Lome: Meeting between ITUC-Africa and ACTRAV

Lomé, 4 March 2012 (ACTRAV INFO) - The Bureau for Workers' Activities (ILO-ACTRAV) and the African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) have pledged to strengthen cooperation on their activities across the African continent. The promise came during a meeting in Lomé from 5-6 March 2012. Taking part were 10 representatives of ITUC-Africa, ACTRAV specialists working in the field, ACTRAV Turin, ACTRAV’s Director, and the African regional coordinator for ACTRAV.

Cooperation will take place on a number of issues, notably gender equality, the fight against HIV-AIDS, the promotion of occupational health and safety and the strengthening of trade union unity in Africa.

In his address, ACTRAV Director Dan Cunniah recalled that the Lomé meeting was part of the follow-up to the conclusions of a meeting between the ITUC and ACTRAV on 31 January and 1 February 2012 in Geneva. He stated that this first meeting on the African continent aimed to strengthen cooperation and mutual assistance between ITUC-Africa and ACTRAV, to the benefit of the workers.

ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Kwasi Adu Amankwah set out his organization's 12 priorities for 2012-2015: human and labour rights, union organizing, internal democracy and worker empowerment, the unity of the trade union movement, gender equality, social protection, occupational health and safety, HIV-AIDS, climate change and environmental protection, youth employment, African unity, and peace and security and the mobilization of resources.

ACTRAV's African regional coordinator, Rawane Mbaye, presented the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, the Decent Work Country Programmes, the ILO programme and budget, and the ILO strategic objectives: rights at work, social protection, employment creation and the promotion of tripartism and social dialogue.

Joint campaigns to promote decent work for domestic workers and the ratification and application of international labour standards are also planned for 2012-2013.

For more information, contact:

Rawane MBAYE
Specialist in workers’activities(ACTRAV)
Desk Officer for Africa
Tel : +41 22 799 7616
Email : mbaye[at]ilo[dot]org