Statement agreed by the meeting participants of the Pacific Tripartite High-Level Dialogue on Decent Work and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent

The Pacific Tripartite High-Level Dialogue on Decent Work and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent was held in Suva, Fiji, from 23-26 April 2024 and was attended by Labour Ministers and Senior Government Officials, Employers and Workers Organisations from International Labour Organisation (ILO) member states, and Pacific Island Countries including Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The meeting noted the ongoing Review of Regional Architecture provided by Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and recognized the importance of considering regional labour concerns through this process.

Reflecting on the role of labour ministries and the unique tripartite approach, the Governments tasked the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) to lead the establishment of a regular Pacific Labour Ministers Meeting.

The meeting unanimously also supported convening of a Regional Tripartite Meeting and proposed that both meetings are to be considered by Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga.

Further, the countries also reaffirmed their commitment to the regional ambitions of the 2050 Strategy of the Blue Pacific Continent and acknowledged that the principles of social dialogue and tripartism would support the implementation of the 2050 Strategy of the Blue Pacific Continent, through the strengthening of policies and actions related to labour standards and social justice.