Windhoek labour meeting considers AU’s Social and Solidarity Economy with a view on Decent Work
By Freeman Ngulu.
The African Union department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with the Namibian Government held a two-day consultative meeting on Decent Work and the Social & Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Africa, in Windhoek last week.
This meeting convened Co-ops from various sectors to scrutinise the anniversary and coming to end of the Ten-Year Strategy on the SSE.
This was in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Civil Society Organisations (CSO.)
The Civil Society Consultation on the African Union Commission (AUC) marked the 10 Year Strategy review with Simel Esim from the ILO presenting the ILO’s International Labour Conference resolution which highlights links to the AUC strategy.
Mr Mbokazi Sabelo, President of the African Union Staff Association and Head of the Labour, Employment & Migration Division at the AU, committed his association to work together with the SSE to promote the goal of job creation without losing sights of creating more decent work.
The African Union’s Labour, Employment & Migration Division works to promote the health, labour, employment, migration, social development, drug control, sport and cultural agenda.
The outcome of the Windhoek meeting will feed into the validation of the strategy at the upcoming tripartite meeting before its endorsement at a ministerial session to promote a conducive environment for SSE to grow and expand. The ultimate aim is to boost employment in Africa as part of the post-Covid rebuilding and reconstruction of people’s livelihoods.
On 10 June 2022, the ILO adopted the Resolution and Conclusions of the General Discussion Committee on decent work and SSE. During the deliberation, the ILO Constituents recognised that a robust SSE could contribute to balanced, inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies and societies.
The delegates at the Windhoek meeting of the African Union’s Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development department, held in conjunction with the International Labour Organisation.
