APEC Ministers' Meeting - Upcoming

APEC Ministers to meet in Beijing on September 16-17

Issued by the APEC Secretariat

 

Singapore, 9 September, 2010 – Ministers responsible for Human Resources Development from APEC member economies will meet in Beijing next week to address issues such as unemployment and improving social safety nets to protect the vulnerable following the global financial crisis.

The 5^th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting will tackle the importance of achieving inclusive economic growth so that all sectors of society can share the benefits of free trade and investment and economic integration in the Asia Pacific region.

The meeting, to be held on September 16-17, will be chaired by China’s Minister for Human Resources and Social Security, Yin Weimin, and will provide valuable input to the work of developing APEC’s Growth Strategy, which will be presented to APEC Leaders meeting in Yokohama, Japan in November this year.

The Asia Pacific region is the world’s engine of growth and many member economies are leading the recovery from the global financial crisis. But common concerns remain, including the need to foster job creation, improve social protection and enhance education and training. Many member economies also face long-term challenges such as ageing populations and demands for flexible and adaptable workforces.

During the two-day meeting, Minister Yin Weimin will give a key note speech at the Great Hall of the People. Ministers from member economies will also make presentations and they are expected to adopt and release a joint statement and action plan at the conclusion of the meeting.

The meeting will be attended by Ministers responsible for Human Resources Development, officials and support personnel. The ministerial will follow a meeting of APEC HRD Senior Officials in Beijing on September 15.

For more information, contact Trudy Harris at th@apec.prg or +65 6891 9671.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where is justice?

From IAN TAUKURO

 

I've been following the story in the Post-Courier of the young man who was charged with killing another young man about four years ago through that absolutely stupid male cult practice called 'skelim bros' and was shocked today to learn that the court has now ordered a four year suspended sentence on the perpetrator.

 

The newspaper did not report on the reaction to this sentence from the deceased's parents/family but I'm sure they must be feeling a real sense of injustice right now.

 

Where is justice being served for a boy, who was probably talked into skipping school that fateful day by boys older than himself, forced into drinking homebrew as part of the 'skelim bros' rite of passage nonsense, then held up against a wall and punched to death violently and repeatedly in the chest by the perpetrator, another boy, probably older and who was also drunk not just from the alcohol, but from the sense of power that all bullies possess when they target the weak.

 

And, bullying is what 'skelim bros' is all about. It's protectionism for male teenagers. If you don't get punched in the chest until your sternum/ribs snap or bend inward, at least, you are not considered man enough to be part of the crowd. You are an outsider whom others can ignore and prey on, because you are viewed as being different - and lord knows that is not a feeling you want to have when you're a teenager. It's not exactly a nice feeling when your peers ridicule you or, worse, belt you up.

 

Whilst following the articles, I thought the courts were presented with a good opportunity to send out a strong message that 'skelim bros' and bullying in general, which is, unfortunately, common place in most schools, is wrong and if you punch someone in the chest so hard that the impact collapses the chest cavity, snapping the ribs in the process and causing the broken bones to tear flesh, pierce the heart or lungs and thereby cause a very painful death, you, the bully, will go to jail because you have killed someone deliberately.  

 

But, alas, today, I read that the courts have imposed a slap-on-the-wrist sentence and you can just imagine the relief and happiness that the perpetrator would have felt as he was embraced by his equally relieved family as they walked out of the court room into the fresh air and warm sunshine. It was a beautiful day for them.

 

Meanwhile, the soul of the poor deceased boy, despatched so ruthlessly to the sheer blackness of eternity, roams the great void angrily, restlessly, eternally. And, somewhere, at a school in this country, some poor male student, the child of parents of have worked hard to put their son in school, is either preparing to undergo 'skelim bros' or is either being considered for 'skelim bros' by his peers. The cycle of violence rages on restlessly, eternally.   

 

Tagis queries varsity’s security

By JULIA DAIA BORE

THE director-general of the Office of Higher Education (OHE), Dr William Tagis, has questioned the effectiveness of the security management of the University of Technology in Lae, The National reports.

He said there had been student deaths in the past five years, with the recent one last Thursday when a first year engineering student from East Sepik was killed, allegedly at the hands of a highlands student or students.

“A death or deaths, even injuries, of any student at a university campus, is a very serious matter,” Tagis said yesterday.

“No university should allow ethnic groupings.

“Such activities must be stopped because they are not helping anyone,” he added.

Tagis said Unitech should instead encourage “academic groupings” which he said were more healthy as they were made up of mixed groupings of students from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Tagis said about a year or two ago, there was another killing of a highlands student, followed by heightened unrest on that campus with another student being badly-injured.

Last week, the first year engineering student was killed.

“A university that is allowing such continuing unrest brings about questions about the executive management of the institution; particularly, its management of security system of all living on campus – students and staff like.

“Students must feel safe to study and move about on a university campus.

“With the continuing deaths of students, there must be questions as to the effectiveness of its administration, particularly security.

 “It brings to my mind why there is no disciplinary control in a university campus,” Tagis said.

He pointed out that “ethnic groupings” must not be allowed and called on the Unitech administration to immediately do away with such practices by its students on campus.

He said it encouraged the breeding grounds of the current on-going ethnic clashes leading to killings of innocent students whose reasons for being in a higher education institution was to gain valuable education which would benefit PNG.

Tagis dispatched one of his senior officers to the university on Monday and expected him to return with information of what was really going on.

He said based on this information, his office would make its next moves to assist Unitech to reach a long-term objective on better control of the safety of students on campus.

Papua New Guinea businesswomen off to China

Councillor Elizabeth Gonoua of Central (from left), Julie Keni of East Sepik, Sophie Kaupa of Chimbu, PNG Women in Business president Janet Sape, Lari Fareho of Port Moresby and vice president of the People’s Action Party Martha Kaia showing off their passports for a trip to the Shanghai 2010 world trade expo.

By BOSORINA ROBBY

FIVE Papua New Guinean businesswomen will be going to China to celebrate the country’s independence at the Shanghai 2010 world trade expo this weekend, The National reports.

The women, who are engaged in small to medium-sized businesses, were the winners of the PNG Women in Business (WIB) expo held in Lae earlier this year.

The trip to Shanghai was one of the incentives of WiB.

The women are Kuni/Mekeo councilor Elizabeth Gonoua, who is a rubber farmer; Julie Keni, a guest house proprietor in East Sepik; Sophie Kaupa, a tailor with branches in Lae and Chimbu; Lari Fareho, a local jeweller in Port Moresby; and bilum wear specialist Florence Jaukae. 

In a small ceremony yesterday, PNG WiB president Janet Sape thanked the women and their families for their commitment to support the organisation which aims to equip mothers who are venturing into small businesses.

Sape said many women in PNG were very skilled but did not have anywhere to go to further their skills and market to expose their products.

She had encouraged all interested women to visit the PNG WiB office at the DCI Textile building at Gordon to know more about how they can participate in moving PNG forward through their own business ventures.

She also acknowledged Minister for Commerce and Industry Gabriel Kapris and his department for supporting this incentive and assisting to set up WiB and sponsoring the trip.

The women were presented with their passport by People’s Action Party vice-president Martha Kaia, on behalf of Kapris.

Jails to buy 1,500 semi-automatic weapons, 50,000 rounds from Australia

CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Tony Aimo has confirmed overseas media reports that the Correctional Services will buy non-lethal weapons worth more than K9 million for its jails from Australian defence technology company Metal Storm Ltd, The National reports.

The Brisbane-based company announced separately on its website that the Correctional Services planned to have about 1,500 of these weapons in service starting next year.

Aimo said CS had placed orders worth US$3.364 million (K9.1 million) but no payments had been made as arrangements were being done on a government-to-government level.

The minister, reinstated CS commissioner Richard Sikani and deputy commissioner operations Henry Wavik will travel to Brisbane next week to check on the weapons.

Metal Storm said this week it would supply 500 weapons and 50,000 rounds of ammunition in a deal signed with Aimo.

The semi-automatic weapons would be used with non-lethal ammunition and would be deployed to CS officers in charge of security at jails throughout the country, providing non-lethal response capabilities that could be lifted to immediate lethal response if necessary.

 “PNG is delighted to be able to source weapons at the leading edge of shotgun technology and we hope in due course to have about 1,500 of these weapons in service,” Aimo said.

He said he expected ratification of the urgent purchase through the usual government protocols shortly and the first 50 weapons to be delivered by next February.

Aimo said CS would be getting non-lethal weapons while the police and defence would be beefing up their firepower with lethal weapons.

He said orders had been placed and were going through the normal procurement process.

“If things go well, Correctional Services will be the first to get non-lethal weapons that is aimed at injuring rather than killing of escapees.

“We do not want to kill prison escapees, the message we want to get across is for escapees to go back and serve their jail term, and we (CS) will rehabilitate you into the community as a reformed person.”

Aimo said that CS saw the capacity of the weapon to deliver a rapid and escalating response as exactly what was necessary for security in PNG jails.

Metal Storm CEO Dr Lee Finniear said the production contract was a watershed for the company after many years of research, development and testing.

He said that an additional advantage for the CS was that weapons that were lost or stolen could not be used with conventional illegally obtained ammunition.

“Illegal arms possession is a big problem in PNG and the government are determined to tackle the issue on a variety of fronts.

“By purchasing Metal Storm weapons, the PNG Correctional Services is contributing to government arms control by ensuring that, if stolen, its new weapons cannot be used effectively by criminals,” Finniear said.

 

 

CS Minister: Sikani's reinstatement lawful

THE reinstatement of Correctional Services Commissioner Richard Sikani to the top post is lawful and in line with all public service rules and regulations, minister Tony Aimo said yesterday, The National reports.

He told reporters that all internal and external investigations had cleared Sikani of any wrongdoing into the escape of serial bank robber William Kapris and 11 others from the Bomana prison early this year.

Based on these findings, the minister said cabinet saw fit to give the CS top administrative post back to Sikani.

“Sikani was not personally involved or responsible for aiding and abetting the escape of Kapris and 11 other hardcore prisoners from the Bomana maximum security unit on Jan 12,” Aimo said.

He said the jail commander of the corrective institution was responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of the prison, including the maximum unit.

“It is clearly spelt out in his duty statement,” he added.

He said two prison warders, Abiang Kera and John Weka, had been charged with the offence with their cases now before court.

“My department, through the commissioner, has in place security procedures and protocols, standing orders and operational orders in the management of the maximum security unit.

“The underlying rules and command must be observed and managed by the jail commanders and all their officers at CS institutions throughout the country.

“It is not the task of the commissioner, or even the minister, to stand at the Bomana maximum security unit gate or the CS gate to check every client visiting prisoners,” Aimo said.

“Security protocols of all security units must be strictly executed in all our correctional institutions.”

The minister said an internal investigation into the escape of Kapris and 11 others did not, in any way, implicate the commissioner.

“Having considered all these facts, I, as minister for CS, seeking advice from Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill and the chief secretary to government, Manasupe Zurenuoc, sought cabinet’s approval to reinstate Sikani as CS commissioner.”

The approval was granted on Aug 27.

Aimo urged the commissioner to ensure command and control mechanisms were put in place to get the department up and running.

Sikani’s first task would be to implement the prison industry authority concept, a vehicle aimed at driving the rehabilitation of rundown institutions and the rural lock-up programme that had grinded to a halt in January.

Sikani promised to do his best.

 

 

Wright’s farewell gift to Telefomin

By JEFFREY ELAPA

Telefomin MP Peter Iwei (left) with chief pilot Gerard Conron near the plane at the Jackson International Airport yesterday.-Nationalpic by JEFFREY ELAPA

FOUR local level governments in West Sepik’s Telefomin district have become the first local level government (LLG) to own a plane to serve their people, The National reports.
And they have much to thank TransAir co-owner Les Wright  for making it possible.
Unfortunately, Wright could not witness the handover yesterday, as he was one of four people killed in the Misima, Milne Bay, plane crash in bad weather last Tuesday.
Telefomin MP Peter Iwei said the nine-seater Cessna 206 was bought for K300,000 using his district support grants which were approved by the district planning and budget priorities committee.
The plane was bought in Cairns, Australia, under an arrangement with Wright before last Tuesday’s tragic plane crash.
Iwei said that the plane would be leased to the Frieda River copper mine in his electorate so that it was sustainable in the long run, allowing the district to collect revenue.
He said Telefomin was one of the most isolated districts, which was only accessible by air, and the plane would ease many transportation problems.
He noted that the plane was small, however, it was appropriate for serving his people whose travel had been restricted for many years.
Iwei thanked third-level airlines like MAF that had served his remote area, and the purchase of the plane was not to compete but for service delivery to his people.
The launching of the plane will take place in Telefomin after it is registered as P2PIW Min Airways.
Villager Collin Tandamat, who turned up to see the plane at the TransAir hanger at the Jackson International Airport, said he was pleased to see the little people owning a plane to serve themselves.
Iwei returned from Telefomin yesterday to learn of the Misima tragedy and passed his condolences to Wright’s family