A new era for employment in Gabon: Historic agreement during visit of ILO Director-General
The official visit of ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo ended with the historic creation of a sub-committee on employment and decent work at the National Assembly.
4 July 2024
LIBREVILLE (ILO News) The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, paid an official visit to Gabon from July 1 to 2, 2024. During this visit, Mr. Houngbo met with the highest authorities of the transition, representatives of employers' and workers' organizations, and donors based in Libreville: the representative in Gabon of the African Development Bank, the Ambassador of the European Union, and the Ambassador of the United States.
This visit follows the historic signing of Gabon's first Decent Work Country Program (DWCP) with the ILO for the period 2024-2027, on May 22, 2024. This agreement underlines Gabon's commitment to promoting the Decent Work agenda, with a focus on youth employment, vocational training, social protection and effective social dialogue.
On July 1, the Director-General of the ILO was received in audience by the President of the Transition, Brigadier General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. During the meeting, discussions focused on the promotion of youth employment, the implementation of policies to improve access to the labour market, and the importance of vocational training.
The President and the Director-General stressed the need to orient young people towards future-oriented professions in order to reduce the unemployment rate and strengthen the skills required to meet the needs of the labour market.
Mr. Houngbo also met with Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Planning and Forecasting, the Minister of Labor and the Fight against Unemployment Adrien Nguema Mba, as well as the First Vice-President of the National Assembly, the Honourable François Obiang, and the President of the Senate, Paulette Missambo.
Discussions focused on strengthening institutions to ensure a just transition, the issue of youth employment and the capacity to absorb the youth unemployment rate through adequate support for the private sector and training institutions to ensure that job profiles match the needs of the labour market.
Other issues discussed included the worst forms of child and forced labour, a review of the labour code, elections for workers' organization representatives to enable tripartism and social dialogue to function, employment statistics, the business environment and Gabon's need to attract foreign direct investment in a post-crisis situation.
The meeting with the National Assembly concluded with an historic agreement to set up a specific sub-committee on employment and decent work. This new sub-committee will support improved governance of the currently highly fragmented employment sub-sector, as well as the effective implementation of the decent work and social justice agenda, and will reflect, according to the First Vice-President, the determination of MPs to contribute to the implementation of the International Labour Organization's recommendations in the country.
On the second day of his visit, the ILO Director-General held meetings with representatives of Gabonese Workers’ and Employers’ Organizations. These exchanges addressed crucial issues such as social dialogue and the organization of professional elections. Jean-Claude Bekale, General Secretary of the Gabonese Confederation of Free Trade Unions, described the meeting as historic, underlining the importance of social dialogue in the country.
Mr. Houngbo also met with the Fédération of Entreprises of Gabon, represented by one of its vice-presidents, Jean-Baptiste Bikalou, to discuss employer-employee relations and current labour market challenges. He asked them to maintain a spirit of openness to ensure the health of social dialogue in the country.
Another highlight of Mr. Houngbo's visit was a meeting with the ambassadors of the United States and the European Union in Gabon. These exchanges served to strengthen international cooperation on decent work and social justice, particularly with regard to the urgent need to combat forced labour and support youth employment in the country.
At the end of his visit, the Director-General stressed the importance of aligning young people's skills with the requirements of the job market. "Orienting young people towards the professions of the future is crucial. It's not just a question of awarding masters, doctorates or Ph.D.’s. It's also about training skilled workers and equipping young people for the trades of the future."
Gabon signs its first Decent Work Country Programme for 2024-2027