5 July 2019, Apia, Samoa. – Sports Ministers from the Pacific and their representatives will gather at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel and Bungalows in Apia on Saturday 6 July for the 2019 Pacific Islands Sports Ministers Meeting.
The Prime Minister of Samoa, Hon. Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi will deliver the keynote address for the meeting focusing on Building a Stronger Pacific and Realising a Shared Vision for Sport at the regional level.
Samoa’s Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Hon. Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio will Chair the meeting and receive presentations relating to physical education, physical activity and sport by Sports Ministers from Kiribati, Palau, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu, as well as Samoa.
The Minister of Sport for Samoa and former rugby International Hon Loau Keneti Sio told Samoa Global News that the Ministers would be considering issues relating to sports and the Sustainable Development Agenda.
“The development of Sports has untapped potential to support the achievement of SDGs such as poverty alleviation, health and well being, job creation for youth as well as economic growth through sports tourism,” said Loau.
“That will all come under the theme of this years’ meeting “Strengthening Sport and Sustainable Development in the Pacific’, added the Chair.
Preceding the Sports Ministers’ Meeting was a Pacific Sports Policy Roundtable held earlier today where representatives of national, regional and international sporting bodies discussed key issues that would be presented to the Ministers for consideration. The Roundtable discussions was summarised and presented by the Director of the UNESCO office based in Apia, Ms Nisha.
Ministerial and senior officials representing American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna are also expected to attend the ministerial meeting.
Ministers will also consider presentations from representatives of the Oceania Regional Anti-Doping Organization (ORADO) relating to the fight against doping in sport; Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) on regional investments in sport through the Olympic movement; and from the Pacific Games Council on addressing good governance and transparency in Pacific sport.
