<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"\.SF UI Text";}
@font-face
{font-family:"\.SFUIText";}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.p1, li.p1, div.p1
{mso-style-name:p1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"\.SF UI Text";
color:#454545;}
p.p2, li.p2, div.p2
{mso-style-name:p2;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"\.SF UI Text";
color:#454545;}
p.Default, li.Default, div.Default
{mso-style-name:Default;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.s1
{mso-style-name:s1;
font-family:"\.SFUIText";
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:2012758098;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1806369170 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><img width="230" height="100" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image002.png@01D43EE8.5DE328D0">
<img width="158" height="84" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image004.png@01D43EE8.5DE328D0"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:16.0pt">UNICEF and SPC partner to improve data for children, women and people with disabilities across the Pacific islands<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt">28 August 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">SUVA, Fiji
</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">– Today, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The Pacific Community (SPC) announced a new partnership to support the</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">
strengthening of data collection and data analysis to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children, women and people with disabilities across the Pacific islands and territories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">The collection and dissemination of reliable data of children and women worldwide is vital to identify and plan for their needs and to inform policies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">UNICEF Representative, Sheldon Yett, said, “Statistically sound and internationally comparable data is essential for the targeting of resources to reach the Sustainable Development
Goals and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. We welcome this partnership with SPC, which will work towards ensuring that global best practices are in place for data collection and analysis for women and children in the Pacific.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">Through the collection of quality data, decision-makers are able to make positive change by identifying needs and monitoring progress in their countries. Quality data is essential
for measuring a country’s progress against the Sustainable Development Goals and currently in the Pacific islands, there is a lack of data to accurately measure this progress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">Highlighting the potential impact of this agreement for the Pacific, SPC’s Deputy Director General, Audrey Aumua, said, “Good policy is formed on a foundation of good data. Through
this agreement, SPC and UNICEF will be able to better support the work of Pacific leaders to improve the lives of women and children across our region.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">The new UNICEF-SPC partnership aims to support Pacific island governments to:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#0D0D0D"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">Improve the quality and standards of data collection for children, women and people with disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#0D0D0D"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">Analyse and utilize new and existing data to report and monitor the situation of children, women and people with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#0D0D0D"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">Disseminate statistics, engage stakeholders and advocate for the collection and use of statistics in policy formulation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">This new initiative is aligned to the joint UN Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group, established in Fiji and Samoa, which coordinates efforts to improve data collection, analysis
and utilization for evidence based decision making and policy development in the Pacific islands and territories.</span><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">The 2017 World Bank Statistical Capacity Indicator reports that the Pacific Island countries rank significantly below the Asia-Pacific regional average
and that the Pacific needs to improve specifically on health and poverty surveys as well as vital registration systems. I</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">nsufficient or no data risks leaving
children behind on critical issues such as improving health, sanitation, education, and protecting children from violence, abuse and exploitation.
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">Regional initiatives, such as the Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (TYPSS), seek to address some data collection challenges, however, despite these
efforts, greater attention is needed to produce regular statistics on marginalised populations, including children, women and people with disabilities.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">About UNICEF</span></b><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere,
to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit
<u><a href="http://www.unicef.org"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">www.unicef.org</span></a></u>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"> <br>
<span style="background:white">Follow UNICEF Pacific on </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><a href="http://www.unicefpacific.org/"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">http://www.unicefpacific.org/</span></a></span></span>
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><a href="http://twitter.com/UNICEFPacific"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">Twitter</span></a></span></span> and
</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="NL" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/likeunicefpacific"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">Facebook</span></a></span></span><span lang="NL" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">About the Pacific Community<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#0D0D0D">The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. We are an international development
organisation owned and governed by our 26 country and territory members. For more information about our work, visit
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><a href="http://www.spc.int"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">www.spc.int</span></a></span></span>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">For more information, please contact:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">UNICEF Pacific: Cate Heinrich,
</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><a href="mailto:cheinrich@unicef.org"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">cheinrich@unicef.org</span></a></span></span><span class="s1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">,
+679 9925 606</span></span><span class="s1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">SPC:
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">Michael Sharp,
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><a href="mailto:michaels@spc.int"><span style="color:#0D0D0D">michaels@spc.int</span></a></span></span>, +</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">687 916095</span><span style="color:#0D0D0D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">To subscribe to SPC’s news mailing list, click the link below:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><a href="http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases">http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases</a>
</span></span><span class="s1"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>