ITUC-Asia Pacific welcomes historic move to strengthen social dialogue in the Pacific

ITUC-Asia Pacific welcomes the decision of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to establish a Regional Labour Ministers Meeting as a dedicated ministerial mechanism within the Pacific regional architecture.

The new forum, which will meet every three years, represents a significant step towards strengthening regional cooperation on decent work, labour mobility, workforce development and workers’ rights across the Blue Pacific.

ITUC-Asia Pacific congratulates the Pacific Islands Council of Trade Unions (PICTU) and its affiliates on this historic achievement. PICTU has consistently advocated for labour and employment issues to receive dedicated attention within the Pacific Islands Forum and participated actively in negotiations on the Labour Ministers Charter, calling for social dialogue and meaningful worker representation to be embedded in the new mechanism.

“Pacific trade unions have demonstrated that they can influence regional institutions and their policy priorities through sustained advocacy, unity and constructive engagement,” said ITUC-Asia Pacific General Secretary Shoya Yoshida. “The new Regional Labour Ministers Meeting provides an important opportunity to place decent work and social justice at the heart of regional integration and to recognise trade unions not merely as stakeholders to be consulted, but essential partners in shaping labour and economic policies.”

For ITUC-Asia Pacific, the decision underscores the importance of institutionalising social dialogue within regional governance. As economic integration and labour mobility deepen across Asia and the Pacific, workers and their representative organisations must have a meaningful voice in shaping the policies and institutions that affect their rights, livelihoods, and futures.

“Regional integration can create opportunities for economic development, stronger institutions, and greater resilience. However, its success cannot be measured solely by economic growth, trade or investment. Regional integration must deliver for working people, not just economies. That means decent jobs, strong labour protections, and genuine social dialogue, with workers having a permanent voice in the regional decisions shaping their lives and the future of work,” Shoya Yoshida said.

ITUC-Asia Pacific will continue working with PICTU and other subregional trade union organisations to advance institutionalised social dialogue across national and regional frameworks in Asia and the Pacific and to ensure that workers are represented wherever regional decisions affecting their rights and livelihoods are made.