Promoting decent work in crisis and fragile settings in Africa

Day 1 – Setting the context

The first day focused on the theme “Decent Work, Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, and Africa’s Resilience Agenda.”

Maurizio Bussi, Director of ILO's Action Programme on Crisis, opened the session by addressing Africa’s pressing challenges, such as conflict and growing inequalities and underlined the ILO’s essential role in responding to crises. He stressed that coordinated action between humanitarian and development actors is crucial to building resilience.

Anselme Amoussou, Deputy General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, highlighted the precarious situation of women and vulnerable workers and reminded participants that “Decent work must remain a priority even in times of crisis,” referring to ILO Recommendation 207. He called for transforming the informal economy and expanding social protection as key measures for resilience.

Ms. Keita Zeinabou, Secretary-General of CNPM, emphasized the importance of an integrated approach to strengthen economies and communities against multidimensional challenges, while expressing gratitude to the ILO and partners for their commitment.

The panel discussions explored how decent work can drive peace, recovery and resilience. Federico Negro from ILO AP/CRISIS spoke about the vicious cycle of crises, rising informality and declining social protection, referencing ILO Recommendation 205. Charleine Mbuyi Lusamba from the African Development Bank presented the Bank’s 2022–2026 fragility strategy, which prioritizes institutional strengthening, resilience building and private investment. Hélène Atrafi from UNHCR shared the alarming situation in Sudan, noting that “14 million people have been displaced since April 2023,” and stressed the urgency of development actors’ response.

The panel focused on labour market inclusion for refugees and host communities. Stephen Opio introduced the PROSPECTS programme, which promotes inclusive labour markets for displaced persons. Kombate Koque presented Togo’s Emergency Programme for Strengthening Community Resilience and Security (PURS), aimed at creating opportunities for youth and building resilient communities. Wonderful Hunga from ITUC-Africa highlighted the role of trade unions in defending rights and promoting social dialogue for displaced workers.

Day 2 – From lessons to action

The second day was dedicated to operationalizing decent work in crises under the theme “From lessons to action – how to operationalise decent work in crises.” Constituents were divided into three working groups - governments, workers, and employers - to share experiences and identify practical solutions.

Government representatives discussed how employment and decent work policies can promote inclusive recovery. They emphasized the need for income-generating policies, inter-ministerial coordination and rapid response mechanisms during crises. These policies should integrate the four pillars of decent work: employment, vocational training, workers’ rights and social dialogue, which also serves as a preventive tool by fostering continuous dialogue on economic transformation.

Employers examined how businesses can ensure continuity and contribute to rebuilding local economies. They highlighted the dual role of employers’ organizations and individual companies in conflict contexts. Employers’ organizations promote peacebuilding and social cohesion by maintaining neutral and inclusive workplaces, while businesses play a critical role in stabilizing communities.

Workers reflected on protecting rights and promoting inclusion during crisis response. They stressed the importance of training and capacity building, noting that workers’ rights are severely impacted during crises. Social dialogue was recognized as a key mechanism for meaningful exchange and practical solutions.

The session also addressed how data, analysis, and financing mechanisms can inform crisis-response strategies. Federico Negro presented tools such as the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and Recovery and Peacebuilding Assessment (RPBA), explaining how to integrate decent work considerations from the earliest stages of planning. Roland Sarton and Matthieu Charpe showcased employment-focused diagnostic tools, citing recent analyses in South Sudan and Somalia that piloted innovative methods for assessing labour markets in protracted crises.

In his closing remarks, Coffi Agossou, Deputy Regional Director ROAF, emphasized that preventing conflicts and crises is more important than curing them. He noted that opportunities for exchange such as this training are fundamental for developing good practices to advance decent work, job creation, and early warning systems. He concluded by stating that this initiative is not an end or a beginning, but a continuation of essential work in today’s complex social, economic and political climate.