.
Stakeholders from the Provincial Government, Non-Governmental Organisations, Churches, teachers as well as Children from various schools across the Province attended the forum.
The Forum’s Theme “Our Children Need Our Ongoing Valuable Support” was the basis of every presentation during the two day deliberation.
The goal of the forum is “To strengthen existing coordination mechanism among Provincial stakeholders on child right programming in Choiseul Province.”
The focus of the forum was on the four pillars of the Convention on the Rights of a Child which was also the main key strategic areas of the Solomon Islands National Children’s Policy.
The pillars are development, survival, protection and participation.
The Minister for Lauru Affairs stressed the importance of planning for children and the need to address children related issues during his opening speech.
The same sentiment was emphasised by participants.
The main issues raised were on quality education, the safety of children, the roles of children stakeholders in planning and addressing issues for children in the province.
The Provincial Government and stakeholders acknowledged the facilitation of the forum and see its significance to consult, collaborate and co-ordinate together for the way forward in planning for the province’s future generation.
