GENEVA, Switzerland, (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) contributed to the adoption of the strategy and its implementation plan at the fifth ordinary session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment (STC-SDLE-5) of the African Union.
ILO experts participated in the experts meeting segment of the fifth ordinary session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment (STC-SDLE-5) that took place on 29-31 July 2024.
The main objective of the STC-SDLE-5 was to consider and adopt strategies and policy measures at the continental and regional levels to enhance social development, labour and employment. Among the strategies to be discussed was a 10-year SSE strategy and its implementation plan whose development benefitted from ILO technical support.
On the first day of the experts’ meeting, on 29 July 2024 the ILO’s senior specialist for sustainable enterprises at DWT/CO Pretoria, Jens Dyring Christensen, presented highlights from the global and regional developments in advancing decent work and sustainable development in and through the SSE.
Christensen, presentation started by highlighting the values and principles based tripartite definition of the SSE adopted as part of the resolution on decent work and the SSE at the 2022 International Labour Conference.
The presentation shared recent global developments, including the adoption of the UN GA resolution on advancing the SSE for sustainable development in 2023; pointed out the policy and legislative developments around the SSE in Africa, and shared highlights of ILO’s technical assistance in the region on SSE entities.
In the discussion that followed experts from ministries of labour, employers’ and workers’ organizations in Africa shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the promotion of the SSE for decent work and social justice. On July 30, 2024, the experts’ meeting concluded with the endorsement of the 10-year AU strategy on the SSE and its implementation plan recommending it for adoption by the Ministers of Labour.
At the ministerial meeting on August 1, 2024, AU Members States’ Ministers of Labour unanimously adopted the 10-year AU strategy on the SSE and its implementation plan.
Speaking at the closing session of the ministerial meeting on August 2, 2024, ILO’s regional director for Africa Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayirangwa congratulated the ministers of labour for recognizing the potential of the SSE for enhancing decent work and social justice in the region. The strategy acknowledges the human-centred nature of this alternative business model to the world of work. Kayirangwa further pointed out this is the second regional strategy in the world to be adopted, following the EU social economy action plan of 2021.
Kayirangwa underlined the timeliness of the strategy that is well-aligned with the spirit of the times that we live in. and referred to the Declaration of the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting which mentions the SSE four times, including a reference to the ILC Resolution concerning decent work and the social and solidarity economy.
