Samoa’s second Samoa National Employment Policy (SNEP-2) 2021/2022 – 2025/2026 was launched by the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labor, Afioga Leatinu’u Wayne Fong So’oialo, in the presence of ILO Pacific Director, Matin Karimli who was present virtually.
The National Employment Policy is a policy that provides a concerted and coherent vision, as well as a framework linking employment objectives in Samoa.
The focus of this second employment policy was based on the outcome of the situational analysis conducted in 2020 that saw the need for integrated policy interventions to ensure job-rich recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis.
The Employment Policy is part of ILO’s technical assistance for Samoa to ensure that labour market complications are well-addressed and to identify the leading organizations with relevant legislation and coverage.
Another important aspect of the Employment Policy is ensuring good governance of the implementation process as the Policy is set to support the labour market and employment sector under the Pathway to Development of Samoa 2021 – 2026 (PDS).
The first Samoa Employment Policy (2016-2020) was considered as one of the most important avenues that translated the findings derived from labour statistics in terms of employment and underemployment. Information about the status of labour demand and supply was converted into evidence-based- policy making.
There were challenges and lessons learned from the first Samoa Employment Policy (SNEP1) as its implementation was associated with limited resources, reduced capacity, and a lack of coordination.
In the last two weeks, in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (MCIL), ILO provided two days of training on capacity building to support constituents and stakeholders to undertake measures supporting the implementation of SNEP 2 over the next five years.
This was requested by MCIL (with the support of the Samoa National Tripartite Forum) to coincide with the launch of the SNEP 2 tonight. The seminar aimed at strengthening the governance and capacity of implementing partners and exploring different approaches to implementation based on national and ongoing dialogue.
The SNEP-2 was approved by Cabinet in early September of this year after two years of consultations, debates, and reviews. It was then validated by constituents and the Cabinet Policy Committee and was eventually finalized by the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour ahead of ILO’s final review.
There were several needs for the SNEP2 development from different sectorial-based on the national consultations; the common theme from these consultations was the need for SNEP 2 to assist constituents in the socio-economic recovery from COVID-19 impacts and to address the challenges to ensure readiness to support the labour market from the disruptions affecting employment and incomes.
This involves stimulating the economy to generate decent jobs and possible financial assistance to be provided by development partners and the government to those who have lost jobs due to the crisis.
The ILO will continue to provide Samoa with assistance on the implementation of SNEP 2, including the advancement towards a more job-rich and resilient recovery.
This will ensure that Samoa’s implementing partners for SNEP 2 will transform these priorities into practice. Solid commitment and coordination are required from all actors involved as well as extensive efforts to define roles and responsibilities by a well-coordinated governance structure.
