March 9, 2023 (ADDIS ABABA - ILO NEWS): IGAD Member States endorsed Program for Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration at the 2nd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migrations held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week.

The Second Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded last week in Addis Ababa with the release of a unanimously endorsed Communiqué.

The one-day ministerial level meeting was preceded by a three-day gathering during which Experts from the Ministries of Labour and Employment and officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministries of IGAD Member States reviewed the progress made since the signing of the Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration in the IGAD Region in October 2021, and provided guidance on key priority areas of common concern on different pillars of the Declaration.

In her remarks at the opening of the ministerial meeting, the Minister of Labour and Skills of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Muferihat Kamil, said:
“Amidst challenges and uncertainties, member states and regional blocks such as the IGAD and partners like the ILO are also striving to address the huge challenges in employment and labour mobility and migration.

In this regard the Djibouti Declaration interestingly contains robust and comprehensive pillars, of course, only the implementation of which will make a difference in employment and labour migration in our region”

IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu for his part said:

“I am pleased to note that IGAD in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation has recorded significant progress in realizing the ideals enshrined in the 2021 Djibouti Declaration. So far, IGAD has developed the IGAD Regional Statistics Development Strategy to guide the collection, collation & analysis of regional labour market data. The other important aspect of the Djibouti Declaration is strengthening Social Protection for workers, including labour migrants and workers in the informal economy who are highly vulnerable to abuse. I would like to announce IGAD will be supporting Member States to fully participate in the preparations and events of the proposed African Union led dialogue with the Gulf Cooperation Council on labour migration in 2023”.

ILO Country Director for the Horn of Africa, Alexio Musindo said:

"The uniqueness of the ILO is its tripartite nature, giving voice to workers and employers. "The creation of #decentjobs is also high in the agenda of the ILO. Hence, having a compressive regional framework is instrumental to ensure the protection of migrant workers and promote social justice."

Addressing participants, Sylvie Tabesse, EU Ambassador to Djibouti and the IGAD said:

“For the EU, the IGAD Ministerial Conference on labour, employment and labour migration represents a solid platform for further policy coordination. I have the pleasure and the privilege to inform you that we will continue working with IGAD secretariat, the IGAD Member States and the ILO on labour migration in the framework of free movement of persons. I am pleased because the partnership has already made progress this far, and I am also pleased because I know that the EU has experience in this sector, and I can assure you we are willing to share our lessons learned within the framework of this partnership.”

The Experts meeting provided guidance and recommendations on the Programme for Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration (PIDD), and a synopsis for the development of key regional policy instruments such as Regional Employment Policy Framework, Regional Social Protection Strategy as well as the roadmap towards the development of IGAD Regional Labour Market Information System (LMIS).

In addition, the conference also deliberated on key strategies towards improved coordination and action on key labour migration challenges of the region including fair recruitment, bilateral labour agreements and building the capacities of Labour Attachés and embassies of IGAD Member States in key countries of destination.
The Horn of Africa Confederation of Trade Unions (HACTU) and Confederation of IGAD Employers (CIE) launched their respective five-year strategic plans.

The conference is organized by IGAD with the technical support of the ILO under the framework of the project on Free Movement of Persons and Transhumance in the IGAD region financed by the European Union.

Pursuant to ILO’s tripartite nature, representatives from social partner organisations such as the Horn of Africa Confederation of Trade Unions (HACTU), the Confederation of the IGAD Employers (CIE), delegates from the African Union, European Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Private Sector Forum, and the Southern Africa Coordinating Council attended the meeting.

Background

The Ministers of Labour and Employment of IGAD Member States signed the Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration during the first Ministerial Conference on the 21st October 2021 in Djibouti City, Republic of Djibouti. Through the declaration, the Ministers of Labour and Employment agreed to:

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

The Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration is a key policy instrument to comprehensively address challenges of labour, employment, and labour migration in the Region and further overcome institutional gaps to improve coordination and action on labour, employment, and labour migration. The Djibouti Declaration provides comprehensive policy guidance to IGAD secretariat, Member States, Social Partners, and other stakeholders on the following seven pillars:

1. Labour, and Employment Policy guidance,
2. Ratification and Domestication of Internalization Labour Standards,
3. Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers,
4. Promotion of Social Dialogue,
5. promotion of extension of Social Protection for All,
6. Promotion of Gender Equity and Equality, and
7. Advancing Regional Coordination, Partnership and Financing.

The Declaration also plays pivotal role in addressing institutional gaps through the establishment of the IGAD Ministerial Committee on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration. The IGAD Ministerial Committee on Labour, Employment and Labour migration is a high-level political platform for regional policy dialogue, coordination, collaboration, and implementation and monitoring of policies and programs on matters of labour, employment, skills and labour migration in the IGAD region.