The first IGAD Region Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration was convened from 19-21 October 2021 in Djibouti City, Djibouti where Ministers of labour and employment of IGAD Member States signed the Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration (2021).


Through the declaration, the Ministers of labour and employment agree to:

1. Establish the IGAD Ministerial Committee on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration
2. Adopt the Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures for the IGAD Ministerial Committee on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration
3. Adopt the IGAD Regional Guidelines on Rights Based Bilateral Labour Agreements
4. Develop a Plan of Action to implement this Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration (2021) with clear monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

The Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration is a key policy instrument to comprehensively address the challenges of labour, employment, and labour migration in the IGAD Region. The declaration is structured around seven pillars namely;

1. Labour and Employment Policy
2. Ratification and Domestication of International Labour Standards
3. Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers
4. Social Dialogue
5. Extending Social Protection for All
6. Promoting Gender Equity and Equality
7. Advancing Regional Coordination

In order to operationalize the commitments made through the Djibouti Declaration, IGAD Region Ministers of labour and employment tasked the IGAD Secretariat to develop a Plan of Action with clear monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

To this end, the ILO in collaboration with the IGAD Secretariat with financial support from the European Union (EU) launched a High Level Experts workshop bringing together experts of IGAD Member States and social partners (Workers and Employers Organizations) for the formulation of the Plan of Action for the Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration from 29 November to 01 December 2021, at Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

During the three days high level experts workshop, participants will define key priority areas of action and specific activities under each of the seven pillars of the Djibouti Declaration and conclude by drafting and validating the Plan of Action for Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration. During their deliberations IGAD region high level experts will identify major challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of the Declaration and define key performance indicators for the Plan of Action.