Vanuatu (ILO News) - The Government of Vanuatu, employers’, and workers’ organizations as well as civil society are working together on the development of a National Employment Policy, a crucial step towards creating a more resilient and inclusive economy in the country.

Under the leadership of Vanuatu’s Department of Labour and Employment Services and with support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a one-day workshop, held on 24 February 2023, saw stakeholders discuss priorities for the policy and identify sectors for national economic development and job creation.

The National Employment Policy will aim to address issues such as skills development, labour market information and analysis systems, and social protection, with a view to boost job creation in key economic sectors including agriculture, construction and tourism.


“It is important to consult widely with stakeholders, in particular social partners, to ensure that the National Employment Policy reflects the needs and aspirations of the people of Vanuatu,” Christian Viegelahn added.

The workshop was funded by the joint programme on “Advancing the SDGs by Improving livelihoods and resilience via economic diversification and digital transformation” which brings together the ILO, ITU, UNESCO, OHCHR, UNODC, and UNOPS to support SDG acceleration fostering economic diversification and digital transformation in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The joint programme leverages the agencies’ complementary sets of expertise to design policies for a job rich recovery, promote entrepreneurship in strategic sectors, foster the transition to formality for resilient labour markets, and strengthen access to digital services, and skills for community resilience.