Review regional policies and prepare inputs for the upcoming 7th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Social Affairs.

From 1 to 4 September 2025, technical experts from East African Community (EAC) Partner States met in Entebbe, Uganda, to review regional policies and prepare inputs for the upcoming 7th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Social Affairs. The workshop brought together officials from Partner States, the EAC Secretariat, social security institutions, development partners, and the ILO.

Key Discussions and Outcomes:

• Implementation Review: Participants assessed progress on past Sectoral Council directives, noting wide variation across Partner States. Several directives have remained pending for over a decade, often due to staffing and financial constraints, uneven national follow-up, and a reporting system lacking clarity on outcomes. The meeting recommended reviewing long-standing directives, retiring those no longer relevant, and prioritizing actionable items for follow-up.
• Sectoral Council Terms of Reference: Experts reviewed the draft Terms of Reference for the newly expanded Council, now covering Gender, Youth, Children, Social Protection, Community Development, Labour, and Migration. The combined Council modality was deemed practical and cost-effective, provided technical work continues through specialized expert groups.
• Strategic Planning: The draft Strategic Plan for Gender, Youth, Children, Persons with Disabilities, Social Protection, and Community Development (2026–2031) was discussed. While comprehensive, participants highlighted the need for baseline data, clear reporting obligations, and a financing approach to address past implementation gaps. Partner States will provide additional input through national consultations before regional validation.
• Regional Councils: Progress on establishing Regional Councils for Youth, Children, Persons with Disabilities, and Women was reviewed. Differences in national structures have slowed harmonization. Experts recommended a phased approach, beginning with sectors where national councils are already established across all Partner States.
• Policy and Standards Review:
  • Social Protection Policy and Action Plan: Fully validated regionally and recommended for adoption by the Sectoral Council.
  • EAC Youth Policy (2025), Integration Clubs, Raising the Flag initiative, Early Childhood Development Implementation Guidelines, and Model Competency Standards for Domestic Workers were reviewed and received technical observations, requiring revisions before final consideration.

Cross-cutting Recommendations:

• Strengthen coordination within Partner States to ensure consistent implementation of regional commitments.
• Improve timely submission of inputs and follow-up on directives.
• Ensure national consultations are completed ahead of regional validation meetings.
• Maintain specialized expert groups to support the expanded Sectoral Council’s mandate effectively.

The meeting concluded with the Secretariat agreeing to circulate updated drafts for national consultations, setting the stage for regional validation prior to the 7th Sectoral Council meeting.