ILO and the East African Community (EAC) to revamp the Decent Work Agenda in the sub region

Dar es Salaam (ILO News) On 13 October 2017, the ILO CO Dar es Salaam and EAC delegations are convening a meeting in Dar es Salaam to discuss their Memorandum of Understanding (signed in 2001) and steps towards drafting the Decent Work Programme for East Africa. During the meeting, each agency will highlight areas of engagement over the next four years, funding mechanisms and areas of convergence.

The agenda will therefore include;

• Overview of the EAC and ILO strategic areas of intervention 2018 – 2021
• Reviewing the EAC/ILO MoU signed in 2001
• Preparation of the EA Decent Work Programme and
• Briefing on the new project on Social protection for Migrant workers in East Africa.

The ILO and EAC have collaborated on a range of initiatives that have bearing on labour and employment which include – implementation of a subregional Decent Work Programme (DWP) focusing on youth employment, social protection, HIV and AIDS, social dialogue, among others. With the worsening trend of youth unemployment in the subregion, youth employment and developing a young workers’ exchange programme under the auspices of the common market protocol of the EAC, remains a priority among the EAC agenda.

As regards social security, work is ongoing within the EAC in terms of seeking to expand social security coverage and accessibility to migrant workers. A briefing will therefore be done on a new project on Social protection for Migrant workers to be implemented in the region, under the auspices of a programme on Extending social protection access and portability of benefits to migrant workers and their families in selected Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa.