Samoa was elected as co-chair of the International Advisory Board for Jobs
Initiative under International Labour Organization (ILO). Honourable Lautafi Fio
Selafi Joseph Purcell, Minister of Commerce Industry and Labour was voted
from the Board of 13 members made from the Government officials, mainly
Ministers of Labour representing four (4); America, Europe, Africa and Asia
Pacific. The other five members are representatives from International Trade
Union Conference (ITUC), International Organization of Employers (IOE), UN
Executive Office of the Secretary- General, ILO Office, and International
financial institutions respectively. Honourable Lautafi will be co-chairing the
International Advisory Board with Honourable Ms Teresa Ribera, Fourth
Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Ecological Transition and
Demographic Challenge from Spain.
The International Advisory Board established on the concept that was adopted
in Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. This is the Just Transition to
sustainable development can power a human-centred approach to the future
of work. It has the potential to transform economies and societies, maximize
opportunities for decent work, reduce inequalities, and promote social justice
through support to industries, enterprises, workers and communities affected
negatively. A just transition matters for all countries, at all levels of
development.
To turn this human-centred agenda into concrete action, the United Nations
Secretary General, Director General of International Labour Organization,
leaders of Governments, Employers, and Workers organizations launched a
Climate Action for Jobs Initiative at United Nations conference on Climate
Change held in Madrid, in December 2019. The Initiative is intended to provide

a roadmap to support and give effect to the commitments made by countries
at the Climate Action Summit of September 2019. International Labour
Organization has been identified to spearhead the implementation of the
Initiative. Hence the governance structure of the Climate Action for Job
Initiatives is the International Advisory Board, with Donor Group, International
Technical Group, and National Steering Committees.
Samoa apart from the co-chair of this International Advisory Board for Climate
Action for Jobs, Honourable Minister Lautafi Purcell was also elected as a Vice
Chairman of the Blue Pacific Big Ocean States (BPBOS), that was established
last year at the High Level Ministerial Meeting in Port Moresby in PNG, under
the endorsement of the ILO Director General, Mr Guy Ryder. The Blue Pacific
Big Ocean States is the Pacific Labour Ministers platform that pursue decent
work and just transition through Climate Action for Jobs. The main focus is
strengthening of the Pacific positions on their action plans, knowledge sharing
on effect of Climate Change, and establish strategical direction need for green
jobs in the pacific linking between the employment and environmental action.