ILO and Southern African Development Community reinforce commitment to decent work and employment initiatives

On August 22, 2024, Mr. Alexio Musindo, Director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Decent Work Team for East and Southern Africa, paid a courtesy call to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat. He met with the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makombo N'tumba. The meeting reinforced the long-standing collaboration between the two organizations, particularly focusing on tackling high unemployment rates and improving labour conditions across the region.

Discussions highlighted the need to update the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SADC and ILO to reflect current global and regional priorities, including the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The two parties also emphasized ongoing efforts such as the SADC Decent Work Programme (2021-2025), which focuses on employment impact assessments, strengthening national employment policies, and improving labour market data collection.

The courtesy call reaffirmed the critical role of the ILO in supporting SADC’s employment and labour sector, particularly in addressing youth unemployment, fostering economic growth, and promoting decent work in the region.