WITH the XVII Pacific Games coming up, the National Disaster Management Operation Committee (NDOC) Protection Sector Committee under the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) will be engaging high profile athletes to be involved in advocacy activities.
Being one of the six committees in the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) arrangement 2018, NDOC Protection Sector Committee has mandates and TOR (Terms of reference) to respond when emergency or disaster occurs. NDOC Protection Sector Committee emphasis on preparedness and responses activities to reduce and alleviate human suffering resulting from emergencies, disasters, trauma, crisis and abuse.
For this XVII Pacific Games coming up in 51 days’ time that Solomon Islands will be hosting, the national government will use the National Disaster Management Plan in its preparedness and response should there be an emergency or disaster happening during a big event.
As part of this preparedness plan, NDOC Protection Sector Committee will engage high profile athletes from Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports (SINIS) to involve in advocacy activities. This will be in a form of slots and messaging in the Media.
According to MWYCFA Deputy Secretary Mr Aaron Pitaqae who is also the chair of the NDOC Protection Sector Committee, messages will focus on preventive measures and what to do information on protection issues that may arise during large gatherings such as the Pacific Game 2023; on child protection issues, gender base violence, stigmatization and discrimination and inclusiveness of people with disabilities, elderly people and other vulnerable groups in our societies.
“We will also provide information about the services that people can access should they experience abuse, threats, violence and other unwanted behaviours,” said Mr Pitaqae.
NDOC Protection Sector Committee comprises of members from relevant government ministries, Development partners United Nation agencies, Non-Government Organizations, and Civil Society Organizations who will be rolling out a number of risk mitigation awareness activities with the emphasis to aware and capacitate games officials, volunteers and the wider public to prevent gender-based violence, child protection and safeguarding incidents before, during and beyond the Pacific Games.
