East African Community (EAC) and ILO for strengthened collaboration in promoting Decent work in East Africa
The ILO CO Dar es Salaam OIC, Mr. Jealous Chirove paid a courtesy call to the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Dr. Richard Sezibera mid last month, to discuss on areas of cooperation between the two organizations as articulated in the ILO-EAC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2001, which focuses mainly on labour and employment issues in the subregion
9 September 2015
Over the years, the ILO and EAC have collaborated on a range of initiatives that have bearing on labour and employment which include - preparing and implementing a subregional Decent Work Programme (DWP) focusing on youth employment, social protection, HIV and AIDS, social dialogue, among others. Youth employment and developing a young workers’ exchange programme under the auspices of the common market protocol of the EAC, remains top of the EAC agenda especially with the worsening trend of youth unemployment in the subregion. Through technical advice from the ILO, a framework within which young workers in the sub region would be exchanged is slowly unveiling. As regards Social security and mobility of benefits across borders, it was revealed that work is ongoing in terms of seeking to expand social security coverage and accessibility to migrant workers. Further, simplification of regional trade protocols to enhance women’s cross border trading remains another area that is fast delivering on accelerating EA integration especially for the informal economy.
The Secretary General advised for a joint process to be established to urgently review the above MoU to incorporate the current challenges facing EAC in the World of Work today, ready for revamped implementation.
Hon. Sezibera expressed the EAC’s commitment in implementing activities under the new AU-ILO-IOM Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), funded by the European Union (EU), especially on mainstreaming labour standards and amplifying migrant workers’ rights. The project is targeted at amongst other areas, to increase domestication of key international standards on labour migration, establish mechanisms for tripartite policy consultation and coordination on labour migration issues.
While commending the ILO/EAC collaboration, the Secretary General advised for joint efforts in supporting upcoming youth entrepreneurs especially the female entrepreneurs whom the formal sector has been unable to absorb. He acknowledged support received from the ILO for the EAC conference on the role of women entrepreneurs in socio economic development, held in Nairobi from 20 to 21 August 2015, and called upon other stakeholders to emulate and support such initiatives.
The meeting noted that the EAC’s 2016 – 2021 development strategy is now being developed and that it will mainstream, among others, the SDGs, the AU Agenda 2063 and ensure that many of the common areas of concern between ILO and EAC would be factored into it
The Secretary General advised for a joint process to be established to urgently review the above MoU to incorporate the current challenges facing EAC in the World of Work today, ready for revamped implementation.
Hon. Sezibera expressed the EAC’s commitment in implementing activities under the new AU-ILO-IOM Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), funded by the European Union (EU), especially on mainstreaming labour standards and amplifying migrant workers’ rights. The project is targeted at amongst other areas, to increase domestication of key international standards on labour migration, establish mechanisms for tripartite policy consultation and coordination on labour migration issues.
While commending the ILO/EAC collaboration, the Secretary General advised for joint efforts in supporting upcoming youth entrepreneurs especially the female entrepreneurs whom the formal sector has been unable to absorb. He acknowledged support received from the ILO for the EAC conference on the role of women entrepreneurs in socio economic development, held in Nairobi from 20 to 21 August 2015, and called upon other stakeholders to emulate and support such initiatives.
The meeting noted that the EAC’s 2016 – 2021 development strategy is now being developed and that it will mainstream, among others, the SDGs, the AU Agenda 2063 and ensure that many of the common areas of concern between ILO and EAC would be factored into it