Good morning and Ni Sa Bula Vina’a
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we stand today, ki Navatulevu – vua na Momo Na Tui Nadi .
I pay my respect to their Chiefs past and present, as well as to emerging leaders and the members of the Vanua o’ Nadi who may be present here this evening, I acknowledge their role in caring for the Vanua.
Introduction
It is a great honour to welcome you to Fiji for the inaugural Pacific Regional Tripartite Conference. I stand before you not only as Prime Minister of Fiji, but as a proud Pacific Islander, deeply mindful of the responsibility we share to future generations.
We gather today in the spirit of “Vuvale” – as one Pacific family – united by common challenges and inspired by the opportunities before us.
A Historic Moment and a Sacred Partnership
This Conference marks a milestone in our region’s journey towards employment, security, and shared prosperity. We gather not only to chart a new course, but to honour 50 years of enduring partnership between the Pacific and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Over five decades, the ILO has stood by us and our relationship has been grounded in the principle of tripartism – the equal partnership of governments, employers, and workers – and remains the cornerstone of resilient and inclusive development.
Today, that spirit is alive in this room. We see ministers, policymakers, employers, workers, and our ILO partners – together, to forge a new, integrated approach to employment, decent work, climate resilience, human security, and labour mobility.
Understanding Our Interconnected Challenge
We meet at a pivotal moment because we understand a fundamental truth: employment, security, labour mobility, and climate change are deeply interconnected forces reshaping the future of our Blue Pacific.
The ILO warns that heat stress alone could cost 3.8% of global working hours, equal to 136 million jobs. In the Pacific, climate change is displacing livelihoods and threatening jobs, which in turn undermines social stability. This isn’t just economic loss – it is potential displacement on a historic scale.
Labour mobility, then, brings both an opportunity and a challenge. Our workers move across the region and the world, sending home vital remittances that fuel local development. But the loss of skilled labour – the brain drain – leaves our own systems more vulnerable, just when they need strengthening.
Meanwhile, evolving security challenges are transforming the very nature of work. Our workers will soon need skills in climate engineering, ocean governance, peacebuilding, and digital security. The jobs of tomorrow demand bold investment today.
These connections are not theoretical. They are the lived reality of Pacific families.
We are custodians of nearly 20% of the world’s ocean. This ocean connects us, feeds us, and holds our economic future. Yet today, the same waters that carried our ancestors now rise with alarming urgency, calling for action that links employment creation with climate resilience.
Let this be the moment we commit to joined-up leadership – leadership that sees beyond silos and puts people at the centre of every policy decision.
50 Years of Tripartite Partnership: The ILO Legacy in the Pacific
Before we look ahead, we must honour the journey that brought us here. Over the past 50 years, ILO’s partnership has helped transform the Pacific labour landscape.
From skills development programmes and legal reforms to social protection and workplace safety, the ILO has helped strengthen our institutions and empowered tripartite collaborations among our governments, employers, and workers to shape their own futures.
This foundation gives us the confidence to face today’s challenges – from climate change, digital disruption and labour mobility – not in isolation, but through collective and coordination actions.
The launch of the Regional Permanent Secretary (PS) Employment Talanoa Forum and its Technical Working Group builds on this legacy, applying proven ILO principles to deliver inclusive and people-centered solutions.
Geopolitical Shifts and Pacific Agency
We must also confront the reality of our changing strategic environment. As outlined in our Foreign Policy White Paper, the liberal international order that once served us is giving way to a more complex and uncertain global landscape.
Strategic competition among major powers is increasingly evident in our region. The rules-based order faces growing pressure. But we are not passive observers of our own future.
The Pacific Way — rooted in consensus, dialogue, and peaceful resolution — offers a powerful alternative to global division. Through initiatives like our Ocean of Peace concept, we show that small island states can lead, and that regional solidarity can rise above geopolitical rivalry.
As I stated at the United Nations General Assembly in 2023: “Collective efforts are needed to address challenges — not only as sovereign nations, but as regions, and as one humanity.”
When our people have decent work, when our communities are resilient, when our youth see a future worth staying for — we lay the foundation for regional stability and global peace.
Fiji’s Vision: The Ocean of Peace Through Decent Work
Fiji’s contribution to regional peace and security is grounded in our Ocean of Peace concept — a vision of the Pacific as a region of stability, mutual respect and non-coercion.
But Peace cannot thrive on empty stomachs or broken dreams. The Ocean of Peace must be anchored in decent work for all Pacific peoples. This means:
This is why Fiji has made employment cooperation a pillar of our foreign policy. Because we know: a prosperous Pacific is a peaceful Pacific — and a peaceful Pacific strengthens global peace.
Alignment with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent
The vision I share today is not new; it builds directly on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent—our shared regional blueprint.
That strategy outlines seven interconnected themes, each vital to our work here:
These are not abstract policy areas—they are the very foundations of our peoples’ livelihoods.
The Conference Objectives: From Vision to Action
Over the next four days, we aim to deliver real outcomes. First, we will launch the Regional PS Employment Talanoa Forum. This is not just another discussion platform—it is a commitment mechanism for sharing solutions, ensuring transparency, and measuring real progress beyond this conference. It will meet regularly, report openly, and hold all of us accountable.
Second, we will need to establish a Technical Working Group with clear mandates and dedicated resources. This group will turn our discussions into actionable plans, our commitments into policies, and our regional cooperation into tangible national outcomes.
Third, we will develop concrete policy recommendations for immediate government implementation. The challenges we face demand urgent responses; we cannot afford endless consultations while our people remain unemployed or underemployed.
Fourth, we will create accountability frameworks with clear timelines, resources, and responsibilities. Without accountability, regional cooperation is mere conversation.
We need to seek for fundamental transformation: moving from isolated national responses to coordinated regional solutions, from reactive crisis management to proactive opportunity creation.
To our Pacific Ministers and Government Officials:
The era of working within national borders alone is over. I urge you to commit fully to the regional coordination mechanisms we establish. Share best practices, learn openly, and support collective resource mobilization. The success of the Forum depends on your leadership.
To our Employers and Private Sector Partners – You are the engines of job creation and architects of our economic future. Building on five decades of ILO partnership, I challenge you to invest not only in profit but in sustainability and inclusive prosperity that benefits all.
To our Workers and Union Representatives, You are the guardians of decent work and champions of adaptation. I call on you to engage constructively in the just transitions demanded by climate and technological change.
Your experience in collective bargaining and deep ties to working families are invaluable in shaping integrated solutions. Without strong worker representation, employment policy risks becoming employer convenience or government expedience. The ILO teaches us that lasting solutions require authentic worker participation. We must uphold this lesson.
To our Development Partners, especially the ILO:
We welcome your continued support but insist on Pacific leadership. Our 50-year Partnership shows that true collaboration blends technical expertise with respect for local leadership and adapts global standards to Pacific realities.
Fiji’s Ocean of Peace includes you as genuine partners—supporting Pacific-led, inclusive solutions that respect the dignity and agency of all stakeholders.
Climate Adaptation Through Workforce Development
Climate change poses both a major threat and a unique opportunity for Pacific employment.
While traditional industries are being disrupted, new sectors like renewable energy, ecosystem restoration, climate-resilient agriculture, and disaster risk reduction offer pathways for job creation to absorb displaced workers.
But this transition requires deliberate action. The ILO’s concept of a just transition ensures that the costs of economic transformation do not fall unfairly on workers and communities.
Here in Fiji, we are leading the way. Our Green Growth Framework identifies concrete job opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and climate-smart agriculture. Our National Adaptation Plan integrates workforce development as a core element.
But regional cooperation is essential. We must share green skills training regionally, coordinate responses to climate migration and displacement, and collectively advocate for climate finance that prioritizes decent work.
The Pacific Resilience Facility, under our 2050 Strategy, provides one model for coordination — but we also need employment-specific mechanisms. This is exactly what we are building here today.
Technology as Enabler, Not Disruptor
The Pacific holds unique advantages in the digital economy. Our youth are digital natives, our close-knit communities adapt quickly, and our cultural values of cooperation and consensus naturally align with collaborative digital platforms.
However, technological progress must amplify Pacific values—not replace them. Digital education should integrate traditional knowledge. E-commerce must showcase Pacific arts and crafts. Remote work should keep our youth connected to their home communities.
This is not technology for technology’s sake—it is technology for empowerment.
Regional Labor Mobility: Benefits for All
One of our most complex challenges is ensuring regional labor mobility benefits all our nations—both those sending and receiving workers.
Pacific workers contribute enormously across the region and beyond. But mobility must strengthen, not weaken, home communities. This means:
The Regional PS Employment Talanoa Forum: Building on ILO’s Tripartite Foundation
Ladies and gentlemen, the centerpiece of this conference is the launch of the Regional PS Employment Talanoa Forum. “
Talanoa” is a uniquely Pacific process of inclusive, participatory, and transparent dialogue that seeks consensus while respecting diverse views. Fiji pioneered the Talanoa Dialogue in climate negotiations as a constructive alternative to adversarial talks—an approach the ILO immediately embraced as aligned with tripartite principles.
Now, we bring this same spirit to employment cooperation, strengthened by five decades of ILO-facilitated dialogue among governments, employers, and workers.
The Talanoa Forum will meet regularly with a dedicated secretariat, resources and mandates. Most importantly, it will uphold the tripartite structure proven essential for sustainable labour market development.
This Forum goes beyond government officials. In line with ILO principles, it ensures equal participation from all stakeholders but always within the trusted tripartite framework.
Concrete Actions, Measurable Results
Let us commit today to turning our dialogue into real, tangible outcomes that make a difference for our people.
Looking Beyond Our Shores: Pacific Contributions to Global Solutions
As we address employment challenges in the Pacific, we must also embrace our role in shaping global solutions. The Pacific has consistently punched above its weight on the world stage.
In employment cooperation, we can lead by example: fostering regional labor mobility that benefits all, advancing just transition policies that protect workers through economic change, and promoting sustainable development that creates jobs while safeguarding our environment.
Unity Through The Spirit of Vuvale
My fellow Pacific family, as I conclude, I return to the spirit of “Vuvale”—family—that defines our bond.
Families face challenges together, share opportunities fairly, protect their most vulnerable, invest in their children’s futures, and resolve disputes through dialogue, not division. This is how we must approach employment cooperation.
Employment challenges are no different. Youth unemployment in one nation affects us all. Skills shortages in another call for shared solutions. Climate change threatens traditional livelihoods across our region—we must adapt together.
The Talanoa Forum embodies these Pacific family values in employment policy, affirming that our prosperity is interconnected, our security shared, and our futures united
The Pacific We Are Building
Ladies and gentlemen, let me share the Pacific we are building together:
This is not a distant dream—it is within our reach. But it demands the sustained cooperation and commitment we show here today
Conclusion: A New Chapter in Pacific Cooperation
Excellencies, 50 years ago, when the ILO opened its office in Suva, our nations were young, our economies simple, and our challenges manageable.
The ILO came not just as a development agency, but as a partner—embracing tripartite values that resonate deeply with our Pacific traditions of inclusive governance.
Today, we face more complex challenges—but with far greater capabilities built through decades of collaboration. We are united by 50 years of tripartite cooperation, bringing governments, employers, and workers together to craft solutions for all.
The inaugural Pacific Regional Tripartite Conference opens a new chapter in regional cooperation—rooted in our shared history and focused on extending decent work into climate resilience, peace and prosperity
Let us move forward together. The Blue Pacific Continent our children inherit must be more prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable than the one we received..
Again, let me take this opportunity to say Thank You to our ILO partners and all participants.
It is my honor to now declare the 2025 Pacific Regional Tripartite Conference officially open.
May God Bless our Pacific family, this Conference, and the decent work we will create together through continued tripartite cooperation.
Vina’a vakalevu.
END