By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, has officially signed and launched the second generation of decent work country programme.
The launching was done on Thursday, 25th May, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The second generation decent country job programme will provide decent jobs for over 1000 women, youths and persons with disabilities, and also the program will provide partnerships with eight private businesses.
While making her address, Director of ILO Country Office, Abuja, Vanessa Phala, said it is a great privilege and honour to deliver a goodwill message on the national launch of Sierra Leone’s Decent Work Country Programme.
She said Sierra Leone DWCP II is the second generation for the country, being that the first DWCP 2010 – 2012 ended in 2012 and an evaluation was carried out through the Country Programme Review and thereafter, several attempts were made to develop a new one but none of the processes were completed.
“Ee are grateful that here we are today launching a new DWCP for Sierra Leone,” she said.
She said their objectives are hinged on promoting jobs, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social security, adding that basic on the objectives is to promote decent work as a key component of national development strategy.
She said ILO’s knowledge, instruments, advocacy, and cooperation at the service of the ILO’s tripartite constituents in a results-based framework to advance the Decent Work Agenda within the fields of comparative advantage of the ILO tripartism and social dialogue, are central to the planning and implementation of a coherent and integrated ILO programme of assistance to constituents in member States.
She further states that Sierra Leone’s DWCP has identified three priorities which are quite relevant in addressing the challenges of decent work.
“These prioritise employment creation, expanding Social Protection, enhancing Social Dialogue that facilitates productivity and advances Decent Work in Sierra Leone. The launching of the DWCP is aimed at arousing the interest of all to see employment issues as one of the critical thrusts of the government and a tool for the government and people of Sierra Leone to tackle unemployment especially for the youths that has become a common decimal in the world today,” she said.
On his part, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Alpha Osman Timbo, said decent work is a support tool for action in several areas, including employment promotion, working conditions, training, equality between men and women, social protection, social dialogue and tripartite cooperation.
