First awareness-raising workshop on ILS for Parliamentarians in Rwanda

Parliamentarians in charge of Labour and Social issues as well as Members of the Commission of Human Rights in Rwanda attended for the first time an ILO workshop to build national synergies on International Labour Standards (ILS).

This workshop was part of the Project “Awareness-raising and capacity building on human rights in Rwanda, with an emphasis on labour rights”, which is co-funded by the European Union.

Some 20 Parliamentarians members of the Committee on Social Affairs; Committee on National Unity, Human Rights and Fight against Genocide; and members of the National Commission for Human Rights participated to the one-day workshop organized by the International Training Centre of the ILO with the objective of exposing members of the Parliament to the ILO and its ILS system.

"The role of Parliaments is crucial to achieving democracy, good governance and ensuring the respect of the human rights in the country as well as the compliance with ILS in particular", the Chairperson of the Social Affairs Commission, MP Rose Mureshyankwano said.

Participants were trained on the mandate and structure of the ILO; the functioning of the ILS system, from ILS adoption to their application and supervision; the role of the national Parliament in the ILS system with regard to submitting ILS, ratifying Conventions, enacting new legislation and amending existing national legislation to bring it in conformity with international standards; and the importance of collaborating with the Government on standards-related matters to ensure compliance with the obligations under the ILO Constitution.

Under the ILO Constitution, governments have the obligation to submit all newly adopted conventions and recommendations to national parliaments in the 12 or, exceptionally 18 months following their adoption. Therefore, the role of Parliamentarians in advancing ILS is critical, agreed participants.

Rwanda, which has been an ILO Member States for more than 50 years, has ratified 28 Conventions including the eight core conventions.

The ILO helps countries to implement the International Labour Standards through dialogue with its supervisory bodies, through technical advise and through capacity building/training.

For further information, please contact:
Francine Kaneza
Programme Assistant
International Labour Organization
Phone: +250.788305448
E-mail: [email protected]