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Ambassador Yauvoli pays a courtesy call on foreign affairs minister Hon. Sugiono
26/03/2025Published On: 25/03/2025
The new Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Fiji, Ms. Bidisha Pillai paid a courtesy call to the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr Raijeli Taga, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters on 25 March 2025. Ms Pillai will also serve as the Director for the Pacific Sub Regional Office for UNFPA, covering 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) including Fiji.
The meeting served to reaffirm the long-term partnership between the Fiji Government and UNFPA, with both parties expressing continued commitment to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, and empowering women and young people across the Pacific region.
Dr Taga congratulated Ms Pillai on her new appointment and for assuming duties in Fiji since March this year. She welcomed Ms Pillai to the country and assured her of the Government of Fiji’s commitment to continue collaborating with UNFPA in ensuring that the country fulfills its international obligations to protect and empower women and girls.
Further, Dr Taga acknowledged the positive impact of the work undertaken by the UNFPA in the Pacific region and she remains confident that with Ms Pillai extensive leadership and experience, the UNFPA will advance its work to a new level.
In her remarks, Ms. Pillai emphasized UNFPA’s longstanding partnership with Fiji over the decades and commended the leading role of the Government of Fiji in the Pacific and global cooperation for the 2030 Agenda. She reiterated UNFPA’s commitment to strengthening its collaboration with Fiji to support the Government of Fiji’s development priorities, particularly in the areas of gender equality, population and development and ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.
Ms. Pillai brings to her role extensive policy experience covering health, gender and development issues. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Resident Representative of UNFPA to Liberia.
