Recent developments

An ILO Action Programme (AP) Enabling Public Service to Contribute to Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation through Improved Social Dialogue and Human Resource Development (HRD) was developed during the biennia 2006-07 and 2008-09 with a focus on the civil service. For the programme’s orientation see the Concept Paper (pdf, 123k). Tanzania, Ukraine and Sri Lanka participated in this AP. For more information on developments in the action programme countries, see the SECTOR Note (pdf, 176k).

A subregional Workshop on Social Dialogue in the Public Service was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in March 2009. The Sectoral Activities Department joined efforts with the Harare Subregional Office, the ILO Offices in Lusaka and Pretoria, the Regional Office for Africa, and the Industrial and Employment Relations Department. Government and public administration union representatives from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe participated, whilst South Africa was represented only by government. The participants committed to updating employment information, determine capacity building needs in each country, and analyse the steps necessary towards ratifying the Labour Relations (Public Services) Convention (1978). As follow-up to this activity, the Sectoral Activities Department specialist joined the Harare Subregional Office in a Sensitisation Workshop on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining in the Public Service, held in Gaborone, Botswana, in May 2009.

Useful links/resources

• Concept Note (pdf, 123k) for an ILO Action Programme in Public Service on Enabling Public Service to Contribute to Sustainable Development & Poverty Alleviation through Improved Social Dialogue and HRD