The France-ILO Joint Commission met on September 16, 2013 , in the presence of Mr Michel Sapin, Minister of Labour, Employment, Vocational Training and Social Dialogue, and Mr Gilbert Houngbo, Deputy Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), responsible for field operations and partnerships, and with the participation of representatives of the French social partners (FO , CGT , CFDT , CFE -CGC , CFTC , UNSA and MEDEF).
The Joint Commission monitors the implementation of the partnership agreement signed in August 2010 between the French Minister of Labour and Foreign Affairs and the Director-General of the ILO for the period 2010-2014.
The meeting heard an update on work undertaken in the framework of cooperation programmes implemented by the ILO in beneficiary countries (mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb), and more specifically on the programmes addressing employment (APERP: combating poverty through the promotion of employment), the modernization of public administration and labour inspection (ADMITRA), social protection (implementation of national social protection floors), the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work (PAMODEC), the fight against child labour (IPEC), training activities implemented by the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin, and financial inclusion (solidarity financing).
The meeting also assessed the concrete impact of the French contribution, and the expertise made available by French development actors (Pôle emploi; Gip Inter; INTEFP; Gip SPSI; ADECRI; AFPA; AfD…) to implement the ILO0s Decent Work Agenda. This involves strengthening the capacity of countries to ensure the effectiveness of labour standards (training of supervisory bodies, judges, and social partners .... ), establishing services to promote employment and the transition to the formal economy, and the development of social protection. The role of these programmes in the reconstruction of Mali was singled out for special mention.
The discussions helped prepare the ground for future collaboration, including the renewal of the partnership between France and the ILO after 2014.
These cooperation projects developed by the ILO, particularly in French-speaking Africa and the Union for the Mediterranean, are particularly useful in supporting and mobilizing all national development actors (governments and administrations, workers, and employers) to support the implementation of and respect for decent working conditions in order to serve human progress. They are also essential to prevent tragedies such as the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in April 2013. The Ministry of Labour will be examining how to support the ILO's efforts in that country.
