Namibia becomes the 20th ILO Member State to appoint national focal Points for the promotion of the ILO MNE Declaration

Namibia has officially become the 20th ILO member state to nominate national tripartite-appointed focal points dedicated to promoting the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). The decision highlights an important step in strengthening responsible business conduct and facilitating closer cooperation and collaboration between government, employers, and workers in Namibia in matters related to sustainable enterprise, responsible business conduct, trade, and investment.

National focal points for the promotion of the ILO MNE Declaration will play a key role in promoting the use of the MNE Declaration and its principles, including awareness raising, capacity building, dialogue platforms, and organizing tripartite-plus dialogue platforms for tripartite constituents and multinational enterprises to discuss opportunities and identify challenges associated with the operations of multinational enterprises in the national context.

So far, countries that have appointed national focal points for the promotion of the ILO MNE Declaration are Argentina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Togo

The appointment follows the adoption of a national roadmap by Namibia to advance responsible business conduct for decent work at the occasion of the workshop: Advancing Decent Work through Responsible Business Conduct and International Labour Standards in Trade and Investment in Namibia organized by the SUSTAIN project.

The workshop provided an important platform for dialogue and the exchange of views on how to enhance synergies and promote policy coherence to ensure that trade and investment contribute effectively to decent work and sustainable development and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of various government institutions, enterprises, and trade unions.

What is the ILO MNE Declaration?

The ILO MNE Declaration is the only global instrument adopted jointly by governments, employers, and workers that provides guidance to multinational and national enterprises on responsible business practices for the realization of decent work in areas such as employment, training, working conditions and industrial relations. It encourages enterprises to contribute positively to economic and social progress while respecting labour rights and international standards.

For more information: www.ilo.org/mnedeclaration

About the SUSTAIN Project:

The project “Promoting decent work and capacity building for labour ministries, labour inspections and social partners to advance international labour standards and responsible business conduct through sustainable trade and investments in Southern Africa (SUSTAIN – Southern Africa)” aims to further harness trade and investment to advance decent work opportunities for women and men in Southern Africa through increased respect for International Labour Standards and the adoption of responsible and sustainable business practices, guided by the ILO MNE Declaration. The SUSTAIN project is financed by the European Union