Cook Islands - Fiji - Kiribati - Marshall Islands - Palau -Papua New Guinea - Samoa - Solomon Islands - Tuvalu - VanuatuDecent work in the Pacifc DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is published by ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries, The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the official views of ILO ILOISSN 2308-1074 (print) ISSN Pacific 2308-1082 (online) NewsDecember 2015 ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries quarterly newsletter IN THIS EDITION: Improving working conditions on fishing vessels in the Pacific 2 New services help Vanuatu recover from Cyclone Pam 2 Career counselling critical for informed career choices for youths 3 A young entrepreneur making use of her abilities 4 Building skills for senior Papua New Guinea OSH inspectors 5 Implementation of the OSH Bill - Papua New Guinea 5 FTUC/ILO Launch ‘A Trade Union Guide for Eliminating Child Labour in Fiji’ 6 Child Labour Validation Forum 6 ILO shows more support to Youth@Work 7 Film highlighting climate change and migration launched 7 New Publications 8 Supporting Job Creation in Solomon Islands ILO hands over “My Guide to Employment” books to Ministry of Education. The books were handed over after the successful completion of two Career Counselling Training of Trainers workshops with secondary school teachers in Solomon Islands. The first training took place in Honiara and the other in Malaita. Mr. Satoshi Sasaki hands over “My Guide to Employment” books to Mr. Franco Rodie Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education , Solomon Islands. Message from Mr. Satoshi Sasaki, Decent Work Specialist (Officer in Charge ) Greetings from the Suva ILO Office to all the support for the 10 Pacific Island member office continues towards the Sustainable ILO Pacific Island Countries Constituents, countries; consolidating priorities in Development Goals established in Social Partners, Donors, Ministries, NGO’s drawing up a work plan for 2016-17. September 2015 and the UN Development and civil society who have worked tirelessly Assistance Framework in PNG and the with us throughout the year to achieve Work in this part of the region has progressed Pacific. many significant results. well with the different Member countries this biennium; i.e. successful completion of It has been a delightful experience working It’s that time of the year again to publish the the UN Human Security Trust Fund in the with you all, providing support and learning last edition of the ILO Pacific News 2015 and Solomon Islands, launching of the Samoa from your participant and inputs in all it is a great honor for me to highlight some National Action Plan on Youth Employment, our joint efforts. Lastly, my office remains accomplishments in the Pacific; since taking finalising new labour law in Kiribati, cyclone available to provide assistance upon up the role of Officer-in-Charge. recovery work in Vanuatu, finalising Labour request. Migration policies development in Kiribati I am pleased to advise that former ILO and Tuvalu, Cook Islands’ accession to the With sincere appreciation for all the work Suva Director, Mr David Lamotte, has ILO membership, and the advancement of we’ve achieved, I wish you happiness, safety being appointed to the position of Deputy child labour protection in Fiji. Many other and peace on this holiday season from all Regional Director of the ILOs Regional Office activities may not be mentioned here, but the Staff of the ILO Pacific Island Countries for Asia and the Pacific. are all equally important. in Suva, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Since David’s departure for the ILO Bangkok These set a good benchmark to enhance Satoshi Sasaki earlier in the year, I have had the challenge further collaboration for the next OIC, ILO Suva of maintaining his momentum to provide biennium. I look forward to ensuring our Decent work in the Pacific Improving working conditions on fishing vessels in the Pacific (No.188) and discussed its main principles and provisions as well as ways in which these principles could be given effect through conducting gap analyses, revising domestic legislation, and improving monitoring and enforcement. Mr Wagner also outlined some of the key lessons that had been learnt in other parts of the world in improving working conditions, including through ratification and standard setting. Some of the lessons learned from these activities include the importance of regulation of private recruitment and placement services, as well as the importance of ensuring that Fisheries and labour officials from the Pacific region. fishers know the content of their work Ocean fishing is of considerable elements of Government administrations contracts and the availability of complaint importance to the Pacific region, not only with responsibilities to the sector. mechanisms (particularly for migrant in terms of the revenue it brings, but also Presentations from representatives of the fishers that are often most vulnerable). the employment opportunities created FFA provided an overview of the context for Pacific Island workers. However, it is in the Pacific Region, the importance The meeting was also an opportunity to an industry facing a number of challenges of a sustainable industry, and emerging discuss some of the key areas of concern and vulnerabilities. trends. An important element of the to labour and fisheries officials and Pacific context is the Regional Roadmap explore potential pathways and solutions. In November 2015 the ILO Country Office for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries agreed Labour ministries and fisheries ministries of Pacific Island Countries, with support by the Fisheries Ministers, and endorsed were encouraged to undertake national from the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) by the Pacific Heads of State at the Forum tripartite discussions on training and hosted a technical meeting bringing Leaders Meeting in Papua New Guinea in supporting workers on fishing vessels together fisheries and labour officials October 2015. A key goal of the Roadmap including through skills development from the Pacific region. This is the first is the creation of 18,000 new jobs in the programmes, institutional capacity technical meeting of its kind in the region tuna industry within 10 years. Mr Brandt strengthening and inter-agency to specifically focus on strengthening Wagner (ILO) delivered an overview of collaboration. technical dialogue between two key the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 New services help Vanuatu recover from Cyclone Pam As world leaders discuss climate change Employment Services Vanuatu (ESV) The help on offer includes registration, in Paris, the ILO is helping Vanuatu to According to ILO analysis, Cyclone Pam career counselling, training, referrals and rebuild stronger and greener to better affected (directly and indirectly) the job placements. prepare for future storms. livelihoods of about 40,800 households, or 195,000 people – more than half of the On 8 June 2015, day one of registration, an Frank Garae lost his job the day after country’s population of about 250,000. hour before the doors opened, Garae was a Category 5 cyclone struck Vanuatu. The damage focused on four of the waiting outside ESV, eager to get in and The 39-year-old was working in an country’s six provinces, where a total of use the services on offer. “I saw it on the international five-star resort in Port Vila, 504,050 work days and 1.6 billion Vanuatu news and said to myself I need to take the the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. vatu (USD 15 million) of personal income initiative and go get registered. Two days were lost. But, less than three months after later I received a call from the Melanesian Severe category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam, the Cyclone, the Government of Vanuatu, Hotel and asked to come for an interview which hit on 13 March 2015, caused the with the ILO’s technical assistance and and a few days later I received the good worst natural disaster in the history of support, launched Employment Services news that I was their new Barman,” said Vanuatu. The storm brought widespread Vanuatu (ESV). ESV provides services to Garae. damage, and resulted in the deaths of formal sector employees who are looking about 15 people on the tiny South Pacific for new jobs because of Cyclone Pam, Better response to future storms island nation. and unemployed young people who want Launched by the Ministry of Internal career counselling, training and jobs. Affairs, with the Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions (VCTU) and the Vanuatu Chamber 2 ILO Pacific News Decent work in the Pacific of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), ESV is To date, 145 people one of three ILO programmes in Vanuatu (50 men and 95 established to not only respond to the women) who Cyclone Pam disaster but also to build were affected by up local capacity and institutions to Cyclone Pam have allow them to respond better to future registered, as well disasters. as 861 unemployed young people The other two major programmes are (409 men and 452 Labour Based Technology (LBT) for Road women). According Construction and Maintenance, and to Lionel Kaluat, the Support and Capacity Building of Workers. Commissioner of Labour, nine private Mr Satoshi Sasaki, the Officer-in-Charge companies and one of the ILO Office for the Pacific Island NGO have already Countries, said the cyclone response approached ESV, Frank Garae initiative was developed using the looking to fill more findings of an ILO-supported assessment than 20 vacancies. Three months into his new job, Garae on Employment, Livelihoods and Social Around 120 job-seekers have been has been using his previous experience Protection (ELSP), which was part of the referred for consideration. at an internationally owned and operated Vanuatu Post Disaster Needs Assessment hotel to improve the services for guests (PDNA), led by the Government of “After three months out of a job and no in his new locally owned and operated Vanuatu with support from the World income, I am very happy to get back into hotel.