Kigali, Rwanda (ILO News) - On 16th May the Rwandan Minister of Public Service and Labour released the Kigali Declaration, developed at the Ministerial Session of the 19th ILO Regional Seminar for Labour-based Practitioners taking place in Kigali, Rwanda. Seventeen (17) African Ministers and their Representatives from Algeria, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tunisia and Zimbabwe participated in the Ministerial Session. The Declaration amongst other recognizes that “infrastructural development is key for successful inclusion, integration, economic and social development and it is essential to ensure the benefits from construction activities benefit young men and women, and persons with disabilities”.

 

The Ministers and their Representatives have collectively committed to support “institutionalizing and strengthening the EIIP approach through an appropriate strategy and high level national inter-sectoral coordination structures and implement integrated multi-sectoral employment programmes, [including expanding employment intensive green works] consistent with national development and sectoral priorities”. They highlighted the need to conduct “employment impact assessments of key policies and investments to ensure that these are able to have their employment potential and supporting and strengthening the development of quality employment indicators and investment decisions of the development of financing institutions.”

They are also calling upon the International Labour Organization (ILO) to:

1. “Expand on its capacities and abilities to provide EIIP technical support to countries requesting such, support in the context of implementing this Declaration”.
2. “Take an active role in facilitating South-South cooperation at the regional and continental level through exchanges, sharing of experiences on good practices in amongst others the areas of inclusive public procurement, inclusive infrastructure development, skills development, gender empowerment, exit strategies for young people involved in EIIP projects, green works and nature-based solutions, and small contractor development”.
3. “Advocate with the World Bank, the IMF, the African Development Bank, other international and regional financial institutions, and other development partners, for integrating stronger employment outcomes and social dimensions into their financing and lending portfolios”.
4. “Monitor the implementation of the commitments in this Declaration and report on progress of their implementation at the 20th Regional Seminar for Labour-based practitioners”.

The 20th Regional Seminar will be held in 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.