The Blue Pacific Big Ocean States (BPBOS) Labour Platform plays a pivotal role in unifying the Pacific region regarding labor and employment matters aligned with ILO agendas. This initiative began in 2019 during a meeting of ILO Pacific member states’ Labour Ministers in Papua New Guinea.
Fiji was the first nation elected to chair the BPBOS platform and currently maintains the chairmanship through Agni Deo Singh, the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations. Meanwhile, the Cook Islands Government serves as the Secretariat.
As the current Chair, Minister Singh emphasized the importance of this platform for the ILO Pacific Islands member states. It aims to amplify the voice of the Pacific at the International Labour Conference and within the Asia Pacific Group platform. He highlighted the Labour Ministers’ assertion during the 2019 Pacific Tripartite High-Level Forum about the need for a unified voice on global issues that impact the Pacific, specifically focusing on decent work, labor and employment challenges, and climate change.
To further the objectives of the BPBOS, a successful two-day meeting took place on August 26-27, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand, to review the draft Terms of Reference for the Labour Ministers’ Platform.
Minister Singh recognized the commitment of the Cook Islands Government in their Secretariat role, citing the attendance of Anne Herman, Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Miriama Herman, Social Impact Fund Officer.
He also expressed gratitude to the ILO Office for the Pacific Island countries for funding this meeting and for their ongoing support in promoting social justice among ILO Pacific Islands member states. Singh was accompanied by the Deputy Secretary for Employment, Atish Kumar, and Senior Ministerial Liaison Officer, Elina Vuniwa, with backing from Fiji’s High Commission and Trade Office in New Zealand.