The Bangladesh Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) was developed in close collaboration with ILO’s tripartite constituents: the Government, Bangladesh Employers’ Federation and National Coordination Committee for Workers Education. It is being implemented for the period 2006-2009, focusing on four key outcomes:
Improving skills training and entrepreneurship for enhanced employability and livelihoods
Under this outcome, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reform project contributes to skills and employability of workers and aims to reduce poverty through reforms of the TVET system so that more people obtain jobs and generate income. Green Jobs initiative in Bangladesh focuses on promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly green jobs, and to create linkages between employment promotion and sustainable development.
Improving coverage of social protection and rights for workers in selected sectors, including for migrants
The ILO project on Promoting National Occupational Safety and Health Policy Framework in Bangladesh aims to contribute to improve safety and health, and working conditions at the workplace. Other initiatives include improving occupational safety and health standards and ensuring compliance to core labour standards in the ready-made garment (RMG) and ship-recycling sectors. With the constitutional mandate to protect migrant workers, the ILO promotes effective governance and management of labour migration, protect migrant workers, and promote migration-development linkages.
As a signatory to the ILO Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Populations, the Government of Bangladesh and ILO together with other partners are working to promote indigenous and tribal people’s rights.
Combating child labour with priority focus on the worst forms of child labour (WFCL)
The ILO International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) supported the Government in developing a National Time-Bound Programme towards eliminating all forms of worst forms of child labour by 2015. The current ILO Urban Informal Economy project focuses on strengthening the knowledge base and preparing models that regulate, monitor and address hazardous child labour in an urban informal economy for country replication.
Strengthening social dialogue
Key activities include supporting the tripartite constituents in implementing the Labour Act 2006, promoting the international labour standards, and mainstreaming decent work in their policies and programmes. In addition, the ILO supports participation of the tripartite constituents and partner agencies in various training programmes organized by the ILO International Training Centre, Turin, Italy, to strengthen their capacities.
Promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming is a cross cutting priority amongst all ILO projects and programmes. Key activities include the implementation of the UN Joint Programme on Violence against Women, and awareness raising on the 2010 International Labour Conference discussion on setting up an international instrument to protect domestic workers.
The Bangladesh DWCP contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2006-2010 especially in the areas of Education and Pro-Poor Growth, Social Protection, and Gender Equality and Advancement of Women. The ILO is currently involved in a range of projects and activities that are working towards these outcomes.