SADC Employment Labour Sector
Namibia set to take over from South Africa as Chair of the SADC Summit and the Employment and Labour Sector
As Namibia prepares to take over the reins of SADC Summit, the Employment and Labour Sector (ELS) is meeting to discuss the regional body’s progress on implementing plans on employment and labour. A capacity building workshop on extending social protection to migrant workers and strengthening of capacity and policy instruments on portability of social security benefits in the region will also be held under an EU supported regional project.
16 May 2018
(Windhoek, ILO News) In August 2018, Namibia is set to take over from South Africa as Chair of the SADC Summit. The Summit brings together Heads of States or Government and is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC.
SADC is also organised into Sectoral and Cluster Ministerial Committees of Ministers from each member state. These committees are directly responsible for overseeing the activities of the core areas of integration, monitoring and controlling the implementation of the regional plans in their area of competence, as well as providing policy advice to the Council. The SADC Employment Labour Sector (ELS) is under the Cluster Committee of Ministers responsible for Social and Human Development and Special Programmes (HIV and AIDS; education, labour; employment and gender).
Namibia is also taking over as Chair of the SADC ELS.
As with the Summit, the SADC ELS is supported by a Troika system that comprises of the current SADC ELS Chairperson, the incoming Chairperson (the Deputy Chairperson at the time), and the immediate previous Chairperson. The Troika System vests authority in this group to take quick decisions on behalf of the Joint Tripartite Technical Subcommittee (JTTS) of officials for submission to the SADC Ministers of Employment and Labour and Social Partners. These decisions would be ordinarily taken at policy meetings scheduled in February/March of each year.
The SADC ELS Troika meeting is taking place in Windhoek, at the Safari Court Hotel from the 15-16 May 2018. The meeting will discuss broadly the implementation of the Decisions of Ministers and Social Partners at their Meeting in March 2018; the issues for submission to the August 2018 SADC Council and Summit meetings and the continental and international commitments. The meeting will also receive briefings from the SADC Private Sector Forum (SPF) and the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC) representing social partners on strategic issues as well as an update on the proposed EU funded regional project on strengthening institutional mechanisms for migration management in Southern Africa.
Key among the issues to be discussed in detail is the reporting by the SADC ELS on the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap- 2015-2063; funding of the ELS and its activities and the 107th Session of the International Labour Conference and the ILO Future of Work Centenary Initiative.
At the March 2018 SADC Ministers for Employment and Labour and Social Partners meeting, , member States committed to make progress towards coordination, harmonization and integration of social protection systems in the region; recognizing international standards pertaining to migrants and, importantly, standards pertaining to the portability of benefits as well as extension of social protection to non-citizens.
Later in the week from the 17-18 of May 2018, a workshop on strengthening of capacity and policy instruments on portability of social security benefits in the region will take place. It will provide a platform for experts to deliberate on key issues on portability under the SADC Cross Border Portability of Accrued Social Security Benefits Framework and the SADC Code on Social Security. The workshop is part of the activities funded by the EU aimed at strengthening Africa Regional Economic Communities’ (RECs) capacities to provide, as well as drive the implementation of regional frameworks on the extension of social protection to migrant workers and their families.
The ILO is facilitating the two meetings as part of its on-going support to the SADC ELS under the SADC Decent Work Programme, 2013-2019 in pursuit of the outcome on mainstreaming employment and decent work in regional develop agendas.
SADC is also organised into Sectoral and Cluster Ministerial Committees of Ministers from each member state. These committees are directly responsible for overseeing the activities of the core areas of integration, monitoring and controlling the implementation of the regional plans in their area of competence, as well as providing policy advice to the Council. The SADC Employment Labour Sector (ELS) is under the Cluster Committee of Ministers responsible for Social and Human Development and Special Programmes (HIV and AIDS; education, labour; employment and gender).
Namibia is also taking over as Chair of the SADC ELS.
As with the Summit, the SADC ELS is supported by a Troika system that comprises of the current SADC ELS Chairperson, the incoming Chairperson (the Deputy Chairperson at the time), and the immediate previous Chairperson. The Troika System vests authority in this group to take quick decisions on behalf of the Joint Tripartite Technical Subcommittee (JTTS) of officials for submission to the SADC Ministers of Employment and Labour and Social Partners. These decisions would be ordinarily taken at policy meetings scheduled in February/March of each year.
The SADC ELS Troika meeting is taking place in Windhoek, at the Safari Court Hotel from the 15-16 May 2018. The meeting will discuss broadly the implementation of the Decisions of Ministers and Social Partners at their Meeting in March 2018; the issues for submission to the August 2018 SADC Council and Summit meetings and the continental and international commitments. The meeting will also receive briefings from the SADC Private Sector Forum (SPF) and the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC) representing social partners on strategic issues as well as an update on the proposed EU funded regional project on strengthening institutional mechanisms for migration management in Southern Africa.
Key among the issues to be discussed in detail is the reporting by the SADC ELS on the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap- 2015-2063; funding of the ELS and its activities and the 107th Session of the International Labour Conference and the ILO Future of Work Centenary Initiative.
At the March 2018 SADC Ministers for Employment and Labour and Social Partners meeting, , member States committed to make progress towards coordination, harmonization and integration of social protection systems in the region; recognizing international standards pertaining to migrants and, importantly, standards pertaining to the portability of benefits as well as extension of social protection to non-citizens.
Later in the week from the 17-18 of May 2018, a workshop on strengthening of capacity and policy instruments on portability of social security benefits in the region will take place. It will provide a platform for experts to deliberate on key issues on portability under the SADC Cross Border Portability of Accrued Social Security Benefits Framework and the SADC Code on Social Security. The workshop is part of the activities funded by the EU aimed at strengthening Africa Regional Economic Communities’ (RECs) capacities to provide, as well as drive the implementation of regional frameworks on the extension of social protection to migrant workers and their families.
The ILO is facilitating the two meetings as part of its on-going support to the SADC ELS under the SADC Decent Work Programme, 2013-2019 in pursuit of the outcome on mainstreaming employment and decent work in regional develop agendas.