Uganda Assumes More Responsibilities at the International Labour Organisation

On  Thursday 15th June 2017 Uganda was nominated to the Board of the International Training Centre (ITC) and designated as the Official Spokesperson of the Africa Group on Social Dialogue in the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation.

The international Training Centre, which is, based in Turin, Italy, is the training arm of the International Labour Organization. The Centre provides high-level in-service training for governments, employers’ organisations, workers’ organisations as well as other national and international partners in support of Decent Work and sustainable development. It also offers Master Degree Programmes in Labour Economics, Occupational Safety and Health and Industrial Relations among others. The Board to which Uganda has been appointed, is the highest policy and decision-making organ of the International Training Centre (ITC)

In the capacity of the Official Spokesperson of the Africa Group on Social Dialogue in the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation, Uganda will be responsible for initiating and presenting Africa’s position on policies and strategies of promoting consensus building and democratic involvement of workers and employers on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy.

This comes a few days after Uganda was unanimously elected to the ILO Governing body.  Uganda was on Monday 12th June 2017 overwhelmingly voted to the Governing Body of International Labour Organisation by the ongoing 106th International Labour Conference in Geneva for the period 2017-2020. Uganda was first nominated by the Africa Group at the African Union meeting held in April 2017 in Algiers, Algeria. The Governing Body is the Executive Organ of the ILO. Therefore, as a member of the governing Body Uganda will play a key role in determining ILO Policies, budgets and programmes all over the world as well as the election of the Director General of the ILO.

The Uganda Delegation at the conference is headed by Hon Janat Mukwaya, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social, Mr. Pius Bigirimana Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ambassador Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Uganda’s Permanent Secretary to the Geneva Mission, Mrs. Rosemary Ssenabulya, Executive Director Federation of Uganda Employers, Peter Werikye, Secretary General, National Organisation of Trade Unions, Martin Wandera, Director for Labour, and Patrick Okello, the Acting Commissioner for Labour at the Gender Ministry, among others.