The Blue Pacific Big Ocean States (BPBOS) Labour Platform plays a vital role in unifying the Pacific region on labor and employment matters, as well as aligning with ILO agendas. Established in 2019 during a meeting of ILO Pacific member states in Papua New Guinea, Fiji was the first country elected to chair the platform, and it currently retains the chairmanship through the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Agni Deo Singh. The Cook Islands government serves as the Secretariat.
Minister Singh emphasized the importance of this labor platform for ILO Pacific Islands member states, aiming to enhance the visibility and voice of the Pacific at the International Labour Conference and within the Asia Pacific Group platform. He noted that during the last Pacific Tripartite High-Level Forum in 2019, Labour Ministers stressed the significance of presenting a unified voice for the Pacific on international issues, particularly concerning decent work, labor matters, and climate change.
To further the objectives of the BPBOS labor platform, a successful two-day meeting took place on August 26-27, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand, where participants reviewed the draft Terms of Reference for the BPBOS Labour Ministers’ Platform.
Minister Singh acknowledged the contributions of the Cook Islands government, represented by Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Anne Herman, and Social Impact Fund Officer, Miriama Herman. He also expressed gratitude to the ILO Office for the Pacific Island countries for funding the meeting and for their ongoing support in promoting social justice for 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 the Fiji High Commission and Fiji’s Trade Office in New Zealand.