The Deputy Director General of the Pacific Community has encouraged members of the United Nations Child Rights Committee to make the most of their time in Samoa.
SPC's Deputy Director General Audrey Aumua gives the opening remarks at the 84th session of Committee on the Rights of the Child in Samoa. Photo: Twitter / SPC
Audrey Aumua is attending the extraordinary session this week, which marks the first time such a meeting has been held outside of New York or Geneva.
"It's really important at this meeting and during this week that the committee does get to meet both civil society and NGOs as well as children and to build a deeper understanding of the context in which many of our challenges have been operationalised."
During the meetings, the committee will review three countries - the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Tuvalu.
The meeting was a powerful expression by the UN to bring a very UN-centred process into the region so it could improve its knowledge and understanding of the people it attempted to serve, Ms Aumua said.
"More than 100 Samoan children will engage with the committee during this session, including civil society organisations from Samoa and at least nine other Pacific countries will be sending representatives to speak and to participate during the week.
"This level of interaction with Pacific Islanders would not have occurred had the hearing been held in Geneva," she said.
The meeting runs until Friday.