Advocacy and Capacity Building Mission in Guinea-Bissau to Promote Ratification and the Implementation of International Labour Standards.

A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including experts from the Department of Human Development and Social Affairs and the International Labour Organization (ILO) arrived in Bissau as part of an advocacy and capacity-building mission to Guinea-Bissau to promote the ratification and implementation of International Labour Standards.  The mission, which will take place from 10 to 12 July 2023, is being conducted jointly by the ECOWAS Commission and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations.

The high-Level mission is led by Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, accompanied by Dr Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, and Ms Vanessa Phala, ILO Director in charge of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and liaison with ECOWAS, as well as several other ECOWAS and ILO experts, who met this Monday, July 10, 2023, with Guinea Bissau Minister of  Labour and Employment, H.E Cirilo Mama Saliu Djalo.

During their exchanges, Prof Fatou Sow Sarr affirmed that the promotion of the ratification, implementation and reporting on ILO core conventions and in particular the Conventions N° 97, 102 and 143, which concerns migration for Employment, Social Security and protection of the rights of migrant workers prioritized in the ECOWAS Decent Work Regional Programme (EDWP) adopted by the region’s Ministers of Labour and Employment in 2019, would guarantee decent work and employment for all.

She stated that this meeting would accelerate the progress being made by the Government of Guinea Bissau in the ratification of some important ILO conventions towards strengthening the implementation of International Labour Standards for the benefit of all the citizens of Guinea Bissau.

Minister H.E Cirilo Mama Saliu Djalo welcomed the mission in his country and reassured ECOWAS that Guinea Bissau would build on the progress made so far to achieve the rapid ratification of the ILO conventions. He affirmed that Guinea Bissau is a stable and peaceful country, paving the way for the country’s development and for the ratification of international conventions, in particular those of the ILO, like the other countries of the Community.

As part of this joint ECOWAS-ILO mission, a capacity building workshop on the International Labour Standards and Conventions is scheduled to hold in Bissau from 11 to 12 July 2023, with the attendance of the government officials, social partners including workers’ and employers’ associations.