In October, over 60 representatives from governments, social partners, and civil society in Kenya and Uganda participated in a series of activities under the ILO IMPLEMENT project, funded by the Government of Flanders, Belgium, to advance decent work through trade and investment policy. The programme, facilitated by experts from the ILO Research Department and the ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, included consultations and national tripartite seminars, as well as in-person and virtual discussions with key stakeholders in both countries. The seminars held in Nairobi and Kampala created platforms for dialogue on aligning trade and investment policies with decent work principles.
Katrien de Pauw, General Representative of the Government of Flanders, emphasized the importance of inclusive trade policies that reflect the needs of workers, enterprises, and the informal economy. She highlighted that fostering dialogue between trade and labour actors can promote decent work, enterprise development, and shared prosperity.
In Kenya, participants included the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, trade unions, employer federations, and trade promotion agencies. Bruno Otiato from COTU noted that young workers in business processing and outsourcing face ongoing labour rights challenges and emphasized the need for these conversations to translate into tangible protections.
In Uganda, stakeholders included government ministries, trade unions, employer organizations, and civil society groups. Patrick J. Mugisha of Uganda’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives stressed that people drive economic growth and that providing social protection and decent working conditions is essential for sustainable development.
Marva Corley-Coulibaly, ILO IMPLEMENT project manager, highlighted the importance of coherent trade and investment policies in advancing decent work. She noted that while awareness of trade and labour issues exists, connecting dialogue to concrete implementation is crucial for policy progress.
The ILO IMPLEMENT project, officially titled “Trade and Investment Arrangements: Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement for Promoting Decent Work,” is part of the broader INTEGRATE research programme. It aims to strengthen stakeholder capacity in African and Asian countries to implement initiatives supporting decent work in the context of trade and investment.
