KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HON. FALEOMAVAEGA TITIMAEA TAFUA, MINISTER OF MCIL AT THE SIGNING OF THE SAMOA DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAM 2024-2028. – 20th February 2025.

SAMOA, February 20 - Reverend, Houlton Faasau

Regional Director for the ILO in the Pacific – Mr Martin Wandera,

ILO Officials from Fiji and the National ILO Coordinator in Samoa,

Members of the Samoa National Tripartite Forum (SNTF),

Members of the National Occupational Safety and Health (NOSH) Taskforce,

Members of the Child Labour Taskforce,

Senior Executives of Government Agencies, Private Sector and Non-Government Organizations,

Distinguished Partners and Guests;

Talofa lava with a smile,

A smile is one of the identities of the Pacific people which is part of our great hospitality to welcome all visitors to our beautiful shores.

It is a new day and further testament to the merciful Grace of our Father in Heaven, through His divine leadership and protection over our great nation.

In particular, the Government of Samoa and its people welcome the ILO Regional Director in the Pacific, Mr Martin Wandera with warm greetings from another Pacific Island, the paradise and the pearl of the Pacific, Samoa, Talofa lava.

I am sure we are joined in the belief that Samoa is a blessed nation, mostly when we continue to witness on a daily basis the suffering and grief we have been spared from, the long effect of Covid-19, Whooping Cough, climate change crisis, and all its worst scenarios we foresee on media or surrounding environment in the face of developments. Yet; we are here today, building a strong future, the future of decent work and commitment to fair labour conditions for our people and for all.

Todays’ event marks another milestone for the signing of our fourth Decent Work Country Program since Samoa became a member of the ILO. The government can not achieve the set priorities under this program without the support and contributions from our employers and workers, civil society and all others. They have played a major role to ensure public and private partnerships as well as employer and employee relationships define how we effectively implement this program as we did in the previous programs. With any labour work; we encounter problems, and with problems, we learn lessons and educate ourselves to come up with solutions.

The Decent Work Country Programs (DWCP) is the framework for delivering ILOs support to promote Decent Work for all of its member countries. The priorities of the DWCP are aligned with the Pathway for the Development of Samoa, the United Nations Pacific Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027, and its contribution to achieve the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We acknowledge the ongoing determinations and commitment by the ILO in supporting the labour system in Samoa through a variety of activities and the development of this new DWCP. However, the end of a tunnel, is the beginning of a new journey. The journey of ensuring implementation and planning and evaluations are in good grounds, for the future of Samoa in decent work programs.

In addition, we acknowledge the great effort and contributions from our stakeholders in the government, private sector, civil societies and everyone who have played their part to ensure we achieve the priority areas of our Decent Work Country Program within the next four years. Without your deep assurance and support, our goals could not be achieved.

May our Lord be the center of every work we do, so that the achievements of our work today, will be enjoyed by our people living tomorrow.

I wish you all a pleasant day.

God Bless

Faafetai tele lava

Saunoaga Autu Afioga i le Minisita o Pisinisi, Alamanuia ma Leipa le afioga Faleomavaega Titimaea Tafua i le sainiga o le Lona 4 o Polokalame ma Galuega Talafeagai a Samoa 2024-2028

(Aso Tofi, 20 Fepuari 2025, Tanoa Tusitala, 9.00am)

Susuga i le faafeagaiga, Houlton Faasau

Faatonu Sili a le Faalapotopotoga Faavaomalo o Leipa i le Pasefika, Mr Martin Wandera;

Faapea ma ana Ofisa Soo Upu mai le Malo o Fiti ma Samoa nei

Sui ole Fono Aoao Faatafatolu o Samoa

Sui a le Komiti Faafoe o le Saogalemu ma le Soifua Maloloina i Samoa

Sui o le Komiti Faafoe mo le Faafaigaluegaina o Fanau

Ofisa Sili o Matagaluega ma Ofisa a le Malo, Pisinisi Tumaoti ma Faalapotopotoga Tumaoti

Ma le mamalu i Paaga ma Valaaulia

Talofa Lava ma le laufofoga fiafia,

Manatu o lenei faamoemoe, o lea ua tufala tulima le lupe sa talifau i le atu folasa o Tupu, ina ua mae’a ona megamega i tafua le aneanea, ae fa’atili foemuli le Tautai sa fai ma To’o taumua; ma le folauga ua tutaga eleele i lenei taeao ua manū to mai lagi. Malo afua; malo ua maua ile Alofa ma le Agalelei ole Silisili Ese.

O paia ole taeao ma le aso e le toe faafuluina faa-ie se’ese’e a matuau’u, aua e tala-tau Toga, ae tala Tofi Samoa, ile afua mai ile matāsaua ole Tuimanua, se’ia pā’ia le si’uolefanua na malele ai le Nafanua, tali i Lagi se Ao o lou Mālo. E Faigata Tama ma o latou Aiga, Aiga foi ma Tama, usoga Tumua ma Pule, Ituau ma Alataua, Aiga i le Tai ma le Vaa o Fonoti. Ae matua le tu’u le aufai tatalo isi o tatou atunuu, Tulou, tulouna lava.

Ua tatou aofia poto i lenei taeao, sei o tatou molimauina le sainiga o le lona 4 o Polokalame mo Galuega Talafeagai (DWCP) a Samoa, e faavae mai i fuafuaga a le Faalapotopotoga Faavaomalo o Leipa mo ona sui auai. E faafetaia ai le lagolagosua a sui ole Fono Aoao Faatafatolu a Samoa (SNTF), sui o Komiti Faafoe ole Saogalemu ma le Soifua Maloloina faapea ma le Faafaigaluegaina o Fanau, o matagaluega ma faalapotopotoga a le Malo, ma le Vaega tumaoti, aua le lauliliuina o lenei polokalama ina ia ‘ausia matāti’a ua faata’atitia, mo le atinaeina o galuega e gafatia ma talafeagai aua se soifua manuia o nai o tatou tagata.

Ia manuia tele lo tatou faamoemoe i lenei taeao.

February 28, 2025