Dialogue for coherence and coordinated approach to promote sustainable and responsible business practices for a just transition in Egypt

On 16 April 2024, the ILO organized a dialogue for a coherent and coordinated approach to promoting sustainable and responsible business practices for a just transition in Egypt, bringing together numerous participants from governments, employers' and workers' organizations. . The dialogue took a whole-of-government approach with participants from different ministries including ministries of Labour, Environment, Agriculture, Local Development, Planning and Economic Development, Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Transport as well as the General Authority For Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).

The Resolution and Conclusions on Just Transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all adopted by the 111th Labour Conference in June 2023 called on governments in consultation with social partners “to foster inclusive and sustainable trade and investment frameworks, value chains and supply chains that contribute to a just transition and decent work; and effectively implement the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”, thereby recognizing the role and relevance of the MNE Declaration in a just transition context. It also states that employers’ and workers’ organizations should “develop and implement sustainable transition plans at enterprise and sectoral level through bipartite social dialogue, including workplace cooperation”.

Considering the importance that the government of Egypt places on achieving a just transition, the ILO assisted the country in the organization of a dialogue to discuss the relevance of the guidance offered by the MNE Declaration in the context of a just transition and to agree on follow-up action for a coherent and coordinated approach to promoting sustainable and responsible business practices among enterprises operating in Egypt as well as new and existing investors.

The participants in the dialogue identified challenges and opportunities linked to the operations of business for contributing to a just transition and built a common understanding of the ILO MNE Declaration and its relevance in the context of a just transition. They were presented with examples of company initiatives that translate the principles of the MNE Declaration into practices and shared efforts already undertaken by national stakeholders to encourage sustainable, responsible and inclusive business practices for a just transition. They discussed joint priorities and areas of collaboration for the promotion of sustainable, responsible and inclusive business practices for a just transition following the guidance offered by the MNE Declaration.

The event built on previous ILO interventions to support Egypt in developing an overarching coherent and coordinated approach for the promotion of sustainable, responsible and inclusive investments and business practices for the realization of decent work in the context of the ‘Advancing the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa’ (ADWA’) project, a partnership between the Government of Sweden - through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) – and the ILO to advance the Decent Work Agenda in North Africa. As a result of the capacity building and support provided, ILO constituents jointly produced a roadmap identifying specific priorities in line with national development objectives.

In December 2023, the government, workers’ and employers’ organizations reaffirmed their commitment towards the implementation of the realization of the roadmap for the promotion of sustainable, responsible and inclusive investments and business practices for the realization of decent work in Egypt, built upon the guidance offered by the MNE Declaration. The roadmap expresses Egypt’s commitment to appointment of tripartite national focal points for the promotion of the MNE Declaration. It includes key activities such as the development of national action plan and strategy on responsible business conduct (RBC) to further define responsibilities and further advance policy coherence at governmental level and to engage with green field and existing investors in Egypt on RBC.