Strengthening social dialogue on decent work, trade and investment

Following the development of a Following the adoption of a national roadmap on responsible business conduct in trade and investment in October 2025, Lesotho has taken a major step forward by formally nominating its national tripartite focal points for the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration).

The newly appointed focal points come from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Association of Lesotho Employers and Business (ALEB), the Lesotho Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU), the Lesotho Labour Council (LLC), and the Lesotho Trade Union Congress (LTUC)

Why the focal points matter

The MNE Declaration is the only global instrument jointly adopted by governments, employers, and workers that provides practical guidance to multinational and national enterprises on how to align business operations with international labour standards and decent work. The nomination of focal points is therefore a critical step to make better use of the the ILO MNE Declaration at the local level.

The tripartite focal points will promote the MNE Declaration across their constituencies, contribute policy coherence between trade, investment, labour, and enterprise development; facilitate social dialogue on responsible business practices amongst others.

With this nomination, Lesotho becomes the 21st country worldwide—and the fifth in the SADC region—to formalize its commitment through officially designated focal points. This positions the country as a regional leader in embedding responsible business conduct into national development and investment frameworks.

About the ILO MNE Declaration

The ILO MNE Declaration is the only global RBC standard jointly adopted by governments, employers’ organizations, and workers’ organizations that provide guidance to enterprises (multinational and national) and governments on how to contribute to decent work and sustainable development. It provides recommendations on employment, training, working conditions, industrial relations, and responsible business conduct, encouraging enterprises to contribute positively to economic and social progress while advancing decent work.

A regional push under the SUSTAIN–Southern Africa Project

Lesotho’s progress is supported through the EU-funded project “Promoting decent work and capacity building for labour ministries, labour inspections and social partners to advance international labour standards and responsible business conduct (RBC) through sustainable trade and investments in Southern Africa (SUSTAIN – Southern Africa)". SUSTAIN 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 (ILS) and the adoption of responsible and sustainable business practices.