By Fostina Mkandawire, MANA
Malawi will for the next three years represent the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the International Labour Organization (ILO) governing body after being endorsed by SADC Ministers responsible for Employment, Labour and Social Partners (ELS).
The endorsement comes after member states agreed that Malawi has the necessary capacity to represent the SADC region at the ILO governing body which is the highest policy making body at ILO.
Briefing the Media on the development on Thursday in Lilongwe, Minister of Labour Skills and Innovation, Martha Lunji Mhone said Malawi replaces Lesotho while Eswatini and Namibia are serving their second and last terms.
She said the endorsement gives the country the opportunity to participate at high level trainings that would build the capacity of stakeholders involved in the labour and skills sector.
The ELS meeting took place in Tanzania on March 2 to 6, 2020 and sought to harmonize and coordinate regional labour market that can deliver on the decent work agenda by approving the development of a new protocol on employment.
“The meeting reviewed progress in implementation of commitments of the ELS to advance decent work in the region guided by the overall SADC strategic objective advancing development through regional integration,” she said
Mhone said the meeting approved the SADC Labour Migration Action (2020-2025) and requested member states to commit funds towards its implementation, noting that a well-managed labour migration is mutually beneficial.
“The meeting noted the decision of council to convene a tripartite joint sector meeting of ministers responsible for employment, finance and trade as well as social partners to discuss employment creation,” she said
The Minister said they greed and directed the secretariat to convene a regional meeting on minimum wage setting.
The members agreed to seek a permanent seat at the ILO governing body because currently only ten countries of chief industrial importance occupy permanent seats in the ILO governing body.
Africa has the largest number of ILO member states but it is the only continent that does not have any permanent seat at the ILO governing body.
