Panafrican News Agency

Senegalese minister urges African countries to establish social dialogue institutions

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) – The president of the francophone social dialogue international (IFDS), Senegalese Mrs Innocence Ntap Ndiaye, on Monday called on countries to establish social dialogue institutions, at the opening of the organisation’s second general assembly in Cotonou.

"At this national scale, I can’t but avail myself of this forum to urge the national tripartite envoys to work in order to establish tripartite social dialogue institutions and, in case when they already established them, to give strategic place in the governance of professional relations," said Mrs Ndiaye, at the opening of the conference on the theme, "Social dialogue, public policies, labour migration and informal economy."

"It is therefore in this sense, each investing fully in their countries, that we could together play our role to make Africa prosperous, not only through its natural resources, but also through its economic and social performances," she said, citing the examples of Burkina Faso and Tunisia who recently established the High Council for social dialogue and national social dialogue council respectively.

Mrs NDiaye said that "in the same vein, our cultural heritage, which gives utmost importance to dialogue, should as well be capitalized on to spare us the culture of confrontation, as we adopt the culture of consultation in all circumstances".

The conference, which brings together representatives from about 20 francophone countries, aims to "improve and make more inclusive the participation of social partners in discussion of public policies, particularly in terms of job creation, labour migration and informal economy".

Held in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Dutch International Cooperation Agency (CNV), the activity, is within the framework of IFDS’s strategic orientation.

It is related to strengthening of capacities for its members, enabling them to better identify the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders to tripartite social dialogue in the economic and social development and contribution of social dialogue to a better management of the causes and consequences of labour migration.

The conference, which is due to end Wednesday, will also examine and validate the document related to the IFDS Project, as well as its operational action plan.
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