ILO Director-General Guy Ryder to support the implementation of Ghana’s National Employment Policy

ACCRA (ILO News) – The ILO Director General Mr Guy Ryder has assured the Government and Social Partners in Ghana of its support in the implementation of the Country’s first ever National Employment policy. The Director General said this during the opening ceremony of the Ghana’s Jobs Summit held in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday 15 April 2015. The Ghana’s National Employment Policy was launched at the Summit by Ghana’s President, His Excellency Mr John Dramane Mahama.

The Director General commended the tripartite partners for founding the Policy on an uncompromising assessment of the challenges facing Ghana’s Labour market and the shortcomings of previous policy outcomes. He also expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the policy had not only outlined strategies to address the key challenges of creating a sufficient number of jobs to meet the needs for Ghana’s young and growing population, but also on the emphasis for these jobs to be Decent.

The Director General noted that the Policy was a truly determined illustration of Ghana’s resolve to addressing the challenges of promoting and providing skills and jobs for Ghana’s youths. Furthermore he observed, that the Policy had reiterated the need to formalise Ghana’s very large informal sector, to realise the enormous potential of the rural economy and to place priority on full productive employment as well as providing a role for the private sector and providing it with the energy, policies and infrastructure that it needed. These were all crucial if the objectives of the Policy were to be met, he said.

The role that Social Dialogue played in the preparation of the National Employment Policy was particularly commended by the Director General. He expressed his delight with the Policy’s intent to institutionalise Social Dialogue between the tripartite partners for informed decision making. This according to the Director General would be critical to the future successful implementation of the policy.

The Director General reiterated to the President and the Social Partners of ILO‘s commitment to working with Ghana on the implementation of the policy and making it Ghana’s strong contribution to the on-going movement in the World towards making for Decent Work for All a reality.

The Summit was organised by the Government of Ghana in collaboration with the ILO. It was attended by over 1500 participants from a cross range of organisations with interests in Employment issues in Ghana. Amongst the notable participants at the Summit were the Ghana Minister of Employment and Industrial Relations, Hon. H. Iddrisu, The Regional Director for Africa, Mr A.C. Chuma and the Director of ILO CO Abuja, ILO Staff, Representatives of the Social Partners, The UN Resident Coordinator, Representatives of UN Agencies and Development Partners.