Bala Addreses High Level Forum on Climate Change, Decent Work in
Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Parveen Bala attended a four-day Pacific Tripartite High Level Forum on Climate Change and Decent Work in the Pacific in Papua New Guinea last week.
The High Level Forum was attended by tripartite delegations from the 11 Pacific Island member States. Discussions at the forum focused on the Future of Work for Climate Resilience, Labour Mobility in the Pacific and opportunities and challenges on digitalisation of decent work.
Awareness
Also at the forum, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) raised awareness on the Centenary Declaration with the ultimate aim of building a roadmap for a brighter future of work for the Pacific Islands.
Mr Bala addressed the High Level Forum and stated the importance of the Centenary Declaration for Fiji as it will map out the direction on Fiji’s future of work.
He further stated that the Fijian Government, in its National Development Plan, had incorporated works on productivity, employment and decent work committing to the ILO Declaration, which are key elements in achieving a fair globalisation and poverty reduction.
Mr Bala also had a bilateral meeting with the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and discussed labour related matters in Fiji.
At the Forum, the Pacific Island Countries also celebrated the ILO’s 45 years’ presence in the Pacific and signed a Resolution while moving towards signing a Declaration soon for the Blue Pacific Big Ocean States (BPBOS).
Consultative Forum
This is to provide a consultative forum that can effectively co-ordinate common labour issues of the ILO Pacific Island Member States linked to the ILO agenda in raising the visibility and voice of the ILO Pacific Island Member States within the International Labour Conference and Asia Pacific Group platforms.
The Pacific Island Labour Ministers at the forum emphasised to the ILO the importance of having a “common voice” in the Pacific at the international arena where issues that affect the Pacific is to be heard, in particular on climate change.
During a separate meeting of Ministers from the Pacific Island countries on Wednesday July 24, it was unanimously agreed that Mr Bala be the first chairman of the BPBOS Labour Platform with two vice chairman - Kiribati Minister for Labour and Samoa Minister for Labour.
In response to his appointment as chairman Mr Bala said he was thankful to the ministers from the Pacific Island Countries for their faith and trust to provide the leadership to this newly formed Blue Pacific Big Ocean States Labour Platform.
“It is an important appointment and I look forward to working with you and stakeholders to optimise our work in this important area of creating and sustaining equitable labour and work platform across our member states.”
Mr Bala, on behalf of the government representatives from the PIC, also took part in the tree planting ceremony with the Director General ILO, workers’ and employers’ representative at the Port Moresby Nature Park to signify the Blue Pacific Big Ocean States Voice on climate change.
The forum was co-organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Government of Papua New Guinea where Labour Ministers from Papua New Guinea, Cooks Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Government representatives from Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Republic of Palau and Marshall Islands and representatives of workers’ and employers’ organisations from Pacific Island Countries.