The Regular Budget Supplementary Account

The Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA) was established to finance ILO activities that fall under the core mandate of the organization but cannot be implemented because of resource or capacity gaps in the Office. It was proposed by the Director-General as a third source of funding - in addition to the regular budget and extra-budgetary resources - to expand and deepen the capacity to deliver Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) in the context of United Nations reform and to strengthen the decent work components of national development plans.

The RBSA is a flexible and transparent way to address the resource gap without creating obligations on Member States. It’s fully in line with the Paris Declaration, but donors can earmark resources for a specific region or thematic area. It permits those countries that would like to see the ILO’s work expand to contribute in a way that will be subject to all the means of oversight and governance of the regular budget. It enables also the ILO to support United Nations system-wide coherence initiatives on a more assured financial basis.

With a focus on decent work and productive employment as a way out of poverty, the RBSA was open to contributions from Member States that have earmarked their official development aid for poverty reduction and other development goals. It is also a useful mechanism to foster South-South cooperation within and across regions. It facilitates an exchange of experience and solidarity among developing countries, particularly in areas in which the ILO could complement bilateral cooperation among them and their constituents.

The following thematic areas have been selected in 36 African countries for 2009: Microfinance, Social protection, Migration, Youth employment, Women’s entrepreneurship, Labour Market Information Systems, Employment-intensive programmes and the elimination of child labour.

The RBSA represents an additional opportunity for the current donors of the ILO’s technical cooperation programme and it reflects the Governing Body’s guidance and priorities in the strategic use of the resources and reinforce its governance and oversight. The priorities clearly correspond to the constituents’ needs (broader technical and geographical coverage of results-based DWCPs, participation of the ILO and its constituents in United Nations reform processes, strengthening ILO’s tripartite constituents so that they can participate as strong partners in debate and decision-making on labour, economic and social policies, poverty reduction strategies and national development plans and priorities).

The RBSA funding in particular increase Decent Work Country Programme budgets in countries where the ILO has no ongoing representation and where current resources are therefore relatively low e.g. in Africa. Funds have now been allocated to the various field offices and the Regional Office for Africa. Allocations for country programmes include specific support to results-based management, reporting, oversight and evaluation.