RELEASE: Forum, global partners continue momentum for Pacific Principles on Labor Mobility

Media Releases and News
15 October 2024

Sigatoka, Fiji: New Labour Mobility principles aimed at strengthening benefits for Pacific workers and mitigating socio-economic impacts in their home communities are gaining momentum. The development of the Pacific Regional Labour Mobility 
Principles was tasked by Forum Leaders in November 2023. Forum Trade officials met with their International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Labor Organization (ILO) counterparts late last month. Together, they facilitated a regional
technical workshop with Forum Members, the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation, the Pacific Islands Trade Union, and the PACER Plus Implementation Unit from the 25-27 September 2024 at the Shangri-la Resort, Fiji. They discussed scoping of 
the labor mobility principles, gaps and opportunities to address, and how they align with existing strategies and processes.

The principles will be considered at the upcoming Forum Trade Officials Meeting, in Fiji, 6 to 7 November 2024. Pacific Island Forum Leaders are keen to ensure synergies in the development phase of the Pacific regional labour mobility principles with current implementation work under the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus), and other relevant agencies.

Virtual consultations were held from 9 to 20 September 2024, where members and stakeholders were consulted bilaterally to shape the Discussion paper and potential areas of focus for the envisaged principles including the next steps post-workshop.

The workshop built on the work undertaken through the Comprehensive Assessment on Labour Mobility Arrangements which examined regional and sub-regional agreements in the Pacific, and bilateral consultations with Forum Members and key stakeholders. The development of the principles is member-driven and draw on existing International Labour Standards, Principles and Operational guidelines, contextualised for the Pacific.
Fiji’s Director for the National Employment Centre, Mr Lui Mario highlighted the need for a “whole- of -region and whole-of- stakeholder approach in the process to ensure Labour Mobility becomes the common thread that fosters sub-regionalism and 
ultimately regionalism in equal measure.”

PIFS Director – Programmes and Initiatives Zarak Khan welcomed officials to the workshop, saying it “is a critical birthing moment for the region in terms of the direction the expected principles will take for the future of our Blue Continent and the alignment of the principles to the objectives of Vision 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent importantly, people-centred development.”

IOM Chief of Mission and Sub Regional Coordinator for the Pacific Solomon Kantha said IOM recognizes the importance that such principles will bring in strengthening the protection of our migrant workers, maximizing development benefits, and addressing socio-economic challenges.”

In his remarks at the opening sessions, the Director of the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries Martin Wandera noted that, “with a constitutional mandate since 1919 to promote social justice, to develop international labour standards related to all facets and institutions of the world of work, and to protect all workers, including migrants…the ILO looks forward to continuing its supporting role with PIFS and IOM to facilitate the development of a Regional Labour Mobility Principles as guided by members.’’

The workshop has been supported by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, IOM Development Fund, and the ILO/Japan Fund for Building Social Safety Nets in Asia and the Pacific. //ENDS

Contact: media@forumsec.org