Trade for Decent Work Project

Summary
Through the project the ILO is supporting the Mozambican Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and its Constituents, in their continued endeavors to strengthening its capacity to fulfil its reporting obligations and act upon the recommendations and observations made by ILO Supervisory Bodies, namely the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR).

The direct target groups (Stakeholders and beneficiaries) are:

• The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MITSS)
• Ministry of Transport and Communications (Maritime Authority)
• Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP)
• Secretary of State for Youth and Employment (SEJE)
• Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIC)
• Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME)
• Employers’ Organizations
• Workers’ Organizations
• The Judiciary, National Assembly academic institutions (Universities) and civil society at large.

Project context/overview

Project activities resulted of a joint consultation process, with the Constituents, which started back in 2019, after Mozambique’s signature of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, as per amendment. Ratification was registered with effect from 25th of May 2021, making Mozambique the 98th country to ratify it, and 22nd country in Africa to formalize its international commitment to the instrument. Besides that, the Project is also viewed as part of the response towards the Mozambican Government to the SADC’s calling upon its member countries to improve their compliance with ILOs’ eight fundamental Conventions.

In Mozambique, the Project has a specific emphasis on child labour, enriched by work to assist the complimentary actions after ratification process of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), and promoting the Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). This is being achieved through capacity development (via ILO International Training Center in Turin), ILO specialist policy advise, joint tripartite dialogues supported by ILO and consultancies (e.g., consultancies for: a gap Analysis (Analysis of Mozambican Legislation considering the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006); Identification/inventory of local content opportunities with interested MNEs operating in the extractive industry).

Project objectives

The Project aims at improving the application of the International Labour Organization (ILO) fundamental Conventions in Mozambique, a European Union (EU) trading partner, contributing to the United-Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8. The action includes bringing labor law and practice in line with International Labour Standards (ILS), building the institutional capacity of public administrations, social partners, and other relevant stakeholders to support law reform and reporting, and strengthening institutional frameworks to facilitate social dialogue and conflict resolution.

The specific objective is to promote the ratification and application of ILO fundamental Conventions with a focus on supporting the Mozambican Government complete the process of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended.

Project outcomes/main activities

In Mozambique, the project is based on three main outcomes:

Outcome 1: Improving compliance with the Fundamental principles and Rights at Work

The project is assisting Mozambique in improving its compliance with the eight ILO Fundamental Conventions as well as with the Maritime Labour Convention.

Outcome 2: The nexus between Decent Work and Trade is strengthened through engagement and dialogue with multinational enterprises

To this end, the project is building the capacity of ILO tripartite constituents to engage with multinational enterprises by ensuring a common understanding of the MNE Declaration and its principles. The ILO will be assisting the tripartite constituents in the organization of a dialogue based on the approach of the ILO MNE Declaration on opportunity and challenges of the operations of multinational enterprises in the extractive sector in Maputo with representatives from Cabo Delgado, Tete and Inhambane to identify and propose measures and initiatives for the realization of decent work.

Outcome 3: Linking decent work, trade and the environment through tripartite engagement on just transition and the green economy

3.1 Tripartite constituents increase their awareness in the area of the just transition and the green economy and their link with International Labour Standards.

The action will aim to strengthen the nexus between decent work, trade and the environment through tripartite engagement on just transition and the green economy. In particular, this work stream will build on the ongoing decent work for sustainable and inclusive economic transformation in Mozambique with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique. The ILO is supporting constituents to develop green macro-economic and sectoral policy measures to which a focus on just transition will be added. Furthermore, discussions will take place through online webinars on which sectors can best be stimulated to create decent, sustainable and green employment opportunities, in particular youth and those living in rural and coastal areas, which have been hard affected by the recent tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth. The effects of climate change are seen and experienced by Mozambicans and the Just Transition dialogues will take outset in the lived experiences and the ongoing collaboration with constituents with a view to develop just transition strategies for the affected population groups

Contact information

Contact persons:
Mr. Paulo Selemane,
National Project Coordinator, CO-Lusaka
selemane@iloguest.org
Contact: +258823117550

Mr. George Okutho,
Director, Country Office, CO-Lusaka
okutho@ilo.org

Project Budget: 160,000 Euros
Tags: Decent Work, Conventions, MNE Declaration, Green jobs, just transition

Decent Work, Conventions, MNE Declaration, Green jobs, just transition