Violence against women is a serious issue which affects all countries of the world, including our Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). Domestic violence in particular is a widespread and largely unaddressed problem in our region, and one which we must all act collectively to understand and eradicate.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is proud to observe the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which runs from 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, symbolically linking violence against women and human rights to emphasise that violence against women is a violation of human rights.

I acknowledge SPC’s own staff and everyone else in our region working tirelessly to eliminate gender violence and to provide support to survivors of such violence.

Following strong demand for the Pacific Rural Internet Connectivity System (PACRICS),
SPC has launched a web site to help interested people understand how to obtain a system, how to operate it and how to make the operations sustainable.

http://www.pacrics.net

PACRICS, a Pacific Digital Strategy initiative by SPC with funding support from AusAID, is designed to provide a low cost Internet connection for rural and remote parts of the Pacific Islands that do not have connectivity.

This initiative addresses some of the major telecommunication challenges facing rural and remote communities in the Pacific islands region including:
 
•    Lack of  access to communications technology for rural and remote areas
•    High costs of ICTs and access to ICTs
•    Lack of good public and emergency services.
•    Digital and communication divide affecting mostly rural and remote areas

Visionary Leadership – the key to our fight against HIV/AIDS

Today, World AIDS Day, 1 December 2008, marks the 20th Anniversary of World Aids Day. It also marks the fourth year since Pacific leaders approved a regional strategy to combat HIV and AIDS in the Pacific Islands region.
 
Central to the strategy is a vision of the Pacific ‘where the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS is halted and reversed; where leaders are committed to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS; and where people living with and affected by HIV are respected, cared for and have affordable access to treatment … within the spirit of compassion inherent in Pacific cultural and religious values”.

Four years on, we have seen some improvements. However, stigmatisation and human rights inequalities still remain. In many Pacific Island countries and territories, the slow pace of legislative reform and cultural and religious taboos are barriers that prevent people living with HIV from accessing care.

A SPC/SPREP/CRISP subregional workshop for the marine ornemental and trade will be held at SPC headquarters, Noumea New Caledonia, from 2 to 5 December 2008.

This workshop is a technical consultation between private and public stakeholders and specialists whom are active in marine ornamental trade sector in SPC member countries and territories.

The goal of this workshop will be to examine the marine ornamental trade and identify national and regional initiatives that will ensure the long term ecological, social and economic sustainability of this important, yet relatively unknown industry.