#ILO100
First visit of ILO Director-General to a Pacific Island State
The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr Guy Ryder, visited Papua New Guinea on the occasion of the Pacific high level forum on climate change and decent work. The trip was the first-ever visit of an ILO Director-General to a Pacific Island State.
It was the first ever visit of an ILO Director-General in the Pacific since the founding of the organization in 1919.
First @ilo Director-General to visit a Pacific Island Country in 100 years, @GuyRyder, addressed workers, employers and ministers from all the "Blue Pacific Big Ocean States (BOS)" at the Pacific tripartite high level forum on climate change and decent work. #ILO100 #futureofwork. #ilo100 pic.twitter.com/VfRzbxUD0y
— Guy Ryder (@GuyRyder) July 22, 2019
Following an official visit in Thailand from 22 to 24 July, Mr Ryder traveled to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to attend the Pacific high-level forum on climate change and decent work. The forum, co-organized by the ILO and the PNG Ministry of labour, discussed climate action and the future of work in the Pacific, and how to ensure a just transition to an environmentally sustainable world of work. It addressed the following topics:
- Future of Work for Climate Resilience
- Labour Mobility in Pacific Island Countries
- Opportunities and challenges of digitalization for decent work.
Addressing the Pacific tripartite high level forum on climate change and decent work, Tomoko Nishimoto @ilo Asia-Pacific Regional Director also called Pacific countries to champion the new labour convention C190 on violence and harrassement at work pic.twitter.com/VfRzbxUD0y
— Guy Ryder (@GuyRyder) July 22, 2019
On the sidelines of the forum, the Cook Islands and Kiribati signed Decent Work Country Programmes and Fiji released a commemorative stamp for the centenary of the ILO.
Congratulations to the workers, employers and governments of Cook Islands and Kiribati for adopting their respective Decent Work Country Programme which defines national priorities & strategies for inclusive and sustainable dev. Also a framework for cooperation with @ilo #ILO100 #futureofwork. #ilo100 pic.twitter.com/VfRzbxUD0y
— Guy Ryder (@GuyRyder) July 22, 2019
During his visit Mr Ryder held talks with the Acting Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Hon. Davies Steven, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Soroi Eoe and Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations, Hon. Alfred Manase, as well as other senior government officials. He also met Labour Ministers from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kirabati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga and representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations from Pacific Islands Countries (PICs).
The Director-General also engaged with students from University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) during an interactive dialogue session on Climate change and Decent work for youth. The dialogue was moderated by UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Giancula Rampolla.
Mr Ryder’s trip to the Pacific followed an official visit to Thailand where he met with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour and social partners.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work. Devoted to advancing social justice, it promotes a Decent Work Agenda based on four strategic pillars: rights at work, decent employment opportunities, social protection and social dialogue.
It is the only public international organization which is tripartite, where workers and employers enjoy equal rights with governments in representation and decision making. Together they set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes upholding decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity for all.
Created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, the ILO became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946. It received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 and today is recognized as the world’s authority on the world of work, offering over 100 years of knowledge, experience and achievements.
For more information please contact
Mr Peter BlumelILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
peterb@ilo.org
Ms Laetitia Dard
Senior Communication & Public Information Officer
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
dard@ilo.org