PS Cawaru Attends 108th Session of the International Labour Conference 2019

The Fijian government has called on the International Labour Organisation to devise strategies to assist vulnerable communities cope with the ongoing existential threat of climate change and to build capacity that promotes resilience and green economy skills as well as to consider alternative mechanisms that promotes labour mobility with minimum requirements.

Fiji’s Head of Delegation to the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva and Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Mr Osea Cawaru also called on development partners to enhance labour mobility and improve efforts that supports capacity building programs and innovative strategies that would boost skills to respond effectively to the national and international labour market.

This year’s session brings together over 6,000 delegates from around the globe to find solutions to the challenges of the future of the world of work, and to celebrate the Centenary of the International Labour Organization.

Further, Mr Cawaru acknowledged all the development partners who had contributed immensely in the development of Fiji’s economy over the past years. In particular he acknowledged Australia and New Zealand for their commitment under the ongoing seasonal workers scheme and the new Pacific Labour Scheme.

The 108th International Labour Conference is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from 10 to 21 June 2019.

Fiji is represented in this event by the Permanent Secretary Mr Osea Cawaru, Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, Permanent Representative of Fiji to the UN, Mr Vilimone Baleidrokadroka, Deputy Secretary Technical for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Mr Nesbitt Hazelman, the Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Commerce and Employees Federation, Mr Felix Anthony, the General Secretary for the Fiji Trade Union Congress and the staff of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations in Geneva.

The member States of the ILO meet at the International Labour Conference, held every year in Geneva, Switzerland, in the month of June. Each Member State is represented by a delegation consisting of two government delegates, an employer delegate, a worker delegate, and their respective advisers.

The key focus of the 108th Session of the ILO this year includes the crafting and adoption of international labour standards in the form of conventions and recommendations, the supervision of the application of conventions and recommendations at the national level, deliberation on labour questions of importance to the entire world and to explore the course of social progress in the world. The Conference also passes resolutions that provide guidelines for the ILO’s general policy and future activities.

Notable world leaders in attendance include President Emmanuel Macron of France, German Chancellor Angela Markel, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Theresa May to name a few.