After two years, I finally write to you from our ONOC Suva Secretariat Office! I am here for a month as we prepare for the upcoming Secretaries-General Workshop and our XLII Annual General Assembly (AGA). The heavier focus is on completing work plans and tracking progress on special projects. I have provided some of this information in my media interview earlier but wish to reiterate a few items given their importance. 

‍

‍

It has been wonderful to reconnect with staff and to see each other face to face in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. On this note, I encourage everyone to adhere to COVID-19 protocols in our respective countries and territories.  

Acknowledgement

I acknowledge the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) for continued guidance and leadership through the last quadrennial 2017 – 2020, including in particular, the transition years 2020 and 2021 with the postponement of TOKYO 2020 Summer Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

A huge thank you to all our National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for your continued hard work throughout this ongoing pandemic, especially for the success of the TOKYO 2020 Summer Olympics last year. Your commitment to preparing your entourages, completing administrative tasks, and remaining flexible in a year of uncertainty speaks volumes about the Olympic spirit in Oceania.  

I also thank our partners for the Tokyo Pre-Games Training Camps in Japan and the Australian Government for its PacificAus Sports Partnership Programme which benefited athletes who participated in them.  

I also recognise and extend gratitude to all NOCs who contributed to the ONOC Shared Services Programme – it remains a mark of our Oceanic and Pacific Island cultures. Thank you for all NOCs that contributed to this success.

Gratitude to ONOC Suva Secretariat for work during lockdown

My work as Secretary-General is co-delivered between the ONOC Suva and Guam offices. Thank you to the ONOC Secretariat team based in Suva for their innovation and resilience in having to operate and deliver work from home and at the office with national restrictions in the months that Fiji was on lockdown.

Ongoing support to NOCs plus Olympic Solidarity Programme

ONOC continues its ongoing support to all NOCs through this year. It will also continue ongoing Olympic Solidarity Programme delivery which is our headline activity. Please note that ONOC Communications will be in contact to develop signature stories or highlights of the Olympic Solidarity Programme at NOC level and we need your cooperation for this.

Thank you to all ONOC partners for all our major collaborations and cooperation in the last quadrennial. We look forward to strengthening our partnerships in this new quadrennial and hope to work together better!

SOME KEY ACTIVITIES

As we move into the middle of Quarter 1 of 2022, I’m pleased to announce several headline activities we are engaged in.  

ONOC restructure of positions

Firstly, we have had a reshuffle of positions at ONOC in order to take us through into the new quadrennial. Following are the changes:

Inoke Bainimarama – is now Acting Executive Director whilst continuing as ONOC Chief Communication Officer.

Meli Cavu – is now ONOC OSEP Chief Programme Officer. He now heads the flagship programme, the Oceania Sport Education Programme.  

Sitiveni Tawakevou – is now Chief Administrative Officer whilst continuing as Chief Information Services and Technology Officer

Elizabeth Betty – is now Head of Finance.

These will continue until we have completed our recruitment process post-XLII AGA this year. I encourage everyone to give them your full cooperation as they are not new and collectively have decades of experience behind them.  

ONOC Secretaries-General Workshop

The ONOC Secretariat is working to deliver the ONOC Secretaries-General Workshop, even as it continues to progress in developing the ONOC Strategic Plan 2021 – 2024. You will note that this is ongoing as advised and agreed upon at our XLI ONOC Annual General Assembly that the incoming Executive Board will be finalising the new Strategic Plan.  

SAIPAN 2022

We are also working on preparations for the SAIPAN 2022 Pacific Mini Games in the Northern Marianas – a major activity with the Pacific Games Council and the Games Organising Committee in the Northern Marianas.

Reaffirmation of ONOC President Dr Mitchell’s Message

I conclude by reaffirming ONOC President Dr Mitchell’s words of encouragement and support toward Tonga in the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the precautions for the remaining half of the cyclone season in the Southern Hemisphere.

Keep safe and may you all have a safe and successful year in sport!

-

Ricardo Blas, Snr.  
Secretary-General