9 Aug 2004

Commonwealth plans to move Youth Office back to Solomons

8:21 am on 9 August 2004

The Commonwealth is moving its regional Youth Programme Office back to Honiara in Solomon Islands.

The body's Secretary General, Don McKinnon, has been in Apia to meet with Pacific leaders at the Form summit.

He says he is very pleased to announce the Office, moved during the unrest to Brisbane, is now returning to what he calls its rightful place.

Mr McKinnon says he wants to ensure that Pacific leaders make the most of the facility.

"It's had a formidable degree of success in youth programmes throughout the Pacific; and of course one of the areas now, that our youth officers have been involved in, is the issue of education on HIV and Aids."

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon.