ILO’s decent work agenda in the Pacific is a major challenge. The 22 island countries of the Pacific Region are spread over 30 million sq km. ILO’s Decent Work country programme(s) is based on national consensus to reduce decent work deficits with particular reference to its Member States namely; Fiji , Kiribati , Papua New Guinea , Samoa , Solomon Islands and Vanuatu . The country programmes are commitments of ILO and its Constituents to contribute and achieve the following four global objectives:

Strategic objectives and a glimpse of ILO activities in the Pacific

1. Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work

This objective is being pursued in South Pacific by providing assistance in the review of labour legislations, promoting labour standards, advocating freedom of association and collective bargaining, abolition of forced and child labour. Continuous efforts are also being made to abolish discrimination in employment and occupation through the intervention of policy development.

2. Create greater opportunity for women and men to secure decent employment and income

The employment challenge is immense and growing in all Pacific Island countries. The opportunity of job creation in the formal sector is extremely limited in these countries – most of the jobs would need to be found in the informal economy. ILO has been assisting in addressing these issues by introducing employment policies and job-creating programmes for both, formal and informal economies.

These programmes are Start/Improve Your Business, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Human Resource Development for Employment Promotion, Walking Out of Poverty, New Beginning, Developing Labour Market Information System, Job Creation in the Tourism Sector, Development of Youth Employment Framework, etc.

A major effort has been made in upgrading and institutionalizing the vocational training system and its curricula with particular reference to rural training institutions. Targeted training programmes, training for cash, creating unemployment-free zones are a few effective ILO-assisted programmes that have created a considerable number of jobs particularly in informal economies of these countries.

3. Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all

Social protection is at the heart of national, sub-regional and global development strategies for poverty reduction. ILO has been assisting South Pacific countries in enhancing efficiency and productivity of social security institutions as well as to broaden the social security coverage.

There is a long way to go for small economies to grow and introduce schemes such as social insurance, health care, old age coverage and not to mention social security coverage for informal economy.

ILO has progressively been involved in these vital areas of poverty reduction strategies. Occupational safety and health, workers’ compensation, HIV/AIDS at the workplace, welfare and working conditions of seafarers (including Seafarer Identify Convention) and migrant workers are other areas of ILO’s work in the sub-region.

4. Strengthened tripartism and social dialogue

Social dialogue is both an objective and a means of achieving decent work. The social dimension of regional integration will be an era for emphasis to support more equitable globalization. The employment relationship is an important component in the management of labour market change of small economies.

ILO has been assisting its Member States to strengthen institutional capacity of its Constituents to foster effect dialogue on social and economic issues. It also contributes to promote harmonious industrial relations through organising formal and informal dialogues between Governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations.

Promoting the conciliation and mediation process at national level, training on international labour standards are other areas where ILO provides support.

Governance - Future Direction of ILO Activities in the South Pacific

Governance for decent work is about how Government, employers and workers can collectively provide an institutional framework that balances flexibility for enterprises and security for workers. Decent work agenda for the Pacific is geared towards achieving this goal. It is an aspiration of an individual and a development goal for a nation.