HONIARA – Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, says the Pacific’s labour mobility programmes have become an important pathway for employment, skills development, and economic empowerment across the region.
He was speaking at the opening of the Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) 2025 in Honiara on Tuesday.
“Labour mobility is not just an economic policy it is a lifeline of opportunity. Thousands of Solomon Islanders have found meaningful work abroad, gained new skills, supported their families, and returned home with renewed hope and experience.
“Remittances from seasonal workers contributed SB$475 million in 2024 for Solomon Islands.
“While this may be small in comparison to other Pacific family members, these remittances are of immense significance to our economy.”
Head of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and Labour Mobility Secretariat, Mr. Roy Lagolago, said the discussions at PLMAM 2025 would focus on strengthening collaboration between sending and receiving countries to ensure fair outcomes for all parties involved.
“Fair and effective recruitment is where sustainable reintegration begins,” said Mr. Lagolago.
“When workers are well-prepared, well-supported, and treated fairly throughout their journey, the benefits of labour mobility extend beyond individuals to uplift families, communities, and entire economies.”
Over the next few days, PLMAM participants will discuss practical steps to improve worker recruitment, strengthen the partnership between Labour Sending Units and Employers, as well as regional measures to enhance the development impact of labour mobility through sustainable reintegration initiatives.
The PLMAM, established under the PACER Plus Arrangement on Labour Mobility, continues to serve as the region’s main platform for cooperation on labour mobility issues and policy coordination between Pacific sending and receiving countries.
The meeting brought together Pacific labour mobility stakeholders from across the Pacific and beyond under the theme ‘Sustainable Reintegration Begins with Fair and Effective Recruitment’.
Organised by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), which also serves as the Labour Mobility Secretariat, the PLMAM provides a regional platform for countries to work together on improving recruitment processes, worker welfare, and the long-term benefits of labour mobility for Pacific families and communities.
This year’s meeting has drawn participants from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, as well as Timor Leste and the Philippines.
– PACER PLUS
