Namibia has become the 20th International Labour Organization (ILO) member state to appoint national tripartite focal points to promote the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). This appointment marks a significant step toward strengthening responsible business practices in Namibia and fostering collaboration among the government, employers, and workers on sustainable enterprise, trade, and investment.
The national focal points will facilitate the use of the MNE Declaration through awareness-raising, capacity building, and dialogue platforms. They will organize tripartite-plus discussions involving multinational enterprises and national stakeholders to address opportunities and challenges related to multinational operations in Namibia.
Countries that have already established national focal points include Argentina, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Togo. Namibia’s appointment follows the adoption of a national roadmap to advance responsible business conduct during the workshop “Advancing Decent Work through Responsible Business Conduct and International Labour Standards in Trade and Investment,” organized by the SUSTAIN project.
The workshop served as a platform for dialogue, helping clarify the roles and responsibilities of government institutions, enterprises, and trade unions, and promoted policy coherence to ensure trade and investment effectively contribute to decent work and sustainable development.
The ILO MNE Declaration is the only global instrument jointly adopted by governments, employers, and workers to guide multinational and national enterprises on responsible business conduct. It provides practical guidance for promoting decent work in employment, training, working conditions, and industrial relations, while encouraging positive contributions to economic and social progress.
The SUSTAIN project, financed by the European Union, supports the promotion of decent work and capacity building for labour ministries, labour inspections, and social partners in Southern Africa. It aims to leverage trade and investment to advance decent work for men and women through adherence to international labour standards and responsible business practices guided by the ILO MNE Declaration.
