DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAMME (DWCP) ETHIOPIA (2009-2012)

The Ethiopia's Decent Work County Programme (DWCP) is a culmination of a series of consultations between the government, workers' and employers' organizations on one hand and between the tripartite partners and the ILO on the other, with the involvement of the target beneficiaries, researchers and other stakeholders. The DWCP priorities have been selected taking into account the comparative advantage of the ILO in delivering the required support to its constituents; the impact of such interventions in the achievement of the overall objectives of Ethiopian development strategy - PASDEP, the commitments made in the UNDAF, and the 11th ILO African Regional Meeting, held in Addis Ababa in April 2007, during which the Decent Work Agenda for Africa (DWAA) was adopted for the period 2007-2015. Factoring in the impact of the global economic crisis and the current context of globalization in Africa, the DWCP also ensures the implementation of the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization in Ethiopia. In essence, it provides the framework for ILO's contribution, in collaboration with its constituents, to the realization of the objectives of the country's PASDEP, whose strategy is, among others, "to raise the employability of labour resources and strengthening private sector growth and development .…. especially in industry as means of achieving off-farm employment". It is grounded on the need for integrating a combination of measures in the areas of employment promotion, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue based on the country's priorities and commitment. Accordingly, the DWCP contains a wide range of strategic interventions required to support national initiatives aimed at reducing decent work deficits and strengthening national capacity to integrate decent work within social and economic policies. These include, among others, development of a youth employment plan and strategy; enhancing the competitiveness and employment generation potentials of the textile, garment and floriculture sub-sectors; putting in place effective HIV/AIDS workplace policies, care and support programmes; application of international labour standards and fight against child labour; and ensuring an improved social dialogue environment for enhanced performance leading to quality jobs, productivity and profitability of enterprises. The DWCP is the single framework and umbrella through which all ILO's technical cooperation programmes in Ethiopia will be guided and delivered. It has been designed for the period 2009-2012. It will be jointly reviewed, on annual basis or biennially, by the ILO, its constituents, contributing donors, implementing agencies and other stakeholders. It will consequently be modified and rolled over to take into account new developments and lessons learnt. We, the signatories below, commend this programme to the Government, Social Partners, the UN System, Donors and Development partners, and all Stakeholders.download