The ILO supported a two and half day workshop, from 9 - 12 May 2017 held at Maseru Avani Hotel in Lesotho attended by representatives from government, worker’s organisation and employer organisations as well as UN agencies and academic institutions reaching a total of 58 participants; i.e. 34 females and 24 males.

The workshop sought to achieve the following objectives:

1. To increase awareness and knowledge of government and social partners on the Recommendation 204 concerning transition from the informal to the formal economy in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.
2. To validate the report on the diagnostic study on the Rural and Informal Economy in Lesotho and generate inputs for the country position on transition from the informal to the formal economy based on the provisions of ILO Recommendation 204.
3. The workshop participants included representatives from government ministries, workers and employers organizations, academic institutions, media, Informal business associations and other UN agencies

The Participants

•  Workers’ Organisations and Unions: Lesotho Trade Union Congress, NACOLA, Lesotho labour Council, Alliance of Progressive Trade Union, Association of women in small business, Kgathangtema Baitshukudi; Ex Miners Association, Construction, Mining and Quarying Allied workers;
•  Employers’ Organisations: Lesotho textile exporters association, Concord Diary Production Association, United Textile employers, Association of Lesotho Employers and Business;
•  Government Ministries: Employment and Labour, Agriculture & Food Security, Development Planning; Small Business Development, Cooperatives & Marketing, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Local Government & Chieftainship, City Council, Gender Youth Sports and Recreation, Judiciary, Public Works,
•  Academic Institutions: National University of Lesotho representatives from Economic extensions, Agriculture and Small Medium Enterprise; Limkokwing University;
•  UN: FAO representing other development partners;
•  Civil Society: Future Foundation for Development in Lesotho, Lesotho National Development Corporation,
•  Media: Lesotho Times, the Post Newspaper, Lesotho TV,

 Key results of the workshop
The multisectoral and multi-stakeholder workshop was officially opened by the Acting Permanent Secretary (APS) from the Ministry of labour,   reiterated the value of the decent work agenda in realising the protection and promotion of human rights.
 
In his concluding remarks; the PS requested the workshop participants to develop “a plan of action on how we are going to move forward on this important initiative. My understanding is that we will have to come up with a smaller group which will be responsible for operationalization of the resolutions of this workshop”.