Pacific Forum: Fiji
The APCD mission team undertook a mission to Fiji from 30 July to 5 August 2005 and participated in the "Pacific Regional Workshop on Disability", 1-4 August 2005 in Nadi, Fiji. It was organized by the Pacific Island Forum 
, in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO), UNESCAP-Pacific Operations Centre, Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) and the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF).
Participants for the workshop included representatives from the Governments of Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Resource Persons were from Vision Pacific Charitable Trust: New Zealand, PDF, DPI Asia Pacific Region, and the Oceania Sub-regional Office, Fiji Disabled People's Association, Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons, ILO, Social Policy and Organization Development Consulting, Consultant- Rehabilitation International, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Senese Junior Preparatory School and the Fiji Ministry of Education.
It was officially recorded in the Report of the Workshop, under: 7u. "The importance of APCD in implementing the BMF was recognized. APCD indicated that it is considering establishing a regional mechanism in the Pacific to meet the growing demand for empowerment for people with disabilities and this was warmly welcomed", and under 8.iv, the Workshop recommended that "APCD is urged to increase the involvement of Pacific people in its empowering of people with disabilities". APCD identified five new focal points in the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Nauru, Palau and Kiribati as well.
The mission team exchanged views with donor organizations during the Workshop such as the European Commission, UNESCAP-Pacific Operation Centre, ILO, as well as the international organizations such as RI, DPI and PDF, Vision Pacific Charitable Trust: New Zealand, and Inclusion International.
