NADI (ILO NEWS) – Governments, trade unions and employers' organizations in the Pacific will be in stronger position to carry out evidence-based policy making on various world of work topics following training organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The five-day programme, that is taking place from 24th-28th July 2023 in Fiji, sees 25 participants from eleven Pacific Island countries learn new techniques and analytical tools to help them make informed, evidence-based decisions.

During the opening session, the Fiji Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Honourable Biman Prasad stressed that, “Such programs provide an important opportunity for policy makers, practitioners, academia, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to share knowledge, best practice and promote the use of evidence and data in policy making while facilitating and enhancing tripartite dialogue.”

He added that, “There are very real opportunities for all of you to ensure that evidence-based policy is based on solid numbers, facts and even anecdotes. I would also encourage you to remember the hard lessons we all learned from COVID-19 and explore early warning alerts in your evidence-based strategies that can help mitigate risks and future-proof policies as best as possible.”

Fiji’s Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Honourable Agni Deo Singh added that, “This training stands as a testament to the recognition of evidence-based policies for decent work. It is very important to foster cooperation, promote transparency, and strengthen statistical systems across countries to bridge the gaps in knowledge and pave the way for information sharing on best practices between Pacific Island Countries.”

The training includes coverage of research methods, analytical tools, databases, data interpretation, evidence evaluation, evidence synthesis, and improved evidence communication. These techniques are applicable to several topics such as informality, social protection, minimum wage, migration movements, platform workers, and more.

The event is organized by the ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries in partnership with the ILO Research Department.

Contact for more information: Sonja Aholelei, ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries

More information on the research training is available here