5. Active partnership: Regional activities

The ILO's Active Partnership Policy (APP), comprising the interaction between headquarters, regions, area offices and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), and the formulation and implementation of country objectives, has now been in operation for three full biennia.

In the light of six years of experience, the APP came under review by a Working Party of the Governing Body's Committee on Technical Cooperation whose conclusions and recommendations were submitted to the Governing Body in November 1998. The evaluation report confirmed that:

• active partnership is the right policy for the ILO;
• services were identified by the social partners and were relevant for the ILO's constituents;
• through the establishment of the MDTs, technical expertise was physically closer to the constituents;
• ILO visibility was enhanced.

The results of the evaluation exercise and the ILO's role in technical cooperation were discussed by the Committee on Technical Cooperation at the 87th Session (1999) of the Conference. In its conclusions, the Conference renewed its commitment to technical cooperation as one of the ILO's fundamental means of action and indicated a number of areas in which the ILO's programme needed to be strengthened. These included enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of ILO technical cooperation, improving the quality, visibility and efficiency of technical cooperation, and strengthening partnerships.

The Conference requested the Office to provide the Governing Body with an implementation plan. This plan, which was approved by the Governing Body at its 276th Session (November 1999) called for:

• an integrated and comprehensive technical cooperation programme within the common framework of the regular budget and strategic objectives;
• reforms in the management of technical cooperation and improved delivery;
• examining the current field structure and services with a view to making it more coherent and efficient;
• an enhanced tripartite involvement in technical cooperation programmes;
• a greater place for international labour standards and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in technical cooperation;
• renewed efforts in resource mobilization.

Africa

At a time when the world's economy is globalizing rapidly, and despite representing 13.5 per cent of the world's total population, Africa accounts for only 2 per cent of world trade and global industrial capacity. Years of crisis have left a legacy of unemployment, low wages and social conflict, exacerbated by the effects of structural adjustment policies. The African economy has also been coming under enormous pressure from rapid population growth and urbanization. The countries affected by conflict and by a very high rate of HIV/AIDS infection in particular are experiencing great difficulties.

Nevertheless, since the middle of 1995, the continent as a whole has registered an annual growth rate approaching 4 per cent. Over 30 African countries have achieved an economic growth rate which is above the national rate of population growth. Much effort has been made to develop the market economy, privatize public enterprises and promote the private sector, with the result that a favourable environment is gradually being created for internal and external investment. The strengthening of subregional organizations, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), is an important means of drawing on the benefits of globalization.

In this context, all the country objectives (by July 1999, 29 had been completed and/or updated) emphasize the need for ILO assistance in three main areas: (a) employment promotion and poverty alleviation; (b) the protection of workers; and (c) the promotion of democracy. This assistance is provided through the ILO's field structure, and particularly the multidisciplinary advisory teams, of which there are now six, a new team having been created in Yaoundé at the beginning of the biennium.

Ninth African Regional Meeting

The ILO's Ninth African Regional Meeting, held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, in December 1999, was attended by 198 participants from 39 countries. The delegates endorsed the contents of the reports of the Director-General, ILO activities in Africa: 1994-99 ⁽¹⁾ and Decent work and protection for all in Africa.⁽²⁾

While considering the significant advances that had been made in Africa at the political, economic and social levels over the past four years, the meeting noted that the condition of the vast majority of the continent's workforce at the close of the century was characterized by declining living standards, rising unemployment and increasing poverty. The meeting recalled the crucial social dimension of globalization as a precondition of any real and sustainable development, and requested the ILO to be even more active in its advocacy vis-à-vis the international community and to enhance synergies in order to achieve a better globalization of social progress.

The meeting provided an opportunity to consider a number of problems which included:

• employment -- unanimously considered to be the top priority in the fight against poverty;
• the realities of the informal economy;
• child labour; and
• the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Topics were analysed with a view to the development of a regional agenda oriented towards:

• the promotion and application of fundamental labour rights;
• the expansion of job creation opportunities; and
• the strengthening of social dialogue.

The delegates recalled that respect for international labour standards was a necessity, and that reducing poverty, achieving economic growth and respecting workers' fundamental rights were inextricably linked. All countries were called on to ratify the fundamental Conventions, if they had not already done so, to bring their legislation into conformity with those instruments and to implement them.

With regard to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Platform for Action for Africa, drawn up in October 1999 for tripartite representatives from some 20 African countries, and a resolution on the same subject, were adopted unanimously.

Africa's future lies with its children and the ILO campaign to combat child labour was overwhelmingly endorsed. The Director-General recalled that Africa had played an exemplary role in that campaign by ensuring that the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), will come into force in November 2000, thanks to the first two official ratifications by Seychelles and Malawi. The delegates requested the extension of the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) to the countries of Africa that have not yet been able to benefit from its assistance.
 

Priorities identified by the delegates at the Ninth African Regional Meeting Continued ILO assistance in setting up information and programming systems to assist decision-making in the areas of employment and training with a view to promoting exchanges of information and regional cooperation. Programmes to be set up to help businesses develop strategies and policies to serve as a framework for promoting employment. Human resources management to be developed through lifelong training accessible to all, closer links between the training system and enterprises and special attention to employment of young persons. Continued assistance towards crisis-affected countries and development of activities as soon as conditions permit in the interests of consolidating peace in these countries. Design and development of sustainable and viable social protection systems extending coverage to the entire population, especially to the informal sector, and providing a minimum level of cover adapted to the needs of the greatest number. Continued support to the reinforcement of the capabilities of the social partners, as tripartism and social dialogue provide an opportunity to build and consolidate social cohesion, peace and development. Concrete action to promote gender equality through appropriate provisions and programmes. Strengthening of the ILO field structures and multidisciplinary teams. Follow-up mechanism on the conclusions and recommendations of the meeting.

Social dialogue

The High-Level Tripartite Regional Symposium on Social Dialogue in Africa, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 1999, provided a far-reaching consensus on the role of social dialogue in development in the region. The symposium was attended by ministers of labour and tripartite representatives from 20 countries. It highlighted the ILO's commitment to promoting and strengthening tripartism and social dialogue in the context of its strategic objectives.

Social dialogue was confirmed as providing a useful opportunity to build and consolidate social cohesion, peace and development. It brings governments and social partners together in frank and open dialogue and allows alliances and consensus to be established during the decision-making process. Social dialogue was considered to be the key to greater transparency, responsibility and good governance.

However, the meeting also noted that dynamic and effective social dialogue required certain essential conditions, including a recognition of the principles of freedom of association and respect for strong and independent social partners. It was also essential for labour ministries to have competent staff and adequate resources.

The participants supported an even greater commitment in this area on the part of the ILO, in sharing examples of successful social dialogue and in the promotion of technical cooperation activities aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the social partners to allow their effective contribution to the social dialogue.

Employment promotion and poverty alleviation

Poverty alleviation remains the major challenge for Africa, where over 50 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Although unemployment problems are serious in many countries, a relatively small percentage of the active population is registered as unemployed. Given the prevailing extreme poverty, a large proportion of the population is engaged in survival activities, which provide very low incomes.

The overall employment situation in Africa, including the policies and strategies adopted for employment promotion, poverty reduction and participatory development, were reviewed by the Sixth Biennial Meeting of African Employment Planners, held in Abidjan in February 1999. The participants exchanged information on the implementation of the recommendations of the World Summit for Social Development, analysed the ILO's technical cooperation activities and reviewed the effectiveness of employment-generating investments.
 

Conclusions of the 1999 Biennial Meeting of African Employment Planners Participants at this meeting reaffirmed several basic principles: economic and social reforms, and particularly structural adjustment programmes, should be based on social consensus, and international commitments should be managed by tripartite structures; employment should be a key component of economic and social policy; the burden of adjustment should be shared more equally among the various groups in society, thereby facilitating the development of consensus; caution should be exercised in trade liberalization and internal restructuring and States should, to a certain extent, protect emerging dynamic and export-oriented industrial capacity, appropriate social protection systems being regarded as a prerequisite for opening up markets; and subregional and regional economic integration, which can promote investment and job creation, should be facilitated through the implementation of a legal and regulatory framework for the free movement of persons and goods, the harmonization of business laws, the development of negotiation and bargaining capacity and participation in international economic debates such as the Uruguay Round and UNCTAD. The participants also emphasized the need to ratify and implement international labour standards and the fact that employment promotion for women enhances democracy, equity and respect for human rights, and ensures sustained growth and the well-being of the population as a whole.

Jobs for Africa

As a follow-up to commitments made by Heads of State and Government at the World Summit for Social Development in March 1995, the ILO, in July 1998, launched one of its most ambitious projects for the development of targeted employment promotion strategies on the African continent. Endorsed by the 1997 Meeting of African Employment Planners and the OAU Labour and Social Affairs Commission (which met in Windhoek in April 1999), the Jobs for Africa -- Poverty Reducing Employment Strategies for Africa (JFA/PRESA) programme initially covered ten countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe). During the course of the biennium, it was extended to six others (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania).
 

Jobs for Africa -- Action in participating countries Since the Jobs for Africa programme was launched in July 1998, the following action has been taken in each of the first ten participating countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe): the establishment of national network secretariats and the appointment of national network coordinators (NNCs) for the implementation of the programme at the national level. As for the six new countries, NNCs have been recruited for Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and Egypt; the establishment of national network advocacy groups (NNAGs), composed of influential individuals, representatives of employers' and workers' organizations, NGOs and research institutions, to assess the impact on employment of the investment policies pursued in each country. NNAGs have been established in two of the six new countries (Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania); the finalization of country action programmes (CAPs); poverty-reducing employment studies have been commissioned in three of the initial ten countries (Cameroon, Nigeria and Uganda) and in two of the new countries (Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania). The studies will provide a well-publicized evaluation of public and private investment and recommend new directions to raise the level of investment and improve its impact on employment. Support was also provided for regional meetings by the Organization of African Trade Union Unity and AFRO/ICFTU to help equip workers' representatives for the critical role that they will have to play in achieving the programme's objectives. A similar approach was developed with the Pan-African Employers' Confederation (PAEC) to help promote the active involvement of employers' organizations.

The main objective of Jobs for Africa (JFA) is to develop an alternative policy framework which encourages employment-intensive growth based on investment-led macroeconomic policies specifically targeted at the poorest categories of the population. In the initial stages this involves, firstly, strengthening the capacity of national and regional institutions and networks, and secondly, assessing, designing and advocating alternative policies for poverty-reducing employment strategies. For this purpose, ten components have been identified for a coherent employment-generating programme which would lead to sustainable poverty reduction in Africa. Each participating country can identify the components required for effective action in its national situation. The components are:

• small and medium-sized enterprise development;
• cooperative employment;
• the gender dimension, enhancing women's employment;
• employment-intensive infrastructure programmes;
• informal sector urban employment programmes;
• microfinance;
• labour market information for poverty monitoring;
• training policies and systems;
• employment for peace; and
• strengthening the role of the social partners in job creation.

Jobs for Africa concentrates largely on policies and programmes at the national level. However, several activities will also be carried out at the regional and subregional levels. These include the establishment of a regional employment capacity-building network to provide support and assistance for national activities. Among other components, this network would consist of a regional training fund, SME development centre and a regional labour market information system. In April 1999, the ILO presented a progress report ⁽³⁾ on the programme to the OAU Labour and Social Affairs Commission, as well as to a number of donors. The first JFA Steering Committee Meeting was held in December 1999. This Steering Committee, composed of members from the UNDP, OAU, PEC, OATUU, UNECA, the ADB and the ILO, assessed and refined the JFA strategy and charted new directions for the JFA programme.

Strengthening labour market information

With a view to improving policy formulation in African countries, considerable emphasis continued to be placed on assisting constituents to set up and strengthen their labour market information systems. For this purpose, employment and training observatories were established in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mali and Togo and labour market information systems were strengthened in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Uganda.

Initiatives to establish a subregional network of employment and training observatories took place and included an initial meeting in Benin in 1998, a UEMOA survey and a validation workshop in Bamako. Such a network will allow improvements in data comparison, harmonization of definitions and reviews of skills transfers over the subregion.

The ILO set up a labour market information database for countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The database was structured by country, year and method of collection and covers the period from 1970 onwards. Fourteen different methods of data collection were differentiated, ranging from censuses to informal sector surveys. The database includes tables on population, employment, unemployment, wages and prices, literacy, membership of workers' organizations by economic sector, tripartism, industrial action, etc.

In East Africa, a collaborative effort involving the ILO, OECD and national statistical offices has been under way since 1997 with the aim of gathering a compendium of basic labour market statistics for all countries. These indicators were chosen on the basis of three criteria: conceptual relevance, data availability and comparability across countries and regions. The resulting set of 18 indicators, covering issues such as participation rates, employment, unemployment, inactivity rates, illiteracy, gender and poverty, has been designed to satisfy the increasing demands of the social partners for timely, accurate and accessible information on the world's labour markets.

In North Africa, the ILO assisted member States in establishing an employment and training observatory for the Mediterranean basin.

Vocational training

There was increased awareness of and interest in training by all the countries in the region as the main instrument for the implementation of employment and enterprise-promotion policies. The assistance provided focused on adapting existing training systems to the needs of clients beyond the modern sector, and therefore to the requirements of SMEs and the informal and rural sectors. With support from the ILO, 11 countries in the region formulated national vocational training policies covering the needs of both the formal and informal sectors. Institutionalized systems or regulations on vocational training are in place or being put in place in all French-speaking countries. They are being formalized in Benin, Cameroon, Mali and Senegal. In East Africa, assistance was provided to improve the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of vocational education and training systems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. These assistance activities took the form of programmes and a number of recommendations that had been endorsed by the tripartite bodies concerned.

The situation with regard to training in the region was reviewed at an African Tripartite Consultative Meeting on Human Resources Development and Training, held in Harare in May 1999. As a result of their discussions, participants at this meeting adopted the following conclusions:

• Basic education should be based on community participation, cater to local needs and be accessible to all. Local languages might be used to assist nation building.
• Basic education should also convey a positive image of enterprise and entrepreneurship.
• After basic education, a major challenge of initial training is to promote employability for wage- and self-employment, trainability and mobility in rapidly changing labour markets.
• Basic education and initial training should be supported through a firm commitment by the social partners to continuous, demand-driven, lifelong education and training.
• With regard to basic education, governments should retain responsibility for policy while forging partnerships in the area of financing.
• With regard to initial training, governments should share responsibility for policy with employers, trade unions and providers.
• In the continuous training of the employed workforce, employers, in consultation with unions, should take the lead in policy formulation and financing and play a major role in provision, while government should retain the main responsibility for policy-making and for financing training for the unemployed.
• In literacy training, governments are the lead players, in association with NGOs and various associations.
• Donor support should be complementary and aim to promote national policies and their implementation.

Employment promotion

The assistance provided by the ILO to promote employment in the region focused on the promotion of small enterprises and cooperative initiatives, as well as the implementation of labour-based investment projects. In addition to supporting the continued expansion of the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme in English-speaking African countries, the programme was introduced in eight French-speaking countries in the region (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Tunisia).

The promotion of small and micro-enterprises was supported through policy design, regulatory framework revisions, quality and productivity improvement, human resource development, partnership support and coordination of existing policies for SME development.

In South Africa, the SIYB project tested material and training programmes, adapting them to the South African environment, and translated materials into a number of local languages. The project strengthened the capacity of local organizations to support entrepreneurs through training, counselling and referral services. During the pilot period, 16 organizations participated in the trials and after only six months, a total of 75 South African organizations were on the waiting list for participation in the expanded programme.
 

Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) An impact evaluation of the SIYB programme in Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe was done at an entrepreneurial level. One of the findings of this impact evaluation was that 53 per cent of the people who went through the training programme actually started businesses which have created new jobs. Established businesses which participated in the training programme showed a job expansion rate of 0.73 per cent. Ninety-three per cent of those who participated in the impact evaluation increased their overall performance after the training. The training programmes have a large outreach to women. More than 60 per cent of the entrepreneurs and 45 per cent of the trainers trained in Africa were women.

One of the ILO's most successful approaches to alleviating poverty over the years has been the ACOPAM project in the Sahelian region, which has assisted in the development of a large number of self-managed grass-roots cooperatives, particularly in rural areas, covering such activities as grain storage, cotton marketing, natural resources management, savings and credit schemes and social services. In the Sahelian region, the project entered a consolidation phase to further institutionalize and strengthen its achievements through the development of self-managed producer associations. The programme was recently extended until mid-2000 and a project aimed at replicating the ACOPAM experience in English-speaking countries in the region is being developed.
 

The achievements of ACOPAM in Burkina Faso Over the years, the ACOPAM programme has assisted in the alleviation of poverty and the promotion of employment in rural areas in Burkina Faso in a number of ways. At the micro level, based on the consolidation of rural workers' organizations and training for farmers and producers, these include: the promotion of economic activity by women through the development of credit schemes (including, for example, one which covers 10,000 women and has accrued assets estimated at 350 million CFA francs); the introduction of environmentally friendly land management methods for 7,000 farmers in ten villages; the improvement of food security through the establishment of over 150 village cereal banks, which have been integrated into the agricultural market and the national food security strategy; the organization and structuring of the self-managed cotton market; and the establishment of village dispensaries and shops. At the meso level, the programme supports around ten cooperative associations and provides training and trainers' manuals. At the macro level, it has contributed to the development of cooperative legislation and policies which are more favourable to rural workers' organizations and the development of a national food security strategy.

Several countries were provided, through the COOPREFORM programme, with assistance in reducing legal and administrative obstacles to the development of cooperatives and creating a favourable environment for autonomous and viable cooperative enterprises. The village banks and savings cooperatives created in some 15 African countries have collected a total of around US$5 million in deposits and serve over 700,000 members. The PA-SMEC programme (see Chapter 2 for more details), implemented in partnership with the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), has also made an important contribution to developing many decentralized savings and credit associations in the emerging field of microfinance in West Africa. Considerable interest has been expressed in replicating the PA-SMEC approach, for example, by the Bank of Tanzania and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC).

The ILO's employment-intensive programme continued to promote the use of labour-based methods and techniques in infrastructure investment projects in Ethiopia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Togo and Zambia. Labour-based infrastructure works were institutionalized in Lesotho in the late 1970s through the creation of the Labour Construction Unit (LCU). The LCU is today a functioning and well-established unit within the Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Lesotho, and labour-based methods are employed country-wide by force account units as well as small-scale contractors.
 

Employment-intensive infrastructure works in Lesotho The Labour Construction Unit (LCU) of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport embarked on a contractor development programme for maintenance of gravel roads in 1993 and has to date successfully trained some 42 domestic contractors capable of carrying out routine and periodic maintenance. Work has since continued on the training of labour-based contractors in order to expand their skills and work opportunities; this includes construction and upgrading activities, often in very challenging terrain, using labour-based methods. Under various agreements the ILO has provided technical assistance to the LCU in the form of experts who develop training material and local training capacity, and has recently been providing assistance with the course for construction contractors. As the cadre of contractors grows, there is an increased demand for management capacity with the client organization. Therefore the LCU is now expanding the base by reorienting local consultants towards the design and supervision of labour-based contracts. The LCU has become the country's largest employer in rural areas. It provides equal employment opportunities for men and women and has on average 2,000 workers regularly carrying out upgrading and maintenance works throughout the country. This represents 4 per cent of formal sector jobs, and provides much needed employment opportunities in rural areas, where 45 per cent of households are headed by women who otherwise have very limited opportunities for paid employment. Covering about 20 per cent of the road network in the country, the LCU is adding another 60 km per year on average, and the effects of this on the quality of life have been clearly demonstrated in terms of improved access to social and economic services such as health care, education, agricultural extension services, etc. Following its successful implementation of the previous programme, the LCU is now getting involved in different types of rural and urban infrastructure works. Lesotho has become an interesting study tour destination and the LCU has been asked to provide training internationally.

Conflict-affected countries

During the biennium, the ILO increased its assistance to conflict-affected countries. The technical cooperation projects are designed to cement peace and contribute to the social and economic integration of demobilized ex-combatants. These projects combined elements covering vocational training, micro-enterprise development and labour-intensive works. They were implemented during the biennium in Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Sudan and Uganda.
 

Reintegration of war-affected persons in Angola Since September 1996, the ILO has been assisting with the reintegration of demobilized soldiers and other war-affected groups in Angola. Despite the chaotic environment, the organization of vocational and business training (based on SIYB) and the distribution of tool kits and activities to promote the creation of micro-enterprises resulted in: some 80 per cent of the 7,000 beneficiaries finding or creating a job; and the creation of over 2,000 micro-enterprises in the country. Experience of the project has shown that demobilized soldiers are a difficult target group to reach and that many other groups are severely affected by the war. In a new project which has been launched, the target population has therefore been widened to include women, disabled persons and displaced youth.

The protection of workers

The transition to market conditions in many countries in the region and the need to attract foreign investment have resulted in an increased trend towards lowering existing safety and health standards and minimum requirements regarding working conditions. To counteract this trend, the assistance provided to constituents consisted of projects carried out in several countries to strengthen their national factories inspectorates. A subregional programme on occupational safety and health was implemented in West African countries. In addition, training courses for the introduction of the Work Improvement in Small Enterprises (WISE) approach were conducted in Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Seychelles, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.

Successful projects have been implemented by promoting the ratification and implementation of standards relating to working conditions in the modern and informal sectors. Activities relating to national policies on occupational safety and health, including legislation, and strengthening of occupational structures were undertaken in a number of countries.

HIV/AIDS at the workplace

In October 1999, a Regional Tripartite Workshop on Strategies to Tackle Social and Labour Implications of HIV/AIDS was organized. A Draft Platform of Action ⁽⁴⁾ on HIV/AIDS in the context of the world of work in Africa was the major output of the meeting. The goal of the platform was to apply a "social vaccine" for prevention and protection which would include elements such as: social inclusion, income and job security, social security, solidarity and optimal use of treatment. A number of activities were recommended, including:

• adapting and applying concepts, methods and tools developed in connection with labour and social issues, for the purpose of designing research and programmes on HIV/AIDS;
• research and surveys to determine the implications of HIV/AIDS in a working environment;
• disseminating best practices with a view to their replication;
• promoting vigorous advocacy and training on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, targeting political leaders, workers' and employers' organizations and civil society; and
• integrating HIV/AIDS issues into ILO technical cooperation programmes and projects in the region.

Social protection systems

Social protection systems, throughout almost the entire region, experienced a financial crisis aggravated by the decline in the level of public works and internal dysfunction. These resulted in underfunding and limited coverage of social protection systems. In many countries, less than 10 per cent of the labour force was covered by formal social security schemes, which tended to be confined to specific categories of wage earners in the formal sector. In these circumstances, health insurance mutual funds emerged as one of the most appropriate solutions to meet the social protection needs of a growing number of workers.

The technical assistance provided to member States focused on the reform and rehabilitation of their social protection institutions, emphasized the development of economically and financially viable schemes and the extension of coverage to the rural and informal sectors, for example through cooperative structures.

Assistance was provided to several countries to restructure their existing social security schemes in accordance with international labour standards. Support to national projects took place in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Togo. In Cameroon, the collaboration took the form of a project financed by the World Bank. The assistance also included an audit of South Africa's social security funds. A subregional workshop on good governance was held in Mauritius in May 1998 for social security managers and policy-makers in East Africa and the Indian Ocean countries. Activities during the biennium also included support to trade unions' subregional meetings (ICFTU, September 1998 and ODSTA, October 1998), a meeting in Mauritius (October 1999) on management techniques for social security systems, and participation in the 13th ISSA regional conference which focused on good governance and pension reform. A review of social protection systems was also included in the country objectives for Benin, Burkina Faso and Djibouti.

Actuarial evaluations have been carried out to determine the long-term financial viability of several schemes. A wide range of support services has been provided for the conversion of provident funds to pension schemes. In addition, the ILO assisted with several major public information campaigns designed to promote the establishment of new schemes or the reform of existing ones.

Health insurance and other mutual funds

During the biennium, the STEP programme, in collaboration with ACOPAM, launched a regional programme, based in Dakar, for the promotion of health and other mutual benefit systems, particularly in West and Central Africa. Manuals and guides on mutual health schemes were published by the Turin Centre and ACOPAM to promote health protection in rural areas and the informal sector. In June 1998, the ILO organized a subregional workshop on strategies for supporting mutual health schemes in West and Central Africa, which resulted in the Platform of Abidjan ⁽⁵⁾ on the development of health insurance mutual funds.

The promotion of democracy and international labour standards

During the biennium, the commitment of African member States to the ILO's fundamental values was demonstrated by the overwhelming support given by constituents from the region to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up and by the registration of another 28 ratifications of the ILO's fundamental Conventions.
 

Ratifications of the eight fundamental Conventions by African countries During the biennium, the following African member States registered their ratifications of the ILO's fundamental Conventions: Convention No. 29: Malawi, Zimbabwe; Convention No. 87: Cape Verde, Malawi; Convention No. 98: Congo, Madagascar, Seychelles, Zimbabwe; Convention No. 100: Congo, Ethiopia, Lesotho; Convention No. 105: Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, Zimbabwe; Convention No. 111: Congo, Lesotho, Seychelles, Zimbabwe; Convention No. 138: Burkina Faso, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Republic of Tanzania; Convention No. 182: Malawi, Seychelles. Egypt, with its ratification of Convention No. 138 in June 1999, joins Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia as African member States that have ratified seven of the ILO's fundamental Conventions.

However, by the end of the biennium, only 11 of the 53 countries in the region had ratified seven of the fundamental Conventions and one-third of these countries were still not sending reports on the application of ratified Conventions or information in response to observations made by the Committee of Experts. Continued emphasis was therefore placed on training activities to promote the ratification and application of international labour standards, and assistance was provided to several countries to help them to meet their reporting obligations. In addition, standards-related components were systematically integrated into technical cooperation activities.

A regional meeting on the follow-up to the Declaration was held in Dakar in October 1999. The meeting recommended that all countries in the region should regularly report on the implementation of the Declaration. The meeting further called for a commitment from those countries that had not ratified all the fundamental Conventions to do so. The ILO was called upon to organize similar meetings at the national level in order to involve all stakeholders.

The democratization process which began during the 1980s continued through the 1990s. In many countries in the region it was accompanied by the revision of constitutions and electoral laws, the establishment or reinforcement of political parties and trade unions and the organization of elections. This process has resulted in a situation in which the citizens of an increasing number of countries enjoy basic rights of expression and association.

Two of the most significant activities carried out by the ILO during the biennium to reinforce social dialogue were developed in the context of the PRODIAF and PRODIAL programmes. These two programmes cover respectively the French-speaking West African countries and the African Portuguese-speaking countries. National tripartite meetings took place in Niger, Mali and Togo. Subregional seminars were organized in Dakar, Ouagadougou and Bata over the biennium to promote social dialogue and tripartite cooperation as ways of managing and preventing collective disputes.

A subregional tripartite seminar on the launching of the PRODIAF programme in Central Africa led to the "Bata Declaration", which expressed the will of the participants to promote social dialogue in their countries, to strengthen social dialogue structures and to align national labour legislation with the relevant provisions of the principal ILO Conventions.
 

PRODIAF The primary objective of the PRODIAF programme was to assist French-speaking African countries to strengthen their tripartite cooperation structures at the national and subregional levels, to enable governments and social partners to evaluate their social dialogue and tripartite cooperation systems and to analyse together any improvements, changes and reinforcements that may be necessary. The programme is being implemented in the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Togo. A number of activities have been carried out by the programme and the results include the following: Benin -- adoption of a new decree on the creation, powers, composition and functioning of the National Labour Council; Burkina Faso -- design of a national action plan inspired by the joint conclusions of the tripartite meeting; Burkina Faso -- declaration calling for the UEMOA to create a tripartite consultation body at commission level. Senegal -- monitoring and implementation of the joint conclusions of the subregional tripartite seminar on the strengthening of social dialogue and tripartite cooperation; One important lesson learnt during the implementation of the programme was that the political will of the countries' highest authorities to promote social dialogue and fulfil its commitments is crucial if long-lasting results are to be achieved. That political will is expressed through: strengthening the capacity of civil servants in labour ministries; consolidation and improvement of the mechanisms for tripartite consultation, collective bargaining and dispute settlement; involvement of the social partners in the formulation of economic and social policies; allocation of financial and logistic resources to tripartite cooperation structures.

Child labour

It is estimated that some 40 per cent of African children between the ages of 5 and 14, or over 80 million children, are engaged in some form of work. Africa is therefore, in numerical terms, the continent most severely affected by the problem of child labour. Only 16 of the 53 countries in the region have ratified ILO Convention No. 138. More African countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The child labour situation in Africa was examined at the African Regional Tripartite Meeting on Child Labour, held in Kampala in February 1998 and attended by representatives of 22 member States. The ILO report submitted to the meeting emphasized the extent of the problem and its very close relationship with poverty.⁽⁶⁾ The participants urged African member States to commit themselves to the total abolition of child labour and to ratify and implement Convention No. 138 and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. They also emphasized the need for preventive policy interventions including free, compulsory and universal primary education, the development of appropriate legislation and the mobilization of the community, with particular reference to the social partners.

A new ILO Convention (No. 182) on the worst forms of child labour was unanimously adopted in June 1999 by the International Labour Conference in Geneva. As a result of this, a decision was taken by the Summit of African Heads of State meeting in Algiers in July 1999, to urge OAU member States to ratify this Convention before the next OAU Assembly in 2000.

Collaboration between the countries of the region and ILO-IPEC continued to expand during the biennium. Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Mali and Uganda concluded Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with ILO-IPEC, bringing the total number of African countries to have done so to ten. In addition, preparatory activities are being carried out in collaboration with ILO-IPEC in several other countries, including Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 

Senegal -- a promising experiment in the rehabilitation of child rubbish collectors in Mbeubeuss As part of the IPEC programme in Senegal, one of the worst forms of child labour was found to exist at the public waste tip in Mbeubeuss. About 400 rubbish collectors, including 120 children below the age of 15 years, work on the site to reclaim and sell waste items. The children are exposed to considerable risks of illness or poisoning, and, in this highly hierarchical milieu, children often suffer psychological and physical ill-treatment and grow up with very low self-esteem. The NGO ENDA Graf, which has worked in this area for some ten years, suggested setting up a programme, in collaboration with ILO/IPEC, to help these children. From the beginning, the project involved the adult workers' association, the children's families and the children themselves. Preparatory awareness-raising activities were conducted with the adults, who have a certain influence on these children in this very closed environment. The strategy adopted has been, first, to remove 30 children aged below 15 years from the tip and offer them practical pre-apprenticeship training in a trade (mechanics, carpentry or sewing) with local craftsmen; this is rounded off with theoretical training in the chosen trade and courses in reading and writing. Assistance to families in obtaining replacement income has also been proposed. At present, 30 children have been removed from rubbish collection work, and their families, the adult workers and the children themselves have been mobilized to ensure the success of the project. The families are very much involved in the programme, since they are well aware of the training opportunities now available to their children and are also given assistance in their own right through income-generating activities. The families have undertaken to share in the costs of transport and meals for the children during their training. At the same time, the rubbish collectors' association will systematically discourage the children selected from frequenting the site. Finally, the experiment offers the children an opportunity to learn a trade, and they follow the training classes avidly. This IPEC programme has given back hope to the community and its children. Pressing requests for assistance to other children have been registered and will be acted on when the programme is extended in a final phase.

United Republic of Tanzania -- Trade union action to prevent domestic child labour Singida region in the United Republic of Tanzania is regarded as one of the leading catchment areas for the recruitment of domestic workers. It also happens to be one of the country's poorer regions, the majority of its population living in abject poverty. Besides supplying girls to work as domestic servants in urban centres around the country, the region has a comparatively large number of out-of-school children working in exploitative and hazardous conditions in the informal sector, including the commercial sex sector. The overall strategic activity organized by IPEC comprised community awareness-raising seminars involving 13 villages and the participation of 120 people, including government and municipal officials, parents, teachers and community leaders. A child labour committee was formed in each village to monitor and prevent the recruitment of children for domestic service. Trade union officials provided training and orientation on child labour to child labour committees in 13 villages. At the district level, three working agreements were signed between trade unions, local government authorities and employers on the prevention of child labour. At the regional level, a circular was issued to all district councils in the region, requiring district authorities to discuss the child labour situation, to formulate appropriate strategies in response to child labour problems within the framework of the District Development Plan, and to set aside resources to supplement initiatives to combat child labour in the region. A community-based mechanism to restrict the recruitment of young girls for domestic service has been put in place in 13 villages, while strong partnership and networking between the local government and trade unions to address the problem of child labour in Singida region has emerged. It is estimated that the recruitment of child domestic workers in the 13 villages covered by the action programme implemented by IPEC was reduced by 65-70 per cent over a five-month period. The experience indicates that trade unions can undertake effective action on child labour at the community level through close networking and collaboration with local government and community leaders and by assisting these to define child labour problems and identify practical measures to prevent child labour. Such district and community-based interventions are inherently sustainable and can be readily replicated in other geographical areas.

During the biennium, ILO-IPEC initiated four subregional programmes, which will become operational in the year 2000. These cover the following:

• children working in hazardous operations in commercial agriculture in six countries of eastern and southern Africa, based on the successful experiences in commercial farms and plantations in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania;
• commercial sexual exploitation of children in eastern Africa;
• child trafficking for exploitative labour, including domestic service, plantation work, prostitution and other child slavery practices, in nine countries in West and Central Africa, based on an assessment of the scope and current trends of the trafficking of children; and
• action against child labour through education and training in the participating French-speaking countries, based on the experiences of the same programme in English-speaking countries.

In addition to the subregional programme on child trafficking, another joint initiative of ILO-IPEC, UNICEF and the Government of Gabon was launched officially in November 1999. Several activities were implemented with the objective of developing strategies, drafting and adopting a platform for action and following up on actions since the previous workshop on child trafficking in Cotonou which took place in July 1998.

The Americas

During the biennium 1998-99 the countries in the region faced a very volatile international situation at both the financial and the commercial level. They had to make adjustments to cope with the repercussions of the Asian and Russian financial crises, the difficult economic situation in Brazil and the devastating effects of El Niño and Hurricanes Georges and Mitch. Even so, despite the slowdown in economic growth in the region during the biennium, it was not as badly affected as had been feared by the spin-off from the Asian financial crisis.

However, the unemployment rate in Latin American and Caribbean countries rose steadily and job insecurity increased. Growth in the modern, organized sector of the economy was stagnant, and some 85 per cent of all new jobs were created in the informal sector, in micro-enterprises, farming and small-scale services, where wages, productivity and levels of social protection are generally very low.

Fourteenth American Regional Meeting

The social and labour situation in the region was examined by the constituents at the Fourteenth American Regional Meeting, held in Lima in August 1999. The delegates, who included most of the ministers of labour and senior representatives of employers' and workers' organizations, agreed that "obtaining decent work is one of the most pressing priorities for the people of the Americas". They recognized that economic growth is a necessary but insufficient condition to generate decent work, which in addition requires economic policies which "promote productivity growth and guarantee the necessary macroeconomic stability to stimulate savings and investment".

Defining decent work as one of the core objectives of regional integration processes, the delegates requested the ILO to join in the work of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour, and to participate with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in developing and applying mechanisms to incorporate the social and labour dimension into the integration processes. They emphasized the importance of an authentic and broad tripartite social dialogue in the promotion of quality jobs. For this purpose they requested the ILO to assist in national and regional initiatives and in the linkage of economic programmes and social policies, particularly through the establishment of constructive relationships with international financial institutions and economic organizations.

In the meeting's conclusions,⁽⁷⁾ the delegates also emphasized their commitment to the elimination of child labour, the earliest possible ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), and the implementation of programmes to achieve the objective of the Convention.
 

Priorities identified by delegates at the Fourteenth American Regional Meeting The areas of priority action identified include: creating and strengthening suitable educational and training systems to enable workers to be integrated into the labour market and meet the new challenges of a globalized economy; promoting a climate of harmonious labour relations through collective bargaining; developing job-related policies and programmes focusing on the most vulnerable social groups, particularly the young, women, the disabled and the unemployed; encouraging the absorption of informal activities into the formal sector; protecting workers against occupational risks; increasing the efficiency and expanding the coverage of social security systems, including the design of new security mechanisms for the unemployed; and improving the capacity of ILO member States to respond quickly to crisis and emergency situations.

Promoting international labour standards and social dialogue

Emphasis continued to be placed on assisting member States to ratify and improve the application of the ILO's fundamental Conventions. The activities undertaken included studies on the harmonization and compatibility of national Chilean legislation with Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, as well as a number of other activities to promote the ratification and implementation of Conventions Nos. 87, 98, 105 and 138. Discussions were also launched with the new Government in El Salvador to explore the possibility of ratifying Conventions Nos. 87, 98 and 100.

A total of 12 new ratifications of the fundamental Conventions by countries in the region were registered during the biennium. As a result 12 countries in the Americas have now ratified seven of the fundamental Conventions, while another 12 have ratified six of them.
 

New ratifications of the ILO's eight fundamental Conventions During the biennium, the following countries ratified the ILO's fundamental Conventions: Belize: Conventions Nos. 100 and 111; Chile: Conventions Nos. 87, 98, 105 and 138; Dominican Republic: Convention No. 138; Guyana: Convention No. 138; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Conventions Nos. 29, 98 and 105; and United States: Convention No. 182.

Significant progress was also made in the ratification and application of other international labour standards, with 38 ratifications of other Conventions, including a high number of ratifications by both Belize and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The ratifications included that of the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), by Colombia and the Dominican Republic, the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147), by Trinidad and Tobago, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), by Belize, and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), by Ecuador.
 

Indigenous rights in Ecuador Crucial steps were taken during the biennium in Ecuador, where 45 per cent of the population is made up of indigenous peoples, for the recognition of indigenous rights. With ILO support to the President of the Constituent Assembly, the representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous groups and the President of Congress, Ecuador became the ninth Latin American State to ratify the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169). It also adopted a new Constitution incorporating the fundamental concepts of the Convention and recognizing the following rights: the multicultural and multi-ethnic character of the State; the respect and development of all Ecuadorian languages and the official use of Quechua, Shuar and other ancestral languages by indigenous peoples; the promotion of intercultural harmony and of the principles of equity and equality of cultures; the obligation of the State to guarantee intercultural bilingual education.

Activities to improve the application of ratified Conventions included training for employers' organizations in Central America on the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), and the Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161). Several technical cooperation projects, especially those in support of workers' and employers' organizations and labour ministries, included important components on international labour standards. An innovative approach adopted in Central America and some countries of the Andean region was the organization of workshops for members of the judiciary and human rights lawyers to examine and explain the role of the standards in the framework of national law.

Substantial progress was made during the biennium in the organization in several countries of workers committees to review and comment on the country reports to the ILO's supervisory bodies. In the Dominican Republic the activities undertaken to strengthen the social partners led to the adoption of executive decrees improving the status of labour inspectors by incorporating them into the administrative career structure, thereby giving effect to an important provision in the recently ratified Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150).

A tripartite seminar on the ILO's maritime labour standards, attended by delegates from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, enabled Argentina and Chile in particular to progress towards ratification of the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147). The Ministry of Labour of Argentina also convened a working group to discuss ratification of Convention No. 147. It was envisaged to include ILO standards within the Operative Network for Regional Cooperation among Maritime Authorities of South America, Cuba, Mexico and Panama (ROCRAM).

Strengthening social dialogue

Building upon the achievements of previous biennia the promotion of social dialogue continued to be a major priority throughout the region. However, progress was slowed in many cases by political instability, financial crises and natural disasters. Further efforts were made to strengthen the tripartite partners so that they can participate more fully in social dialogue, as well as to resuscitate the process when it ran into difficulties.

In the Andean subregion a programme was carried out to improve workers' collective bargaining skills. Studies ⁽⁸⁾ analysing national strengths and weaknesses were discussed and disseminated in national seminars. This process confirmed the need for collective bargaining to be strengthened and helped the planning of ILO medium-term action. Research was also carried out on collective bargaining, social dialogue and participation in vocational training in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay through national studies ⁽⁹⁾ focusing on collective agreements dealing with training, by sector or by enterprise. Tripartite training in collective bargaining in Argentina gave participants in joint committees in various sectors improved techniques, instruments and concepts to help them interact more effectively.
 

Progress in social dialogue in Latin America Despite the unstable economic context and a series of environmental difficulties and disasters, progress was made in strengthening social dialogue in several countries in the region. These include: Bolivia, where social dialogue was established for the first time between the Central Workers' Organization, the Confederation of Private Sector Employers and the Government, culminating in the signature of a national agreement on social dialogue and preparatory work for the modernization of the labour legislation; Colombia, where following the interruption of the process of social dialogue a Tripartite Labour Coordination Committee was established and social dialogue was considerably strengthened as a result of the organization by business leaders of two major seminars in Medellin and Cali, attended by labour lawyers, trade union leaders and officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Costa Rica, where the Consensus Forum, established by the Government at the beginning of its mandate in 1998, drafted new legislation on unemployment and pensions; Ecuador, where following its temporary cessation tripartite social dialogue was relaunched and focused on reform in the fields of vocational training, active employment policies and programmes, social security and productivity; Paraguay, where the Council for Social Dialogue, which includes representatives of employers' and workers' organizations, was established; Venezuela, where the newly established Tripartite Committee for Social Dialogue agreed on reforms of the labour legislation, the social security system and, more recently, the adjustment of the minimum wage, despite losing much of its influence in 1999.

A workshop on mediation for officials of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Uruguay contributed to the training of mediators in the settlement of collective disputes. The mediators then trained other officials. A database of Uruguay's collective agreements was also issued as a CD-ROM ⁽¹⁰⁾ and was presented at a subregional seminar held in Buenos Aires in September 1999.

The social dimension of regional integration processes

As regional and subregional integration processes gather pace, the ILO has become more active in strengthening the involvement of the social partners and ensuring that these processes include the social dimension.

After the first phase of the economic stabilization process and structural adjustment, the regional and subregional integration issue together with the advantageous insertion of the Latin American and Caribbean countries in the globalization process is a fundamental issue in the public agenda of the continent.

The Regional Office participated actively in a number of permanent committees and commissions of the Organization of American States -- particularly in the field of economic integration and its effects on employment and labour integration. As a result of these activities ILO issues were discussed both at the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the countries of the Americas (Santiago de Chile, April 1998) and at the XIth Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (Viña del Mar, October 1998). Final declarations were signed by the participants at the end of both events, recognizing the ILO's mandate and committing their governments to providing greater support for the promotion of core labour standards.

In a self-administered survey of the participants in the Fourteenth American Regional Meeting (Lima, August 1999), 76 per cent of the responses agreed that the countries need the ILO's support in regional and interregional negotiations. As to the reasons given, 35 per cent said that the ILO assists in strengthening the dialogue and consensus among countries and social partners, 32 per cent that the ILO disseminates experiences and provides technical support, and 19 per cent that the ILO's presence is the workers' safeguard.

Subregional integration in MERCOSUR

In the context of MERCOSUR, the assistance provided during the biennium consisted largely in supporting Labour Sub-Group 10 in the development of a social space and the preparation of the Social and Labour Declaration that was signed by the presidents of the MERCOSUR countries in December 1998. A Social and Labour Commission was also established as the mechanism for applying and promoting labour rights within the framework of the subregional integration process.
 

The MERCOSUR Social and Labour Declaration Although non-binding, the Social and Labour Declaration signed by the presidents of the MERCOSUR countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -- in December 1998 is a very significant statement of principle. The principles which it espouses include:  recognition that MERCOSUR countries support the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up; an affirmation that the integration process involves social issues and cannot be confined to economic and commercial matters; an endorsement of the importance of a minimum level of workers' rights corresponding to the ILO's fundamental Conventions, with particular reference to the promotion of equality and non-discrimination, the protection of migrant workers, the abolition of forced labour and child labour, collective rights, social dialogue, collective bargaining, the protection of unemployed workers, vocational training, human resources development, occupational safety and health, social security and labour inspection. The adoption of the Social and Labour Declaration has been accompanied by the development of a technical assistance project designed to assist Labour Subgroup 10 and strengthen the labour institutions of MERCOSUR, particularly in the fields of labour inspection, vocational training and skills certification, labour market information and migrant workers.

Promoting employment and combating poverty

Subregional integration in the Caribbean

One of the main objectives of the ILO's policy advisory activities in the Caribbean subregion during the biennium was to work towards a common position on labour issues in the context of multilateral trade agreements. Several papers and studies were therefore prepared for the ILO Caribbean Subregional Symposium on Labour Issues in the Context of Economic Integration and Free Trade, which was held in Port-of-Spain in January 1999.⁽¹¹⁾

The purpose of the symposium was to clarify how labour policy can facilitate the transition from protected to open economies and to examine the likely impact of globalization and economic integration on Caribbean labour markets. It was seen that, in the context of economic integration and free trade, it is necessary to adjust to the inevitableness of globalization. In particular, since global economic integration will involve the small Caribbean States, they must be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities it provides while cushioning the negative consequences for their economies. It is imperative for CARICOM countries to pool their resources in order to maintain some degree of competitiveness.

The participants identified several areas of priority action, including:

• training and retraining of workers to achieve functional adaptability;
• cushioning the unfavourable effects of downsizing;
• ensuring that workers' rights are respected (as embodied in the ILO Declaration);
• the proper development of labour ministries to meet the impending challenges.

A publication has been issued containing the contributions to the symposium, a summary of the discussions and the proposed agenda for the future. As a follow-up to the symposium a study tour was organized to Lima and Santiago to inform employers' and workers' representatives from the Caribbean on the labour issues affecting Latin America. On a related subject, a study was published on the crisis in the banana-growing sector in the subregion.⁽¹²⁾

Cooperation agreement with the Andean Community

The Andean Community encompasses all the organs and institutions of the Andean Integration System, whose basic objectives are to:

• promote the economic and social cooperation and integration of its members;
• speed up economic growth and job creation in the Andean countries;
• strengthen solidarity and equality in terms of development in the subregion;
• promote regional integration;
• define social policies geared to improving the quality of life;
• improve access of the various social groups to the benefits of development.

During the Fourteenth American Regional Meeting of the ILO held in Lima in August 1999, the ministers of labour of the Andean Community adopted a final statement stressing the importance of having closer links with the ILO to study and discuss central issues, including:

• occupational safety and health;
• social security;
• vocational training and labour skills;
• labour migration;
• employment generation.

In this framework an agreement between the secretariat of the Andean Community and the ILO Regional Office for the Americas in Lima was ready to be signed at the end of 1999. Its main objective is to give specific form to cooperation between the two organizations, to support the countries in their efforts to achieve better social cohesion and to incorporate social and labour concerns in the process of social integration in the Andean Community.

Central America

One of the ILO's major contributions to promoting employment and combating poverty in Central America was its response to the emergency situation in the countries suffering the effects of Hurricane Mitch, which devastated large tracts of Central America in October-November 1998 and left over 11,000 dead and hundreds of thousands without homes or means of livelihood. While Honduras and Nicaragua were the worst affected, the hurricane also caused extensive damage in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala.

After the completion of the humanitarian and relief phase, the ILO assisted in the urgent reconstruction activities. It was also responsible for coordinating the regional proposal from the United Nations system as a whole to donors at the Stockholm Consultative Group Meeting for the Reconstruction and Transformation of Central America at the end of May 1999.
 

Reconstruction in the wake of Hurricane Mitch In the projects designed by the ILO in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, emphasis was placed on the construction of retaining walls along river banks to protect the population against future flood disasters and to recuperate farm land. Studies were made of the design of retaining walls for over ten rivers. The following activities were launched: six projects in Nicaragua with 760 direct and 400 indirect beneficiaries, and two micro-projects for the construction of retaining walls, employing 300 workers and indirectly benefiting 25,000 people; a reconstruction programme in the municipality of San Juancito (30 km north of Tegucigalpa), generating 160 jobs (60 per cent of them for women), which has received praise from the Government, UNDP and donors and is being replicated in other regions of Honduras and Nicaragua; an employment and training programme in Honduras for some 1,000 women who were made redundant when the banana industry was decimated. The programme emphasized micro-enterprise creation, produced targeted training packages in alternate income-generating skills and facilitated access to start-up credit where necessary.

The ILO's response to Hurricane Mitch emphasized the maximization of local employment opportunities, particularly for women. It focused on two levels:

• the national level, by assisting in the development of investment plans for construction and reconstruction, with particular emphasis on labour-intensive infrastructure projects;
• local government, through its support to municipal authorities to help them prepare, manage and implement pilot projects and develop medium-term programmes for the labour-intensive reconstruction of infrastructure and the creation of productive employment, particularly through the development of small and micro-enterprises.

Labour-intensive public works projects were carried out in four municipalities and ILO-designed programmes in another 36. Four projects were already completed during 1999.

Employment

In more general terms, policy advice continued to be provided on employment policy issues and an employment policy review was carried out for Chile. The first in a series of country studies was published on Chile by the ILO Task Force on the Country Studies on the Social Dimensions of Globalization in 1998.⁽¹³⁾ Chile is a remarkable example of integration into the world economy and has been praised by the WTO as one of the world's most liberal trade regimes. Social progress, however, has been uneven, with an unequal distribution by international standards and very unequal opportunities for its population. Several factors, more or less directly related to the globalization process, accounted for these labour and social problems.

The question was raised whether measures should be taken to address these problems while maintaining the dynamism of Chile's economy -- i.e. whether high growth rates could be expected to bring about more equal income distribution as more stable jobs were created, or whether low productivity would result in the Chilean economy continuing to specialize in sectors characterized by unstable jobs and thus accentuate income inequality.

Further discussions are due to take place on ways in which the ILO could assist Chile in assessing its vulnerability to exogenous shocks, and in particular the impact of such external developments on the Chilean labour market and policy responses.
 

Study on the social dimensions of globalization in Chile * With a view to maintaining Chile's economy on a sound macroeconomic path, while avoiding the trap of low productivity and unstable jobs, this study explored several policy avenues, not just in the area of education but also regarding: social protection: unequal income distribution and the lack of social protection in the event of unemployment means that Chile was not sufficiently prepared for a possible economic downturn; labour market regulations and institutions and social dialogue at the national level: given the limited role of collective bargaining, the individual contract is the prevailing form of employment relationship, entailing the risk of an insufficient degree of protection and a lack of information for unskilled workers; the way these issues are addressed will have a strong bearing on the economic development prospects of the country; vocational training: access to vocational training varies greatly according to the category of employment, and the fact that decisions on training programmes are taken by the employers can result in an inefficient allocation of resources for vocational training; this is especially important in a medium- to long-term perspective as lack of training reduces career prospects. Some of these measures have a budgetary cost, involving difficult trade-offs between short-term objectives such as maintaining a constant tax rate and long-term objectives such as a socially sustainable participation in a globalizing economy. * Studies on the social dimensions of globalization: Chile, 1998.

Labour market information

In view of the need for reliable and comparable labour market information as a basis for policymaking, the ILO continued compiling the annual statistical analysis, the Labour Overview ,⁽¹⁴⁾ which has become a well-respected source of information for ILO constituents on trends in the labour market situation in the region. In August 1999 an advance edition was published, prior to the Fourteenth American Regional Meeting, containing information on the economic and labour situation in Latin America for the first half of 1999.

The growing impact of the Labour Overview is reflected by its increased exposure in the national and regional press in the region. When the fifth edition was published in 1998, over 104 articles were published on it in the region and even in Europe. The demand for the hard-copy version of the Overview almost doubled in comparison with the previous biennium.

Assistance was also provided at the national and subregional levels to improve the scope and effectiveness of labour market information systems.

Vocational training

In view of the great importance attached to improving the skills of the workforce in an era marked by uncertainty and change in the labour market, considerable emphasis was placed on assisting member States improve their vocational training systems and adapt them to rapidly changing needs. Over recent years the ILO has been particularly influential in the development of competency-based training in the region.

Until recently there had been little or no training or certification of vocational skills or labour competencies in the various trades in the region. There was therefore no training or career structure outside the strictly academic path followed by a small minority of students. Even three years ago few vocational training institutions or employers' or workers' organizations advocated competency-based training and certification. In collaboration with the Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR), therefore, the ILO has placed considerable emphasis on disseminating experience of competency-based skills training from Australia, Mexico, North America and Europe. As a result institutions throughout the region have taken important steps towards its introduction.
 

The introduction of competency-based skills training Vocational training institutions have taken important steps for the introduction of competency-based training in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, where competency-based projects are being carried out in several sectors; Brazil, where a network of competency certification has been developed; Colombia, where a start has been made in setting up a competency-based training system and broad-based tripartite dialogue on an experimental basis in 18 occupational sectors; Costa Rica, where competency standards in the hotel and tourism sector have been identified and introduced; Ecuador, where a model training system based on competencies has been introduced; Guatemala, where a competency-based approach is being incorporated into training programmes; Uruguay, where a system of training and competency certification is being designed and a pilot application is being developed in a local enterprise for the standardization of qualifications; Venezuela, where work has started on the development of a national training system using the competency model. In addition, several employers' organizations in the region have started pilot programmes for competency-based training to improve human resources management. Several workers' organizations have also requested training and information on the competency-based approach to vocational training.

The protection of workers

The importance placed by constituents in the region on the protection of the workforce was demonstrated by the interest shown in the XVth World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health, held in São Paulo, Brazil in April 1999. The Congress served to draw attention to the ILO's occupational safety and health statistics, which revealed the real magnitude of workplace accidents and diseases (see Chapter 3 for more details).

To assist in preparing workers for social security reforms and to sensitize them to the various implementation alternatives available and to international labour standards, a Latin American Regional Round Table for Workers' Representatives on Pension Schemes Reforms was held in Mexico City, Mexico in September 1998. Previously, three preparatory subregional meetings were held -- in Santiago de Chile for the MERCOSUR countries, in Lima for the Andean subregion, and in Mexico for the Central American countries, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. As a result, workers' organizations presented important proposals on raised protection levels and security coverage for the reform and development of the various countries' pension schemes.

Under the STEP programme the ILO strengthened its collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Inter-American Social Security Conference (IASSC), in order to enhance coverage of health care schemes in the region. A Memorandum of Understanding between the ILO and PAHO was accordingly signed in August 1999, establishing a framework for cooperation to develop and implement joint activities to promote equitable access to quality health care in Latin America and the Caribbean. The long-term objectives of this cooperation are:

• to enable member States of the ILO and PAHO in Latin America and the Caribbean to extend coverage of health care systems and to develop policies for extending social protection for health care, particularly in the informal sector in both urban and rural areas and among unprotected groups;
• to involve all the major stakeholders in the process of policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in order to gain public support for health policy reform in the region.

One of the first activities undertaken after the signature of this Memorandum of Understanding was the organization of an ILO/PAHO Latin American and Caribbean regional tripartite meeting on the extension of health care to excluded groups, which took place in Mexico City from 29 November to 1 December 1999. The tripartite meeting:

• reached a consensus on the implementation of alternative mechanisms for extending health care protection to the excluded populations, taking into account the criteria of solidarity, complementarity, comprehensiveness, efficiency and technical and financial sustainability;
• defined lines of action for the extension of health protection to the excluded groups in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• proposed guidelines for an action plan to identify technical and financial resources for this initiative at the national and international level.

The meeting also:

• reviewed the situation in member countries and the reasons for exclusion from health care protection;
• made comparative analyses of policies for the extension of health care protection;
• reviewed successful experiences in this field at the national and local level;
• proposed alternative mechanisms to the member countries for their inclusion in programmes to extend health care protection.

In view of the progress achieved, it is planned to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with PAHO on occupational safety and health issues. A manual ⁽¹⁵⁾ was published for employers, workers and social security organizations which describes various approaches to occupational safety and health and provides information on their objectives, financing and administration.

Another focus of the ILO's work on occupational safety and health during the biennium was the construction sector. An ILO programme covering Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, estimated that in this sector, which accounts for some 6 per cent of GNP, there are approximately 220,000 work-related accidents a year, of which 7,000 give rise to permanent incapacity and 700 are fatal. The annual cost of these accidents to the construction companies is around US$450 million.
 

Safety and health in the construction industry in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela Following the holding of a series of workshops on the organization of safety and health on building sites in collaboration with associations of employers in the construction industry, and the publication of articles on the subject in the journals of the associations: the associations of employers in the construction industry became more involved in the promotion of safety and health in building works (for example, the association in Peru created a security and productivity committee); measures were taken by several governments (for example specific occupational safety and health regulations for construction and public works were adopted in Ecuador in 1998, and similar regulations were announced in Peru); work commenced on the design of national action programmes for the promotion of safety and health in the construction industry.

Child labour

During the biennium ILO-IPEC continued to develop its activities in the region at both the national and the regional level. Two more Memoranda of Understanding plus a letter of intent (with Uruguay) were signed and nearly 50 action programmes were commenced during the biennium. The beneficiaries of the programmes included 5,000 direct beneficiaries, 2,500 families and 50,000 indirect beneficiaries. National studies were undertaken to obtain information on the quantity and characteristics of child labour.⁽¹⁶⁾

Arab States

The average growth in GDP for countries in the region (excluding Iraq) was estimated at 2.1 per cent in 1998, which was below the rate of population growth in the region. An even lower rate of GDP growth was foreseen for 1999. There were significant differences in economic growth between the oil-producing countries, whose economies were closely linked to fluctuating oil revenues, and countries with more diversified domestic incomes. The decline in oil revenues, combined with the social impact of various structural adjustment measures, resulted in an aggravation of the unemployment and underemployment situation in most countries of the region. Low-income countries in particular continued to face widespread poverty, limited social protection and poor working conditions.

Social conflicts were relatively scarce and moderate during the biennium. The peace process and regional cooperation gave signs of taking on a new lease of life. Some progress was witnessed in the fields of democracy and tripartism, human rights, trade union rights and gender questions. In this context the action taken during the biennium by the ILO Regional Office and the MDT in Beirut in collaboration with constituents in the region focused on the reinforcement of local capacity through training, information dissemination and technical information.

Poverty reduction and employment promotion

Tripartite consultation and the involvement of the social partners in the formulation of economic and social development programmes and policies was an essential component of the strategy recommended by the ILO to promote employment and combat unemployment. A series of seminars and national and regional workshops was organized in the region with the aim of promoting new employment strategies. Translation of key ILO documentation on employment strategy, in particular the World Employment Report,⁽¹⁷⁾ and the modular package on gender, poverty and training, supported this work.

In September 1999 a tripartite regional consultation was launched in Beirut in the context of the follow-up of the World Summit for Social Development.⁽¹⁸⁾ This consultation provided a regional and tripartite perspective on priority action at the national and regional level in the area of employment promotion policies and poverty eradication, labour market policies and institutions, enterprise development and skills, human resources development and gender and employment. The issue of globalization and its impact on job creation, technologies, skills and productivity were also discussed. The consultation brought together for the first time representatives from governments and employers' and workers' organizations of Arab countries in Western Asia. The conclusions reached through this tripartite consultation provided a platform for follow-up action by social partners, and for the ILO's future assistance programme in the region.

At the national level efforts were made to enhance the institutional capacity of constituents to develop and implement employment strategies, training and small and medium enterprise development policies and programmes. In Bahrain and in Yemen technical cooperation was carried out in order to enhance the knowledge and skills of the staff of ministries of labour in monitoring labour market developments. In Lebanon a strategy for employment promotion and sustainable economic growth was initiated in order to assist the National Employment Office in conducting the second manpower survey and revising the national strategy on employment and economic growth.⁽¹⁹⁾ Technical advisory services were carried out in order to establish a global and operational framework for labour market information systems covering the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The issue of women's employment remained a major challenge in the Arab States. Gender issues needed to be addressed through policy decision-making processes and social consultation mechanisms at the same time as through the traditional awareness-raising activities.

Advice was provided in Yemen in order to establish a directorate of working women in the Ministry of Labour and thus mainstream gender and women's employment issues within the Ministry. Workshops and training seminars, including advisory services, were also provided to workers' and employers' organizations in the region on practical measures to enhance women workers' access to labour markets.

In 1999 an ILO regional study ⁽²⁰⁾ was conducted which reviewed and appraised progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the region in the area of gender equality at work. The review concluded that the availability of gendersensitive data has greatly improved and that there was an increased awareness with regard to gender issues. However, there was not yet a clear indication of this in national priority policy programmes or statements. The study also pointed out the weak representation of women in employers' and workers' organizations in almost all countries in the region.
 

Promotion of women's employment in Yemen -- Strengthening institutional capacity After the 1997 International Labour Conference, the Ministry of Labour of Yemen established the Directorate of Working Women. The basic challenge was to create a permanent structure as an integral part of the Ministry in charge of mainstreaming gender issues within the Ministry. In 1998 ILO technical assistance was requested in formulating the organizational structure of the Directorate. A draft of the general functions and organizational structure of the Directorate was jointly developed by the Ministry, a representative from the National Commission for Women and the ILO. A technical cooperation programme focusing on the capacity building of the Directorate was designed. Further follow-up advisory services are currently planned to enhance the coordination and effectiveness of women workers' programmes in Yemen through the Directorate.

Human resources development

One of the major obstacles to the effectiveness of employment promotion and poverty alleviation programmes in most countries of the region remains the lack of a sound human resource plan and the failure of skills training programmes to adjust to labour market trends. Policy advice and technical guidelines were provided to training institutions and ministries of labour in the region, as well as to employers' and workers' organizations. The increased involvement of employers', workers' and non-governmental organizations in the promotion of vocational training programmes, especially in the context of globalization, was one of the priority follow-up activities recommended at a regional seminar organized in Kuwait in October 1998. A number of training activities at the national level are envisaged to follow up this regional seminar.⁽²¹⁾

A national tripartite workshop conducted in Yemen addressed the issue of the employability of new graduates and the difficulties they face in the labour market, which is a serious concern among the constituents in the Arab States region. Policy-makers, employment planners and representatives from workers' and employers' organizations were provided with the necessary technical information and guidelines on different best practices and approaches to establish closer links between the skills profile of graduates and labour market requirements.
 

Palestinian employment programme: A medium-term strategy This programme was designed to strengthen the integrated work of various services in the Labour Department related to employment, including employment services, employment policies and labour market information systems. The territories under the Palestinian Authority have been assisted in: designing medium-term strategies for employment promotion; elaborating a labour market information system; and establishing a model for employment services. The project trained 105 employment officials in the districts of Ramallah, Gaza, Nablus and Hebron and organized two workshops in cooperation with the Directorate of Employment of the Ministry of Labour in both the West Bank and Gaza. The training workshops focused on ways and means of strengthening employment services and labour market monitoring. In addition, a guide for public employment services was prepared to familiarize officials with the organizational structure and work of employment offices and with labour forms, classification, placement and data-coding.

Employment promotion through small enterprise development

In most countries of the region SMEs account for nearly 90 per cent of industrial and trade enterprises. However, the quality of jobs and productivity are low, and there is a growing need to enhance management skills and create a more favourable environment for enterprise development. In response to the increasing interest in small enterprise development for employment generation, the ILO fielded several needs assessment missions and formulated project proposals for Jordan, Yemen and the West Bank and Gaza.

In Jordan a project to support business training for micro- and small enterprises was launched. The project is designed to develop the capacity of the private commercial and non-profit sectors to deliver practical business training and follow-up counselling to existing micro- and small enterprises. Training programmes will be developed for two main target groups:

• micro-entrepreneurs wishing to improve their business performance; and
• micro- and small enterprise owners, who intend to achieve their growth potential.  

The project activities will contribute to securing better employment in the enterprises and increasing incomes.

Two further technical assistance projects for the promotion of small and medium enterprises were implemented in the West Bank and Gaza.

• The training of small contractors project provided technical advisory services and training based on "Improve Your Construction Business" to small private contractors, with a view to enhancing their technical and managerial capacities.
• A project on the creation of small enterprises development units (SEDUs) assisted four selected chambers of commerce on a pilot basis. Through training and advisory services, the ILO contributed to establishing SEDUs capable of providing a range of highly practical skills and needs-based services to artisans and small enterprises located in their respective areas, including:
  • consultancy services aimed at helping small businesses overcome a range of common practical problems related to business planning, marketing, productivity and quality control;
  • highly practical training programmes;
  • facilitation of linkages between small businesses in the same subsector and overseas sectoral associations, and between local and overseas enterprises;
  • referral services to help small businesses identify other support schemes;
  • information services;
  • facilitation of credit access.

Rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities

Technical cooperation projects were implemented in Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic, the West Bank, Gaza and in the Gulf.

In the Syrian Arab Republic, the project promoted the community-based rehabilitation of disabled persons and made significant progress in achieving its objectives. One hundred and thirteen loans were provided to disabled persons to assist them in establishing income-generating activities. The repayment rate reached 98 per cent following the successful performance of these activities. The project also conducted five training courses for knowledge and skills enhancement for project staff and community workers. Training covered "Start Your Business", vocational rehabilitation and the promotion of handicrafts. Six vocational training units were established in three governorates with an annual training capacity for 400 people. The project, in cooperation with concerned NGOs and the Government, played a critical role in establishing a special fund for employment promotion for disabled persons. Furthermore, a directory, produced by the project, of all institutions related to disability in the Syrian Arab Republic was expected to contribute significantly to the assistance and support to be provided to disabled persons.

Labour administration

ILO efforts, in cooperation with the Regional Arab Programme for Labour Administration (RAPLA), were directed to better equipping labour administration systems in the region to respond to the need expressed by the social partners for increased social dialogue and improved application of labour legislation and workers' protection systems. Training activities carried out at the national level included:

• Jordan -- promotion of collective bargaining;
• Kuwait and Lebanon -- strengthening labour inspection;
• Lebanon:
  • diagnosis of labour administration systems;
  • improving mechanisms for the settlement of labour disputes;
  • computerization of labour administration systems;
• Saudi Arabia -- revision of labour legislation.

Promotion of international labour standards

ILO promotional work aimed at the wider ratification of relevant core Conventions was intensified in 1998-99 in the Arab States region. Advisory services and technical meetings at both the regional and the national level were organized to explain the relevance and importance of labour standards in the development process, and in particular the significance of ILO principles and values underpinning tripartism, human rights and democracy.

With respect to international labour standards and core Conventions, a regional seminar was organized in 1999 in the Syrian Arab Republic, in order to promote understanding of the procedures related to international labour standards and to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.⁽²²⁾ Fellowships and study tours were organized by the Turin Centre and at ILO headquarters for government officials and employers' and workers' representatives.
 

Promoting labour standards in the Arab region One of the more intensive areas of activity in 1998-99 was the promotion of the ratification of international labour standards, which culminated in the organization of a Tripartite Regional Seminar on Ratification and Application of Core International Labour Conventions (Damascus, May 1999). The seminar was designed to examine the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up and to consider efficient ways of applying fundamental rights and principles, in particular the fundamental Conventions. The seminar also provided the opportunity to exchange views on possible activities to enable member States to consolidate their efforts on this subject. The seminar was successful in promoting understanding on the ILO Declaration and on international labour standards, including the core Conventions, and in identifying the ILO's role and action. The meeting concluded by agreeing on a series of concrete follow-up activities at the regional and national level particularly with respect to: strengthening ILO technical cooperation programmes designed to enhance the constituents' capacity to ratify and apply international labour standards; increasing the availability of ILO documents in Arabic concerning international labour standards; organizing regional/subregional seminars or workshops on international labour standards, in particular on core Conventions; and promoting dialogue and discussion between the ILO and constituents on the procedure for ratifying and applying international labour standards, as well as on specific cases.

Although relatively slow, progress in the ratification and application of ILO fundamental Conventions is being made steadily in the region. During the period under review Oman and Qatar ratified the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), Bahrain ratified the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), and Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates ratified the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).
 

Ratification of the eight fundamental Conventions by Arab countries During the biennium the following Arab member States registered their ratification of the ILO's fundamental Conventions: Convention No. 29: Oman, Qatar; Convention No. 87: none; Convention No. 98: none; Convention No. 100: none; Convention No. 105: Bahrain; Convention No. 111: none; Convention No. 138: Jordan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates; Convent