Strengthening partnerships at heart of Pacific Wellbeing Strategy

(Picture caption: Minister for Pacific Peoples’ Hon Aupito William Sio announces the new All-of-Government Pacific Wellbeing Strategy at Due Drop Events Centre, in Manukau.)  

Strengthening partnerships with Pacific communities is at the heart of the Government’s new Pacific Wellbeing Strategy launched at Manukau’s Due Drop Events Centre.  

Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Aupito William Sio announced the new All-of-Government strategy, which is all about government and communities working together to ensure our aiga, our vuvale have access to the staples of life: housing, education, training and job opportunities.

“This values-based approach recognises Pacific communities as the owners of their cultures, identities and languages – the cornerstone of Pacific Wellbeing – and that they must lead in decisions that affect their lives,” Minister Sio says.

“This establishes new ways of working across government to answer the call to action from Pacific communities to achieve the Lalanga Fou vision of a thriving, confident, resilient, healthy and prosperous Pacific Aotearoa.”

The Pacific Wellbeing Strategy includes a set of indicators and measures which hold government agencies to account if they do not meet expectations, as well as identify any gaps that need addressing.

“This sets how we respond to this call to improve outcomes for Pacific communities now and well into the future, ensuring no one is left behind during the post-COVID economic recovery,” Minister Sio adds.

The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is spearheading the implementation of the strategy, which identifies four key priorities:

• Establishing genuine partnerships between government agencies and Pacific Communities that work towards tangible outcomes likes homes, jobs and training opportunities;
• To measure and monitor the impact of investment in Pacific communities through the All-of-Government Pacific Wellbeing Outcomes Framework to ensure targets are being met;
• To build and strengthen cultural capability and engagement approaches across government; and
• Ensuring Pacific cultural values and principles are at the heart of the Strategy.

“The four priority areas will guide how the Government works with our communities towards reducing social and economic disadvantages and improving Pacific wellbeing,” Minister Sio says.

The Pacific Wellbeing Strategy emerged from Labour’s 2017 Future of Work report as a manifesto commitment, which was developed and supported by Pacific communities through targeted talanoa sessions and approved by Cabinet in April 2022.

Visit the MPP website to read the strategy.