The specific objectives of the forum are to:

1. Review Fiji’s progress and enabling environment for achieving the SDG Target 8.7 and identify the existing limitations and gaps.
2. Provide input into a national road-map for achieving SDG 8.7, specifying priority focus areas, roles of national working groups, and integrating organisational and institutional strategies.
3. Agree to the optimal role of a National Alliance 8.7 coordinating mechanism for achieving SDG 8.7.

AGENDA OF THE FORUM

Fiji’s progress to SDG Target 8.7

Discussions on Alliance 8.7 began in Fiji in 2016, following the launching of the SDGs. In 2017, a Pacific sub-regional Consultation on Alliance 8.7 was held in Nadi and ten broad priority actions for the Pacific to achieve the SDG target 8.7 were identified including:
(i) Strengthening partnership and collaboration, (ii) Supporting all countries to ratify C182, (iii) Building information, data and statistics, (iv) Improving awareness, advocacy, visibility, (v) Enhancing resources and capacity, (vi) Strengthening legislation, enforcement and monitoring, (vii) Ensuring access to quality education for all children, (viii) Providing employment, decent work and social protection, (ix) Accelerating action and (x) Committing ILO support.

At the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour in Argentina in November 2017, the Government of Fiji pledged that:

For the years 2018-2022, the Fijian Governments hereby pledges that: We commit to take action in drafting and amending the existing legislation related to Child Labour and Worst Forms of Child Labour in Fiji. The Fijian Government also commits to implement the National Plan on eradication of Child Labour and Worst Forms of Child Labour in Fiji. The Fijian Government also commits to consult with social partners including trade union and employer organization in raising awareness at the District and Divisional levels in all communities around Fiji on the area of child labour, forced labour and human trafficking. The Fijian Government commits to continue funding the Labour Standard Services of the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations which deals with child labour matters.

In 2018, the Fiji government volunteered to become a Pathfinder Country, committing to going further or faster to achieve target 8.7, and implementing new actions, trying new approaches and sharing the lessons and knowledge generated. Fiji’s ‘strong’ legislative and institutional enabling environment will assist Fiji’s efforts as a Pathfinder Country to tackle the issues it currently faces to achieve SDG 8.7.

Find out more about Alliance 8.7 global partnership for eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour around the world.