Palau is taking proactive steps to build a more resilient and inclusive economic future through an integrated approach addressing employment, youth opportunities, migration, climate, and sustainable tourism. From 18–19 December 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development hosted a National Policy Alignment Forum in Koror, supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and funded by the European Union (EU). The forum brought together government ministries, employers, workers, and development partners to align priorities across these key areas.
Participants at the forum identified policy gaps and opportunities for strengthened collaboration, focusing on barriers faced by vulnerable groups, skills development, job creation, and improvements in data collection. The discussions and outcomes will guide the formulation of an integrated national strategy, setting priorities for coordinated action, research, and policy implementation.
Honourable Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Minister for Human Resources, Culture, Tourism, and Development, emphasized the importance of bringing together diverse voices to ensure that policies reflect the realities of Palau’s people and environment. Strengthening coordination across employment, youth, climate, tourism, and migration strategies is seen as essential for building a sustainable foundation for growth and resilience.
Palau faces challenges common to other Pacific Island states, including climate risks, demographic shifts, the need for youth retention, workforce sustainability, and effective migration management. Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, highlighted that coordinated, collective action is crucial for turning these challenges into opportunities.
This initiative forms part of the ILO’s Managing a Decent Future of Work Together – Asia and the Pacific (“Future of Work: APAC”) project, funded by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI). Running from 2025 to 2029, the four-year project promotes mutual learning and the advancement of higher labour standards in response to megatrends such as technological change, demographic shifts, climate transition, and evolving trade patterns.
