African Union to focus on Social Protection for Inclusive Development

ADDIS ABABA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) will take part to the 1st session of the African Union Commission’s specialized technical committee (STC) on social development, labour and employment under the theme “Social Protection for Inclusive Development”.

For the next five days, the meeting - organized by the AU Commission for Social Affairs - will focus on social protection policies, financing, governance and management of specific interventions by Member States towards an effective African Social Protection Governance Architecture.

This interactive platform will bring together Ministers in charge of Social Development, Labour and Employment, government Experts responsible of the concerned sectors, the social partners, AU Organs such as the Pan African Parliament, the Regional Economic Communities, the Pan African Productivity Association as well as Pan-African and International Organizations working in the areas of concern.

Participants will be deliberating on the promotion of social protection in small and medium sized enterprises; mainstreaming social protection plan for the informal economy and rural workers in the AU Comprehensive Africa Agriculture development Programs (CAADP); supporting women in African labour markets; discussing a draft protocol on the rights of older persons in Africa; and considering a special initiative on domestic workers.

High on the agenda are also the discussion on the social impact of Ebola and the adoption of a Common position for the International Labour Conference in Geneva in June 2015 regarding the ILO Recommendation on Transitioning from the Informal to the Formal Economy.

The aim is also to sensitize participants regarding the contribution of social protection and inclusive development to the Post 2015 Development Agenda and the AU Agenda 2063, including the first five year priority programme for implementation of the January 2015 AU Assembly declaration and plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development.

This First STC Meeting will adopt recommendations on social inclusion policies for AU Member States, including the expansion of social protection systems to combat poverty and exclusion.