the global employment agenda Introduced by Mostefa Boudiaf Prepared by Fred Fluitman International Training Centre of the ILO Turin, Italy, July 2007

the primary goal of the ILO is to promote opportunities for women and men to have decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity

decent work for all –be it wage- or self-employment, in the formal or the informal economy freedom of choice –excluding forced or bonded labour and worst forms of child labour productive work –providing adequate income, ensuring competitiveness equity in work –meaning absence of discrimination in access to, and at work security at work – as concerns health and safety, pensions and livelihoods dignity at work –in terms of respect extended to workers and their rights at work what people, anywhere, want:

Origins of the Global Employment Agenda: 1995 World Summit on Social Development 2000 Special Session of UN General Assembly 2001 ILO: Global Employment Forum

main aim of the Global Employment Agenda: in seeking to contribute to reducing poverty, to place productive employment at the heart of economic and social policies the Global Employment Agenda is an invitation to review, rethink and reorient policies of the past

principles underlying the agenda: decent work as a productive factor a pro-employment macro-economic framework entrepreneurship and private investment improving productivity of the working poor ending discrimination in the labour market environmentally and socially sustainable growth employability and adaptability

the Agenda’s ten core elements: trade and investment technological change sustainable development macro-economic policy entrepreneurship knowledge and skills active labour market policies social protection occupational safety and health poverty reduction addressing the economic environment addressing the labour market

what is new in the GEA approach promoting both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of employment: more and better jobs promoting productivity growth as the engine of sustained employment growth and decent jobs striking the best possible balance between security for the worker and flexibility for enterprises to adjust developing national agendas in support of decent work based on good governance & social dialogue building global and regional alliances for better policy coordination for promoting employment.

improving labour market analysis: key indicators making overall incentive structures more conducive to simultaneous employment and productivity growth strengthening labour market institutions and governance promoting leading sectors so as to boost labour demand accepting and promoting forces of change, technology, trade and investment, skills, entrepreneurship facilitating adjustment to change, active labour market policies, social protection, occupational safety and health pursuing policies to improve labour quality linking employment promotion to poverty reduction employment and labour market policies

International Labour Organization

the Ouagadougou Summit Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa as presented by Fred Fluitman, International Training Centre of the ILO Turin, Italy, 2005

the Ouagadougou Summit African Heads of State and Government met at the 3 rd Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 8-9 September, 2004, for a Summit on Employment and Poverty Alleviation

the Declaration on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa

among their considerations …prior decisions, current objectives (AU, NEPAD) …need for policy coherence and integration …widespread poverty and unemployment constitute a threat to social, economic and political stability …the (so far) negative consequences of globalization …the impact of man-made conflict and natural disasters …the heavy economic and social burden imposed by HIV/AIDS and other widespread diseases...

among their considerations ….the major factors that cause and/or exacerbate poverty and unemployment include weak economic growth, poor economic management, corruption, social inequality and discrimination together with the quality of governance….

among their concerns …that nearly half of the African population live below the poverty line and more than 140 million are working poor unable to provide their families with sustainable livelihood and that at current economic growth rates Africa is at risk of not attaining the Millennium Development Goals…

among their concerns …the lack of social protection which affects particularly women, youth, persons with disabilities, the aged and children, and the exposure to poor occupational health and safety conditions of the majority of workers, particularly in the informal economy

among their concerns …the major challenges and obstacles to gender equality as well as the low levels of women’s representation in social, economic and political decision making structures which still persist …

among their commitments …to place employment creation as an explicit and central objective of our economic and social policies at national, regional and continental levels, for sustainable poverty alleviation and with a view to improving the living conditions of our people….. …to support the continuing efforts made by our governments, social partners and civil society organizations to promote the decent work development agenda of the ILO…

among their commitments …to empower the poor and the vulnerable, particularly in the rural communities and the urban informal economy, the unemployed and underemployed, by enhancing their capacities through education, skills and vocational training and retraining, access to financial resources, in particular micro-financing, land, infrastructure, markets, technology and services in order to meaningfully integrate them into the labour market..

the Plan of Action for Promotion of Employment and Poverty Alleviation

eleven key priority areas for each of the priority areas: –objective to be achieved –strategies to be pursued –recommended actions

priority area 1 ensuring political leadership and commitment to create an enabling environment of good governance for investment, development and poverty alleviation in the context of NEPAD and the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)

priority area 2 promotion of the agricultural sector and rural development, sustainable management of the environment for food security, and development of support infrastructure

priority area 3 development of an appropriate framework for integration and harmonization of economic and social policies

priority area 4 improving and strengthening the existing social protection schemes and extending it to workers and their families currently excluded, as well as occupational safety, health and hygiene

priority area 5 empowerment of women by integrating them in the labour markets and to enable them to participate effectively in the development of poverty reduction strategies, policies and programmes

priority area 6 human and institutional capacity building for public and private institutions in charge of employment promotion and poverty alleviation, including the social partners and other relevant actors of the civil society

priority area 7 utilising key sectors with high employment potential to generate more jobs and allocate adequate resources for that purpose

priority area 8 building international cooperation, fair and equitable globalisation, and partnerships for an enhanced international support to Africa’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development, putting emphasis on the employment agenda, poverty alleviation, regional integration and a better participation in the globalisation process

priority area 9 to promote regional and economic cooperation among the Regional Economic Communities RECs, in order to expand the economic space, intra and inter-regional trade, markets and exploit the economies of scale

targeting and empowering vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, aged persons, migrants, children, youth and people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other related infectious diseases, internally displaced persons, refugees, and the working poor priority area 10

mobilization of resources at national, regional and international levels priority area 11

CONCLUSION the successful and sustained implementation of this Plan of Action requires broad partnerships at [..all..] levels…… implementation of the key sectors, identified in the Plan of Action as well as in the NEPAD programme, can with proper environment, strategies, resources and programmes be high potential job creation sectors. Member States are therefore called upon to identify their priorities according to their national conditions and specificities, their development status, as well as their human, financial and natural resources and institutional capacities.

QUESTION What should Governments, workers and employers organizations do to follow up on the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Ouagadougou Summit on Employment and Poverty Reduction ? Where do we stand? -priority issues -priority target groups -need for institutional reform

QUESTION Que devraient faire les Gouvernements, et les Organisations des travailleurs et employeurs pour donner suite à la Déclaration et au Plan d’Action adoptés par le Sommet d’Ouagadougou sur l’Emploi et la lutte contre la Pauvreté Ou en sommes- nous? -problèmes prioritaires -priorités des groupes cibles -besoin de réforme institutionnelle