THE Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, the first African to hold the post, is in Dakar, Senegal, on an official visit which commenced from January 25 and will end on January 28, 2023.
During his stay, he will hold talks with Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, as well as with the Senegalese authorities in charge of labour issues.
The visit to Senegal by Houngbo offers an opportunity to discuss with the Senegalese authorities, employers and trade unions on current issues in the world of work and to present his project for a Global Coalition for Social Justice.
Houngbo will meet with the ministers in charge of Labour, Employment and Vocational Training, Handicrafts and the Informal Sector. He will also meet with the social partners (employers’ and workers’ organisations) and the UN System “Country Team”.
Issues to be discussed include: decent employment, in particular for youth and women, labour migration and protection of migrant workers, extension of social protection, formalization of the informal economy, crises and social dialogue, and respect of international labour standards.
Houngbo is also expected to speak about the Global Coalition for Social Justice, an initiative to promote the prioritization of social justice and inequality reduction in national and global policymaking, as well as in development cooperation, financial, trade and investment agreements.
The ILO Director-General will also visit the artisanal village of Soumbédioune, on the western coast of Dakar, where he plans to meet with the artisans who are beneficiaries of an ILO-Belgium project that works to build robust national social protection systems to cover workers in the informal economy and their families, facilitate their access to health care and enable them to face the challenges of tomorrow in Senegal.
Houngbo is expected to hold a press conference at the end of his visit on Friday, 27th January from 7.30 pm to 9 pm at the Raddison Blu Hotel in Dakar.
