Namibia has taken a significant step toward achieving its ambitious target of creating 500,000 jobs within five years by committing to the systematic use of Employment Impact Assessments (EmpIAs). Announced at a high-level event in Windhoek on 31 October 2025, this initiative aligns with the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions and integrates EmpIAs into Namibia’s policy and budgeting framework. The goal is to ensure that every government decision contributes meaningfully to inclusive, evidence-based job creation in line with the country’s Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
The event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations and the International Labour Organization (ILO), brought together senior government officials, social partners, and development agencies to explore how EmpIAs can be institutionalized as a central policy tool. It also formed part of ongoing initiatives under the UN Joint Programme on Agri-systems Transformation through Biomass Processing for Decent Job Creation and the Extension of Social Protection—key components of the Global Accelerator. Prior to the event, public officials and social partners received intensive technical training on using employment impact analysis to evaluate how policies, investments, and sectoral interventions affect job creation and inclusive growth.
Speaking at the event, UN Resident Coordinator Hopolang Phororo praised Namibia’s leadership as one of the first “Pathfinder” countries under the Global Accelerator. She highlighted that institutionalizing EmpIAs would ensure every policy and investment decision contributes to job creation. Phororo emphasized that embedding employment considerations across all levels of government decision-making will promote coherent policymaking, sustainable financing, and strategic partnerships that generate decent work and expand social protection. She also noted that aligning EmpIAs with the NDP6 strengthens Namibia’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth, ensuring that young people and marginalized groups are not left behind.
In his keynote address, Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel of Justice and Labour Relations defined Employment Impact Assessment as a structured, analytical process to evaluate how government actions influence employment outcomes. He explained that EmpIAs promote evidence-based policymaking, helping identify both positive and negative effects of decisions on job creation. The Minister stressed that Namibia’s employment agenda must be guided by inclusion, fairness, and the principles of decent work—ensuring that job creation is not only about numbers but also about quality, safety, and sustainability.
Efforts to institutionalize EmpIAs are already advancing, with training provided to officials from multiple ministries and agencies to build national capacity for applying the tool. Follow-up actions are planned to deepen its integration across all government institutions. This initiative represents more than just a new technical approach—it marks a transformative shift toward a governance model where economic growth directly translates into decent work, social protection, and dignity for all Namibians.
