Seminar/workshop on the methodology for developing a national labour policy

From 5 to 7 August 2010, a seminar/workshop on the methodology for formulating a national labour policy was held in Douala, Cameroon. The event was jointly organized by the African Regional Centre for Labour Administration (CRADAT), the ILO’s Labour Administration and Inspection Programme (LAB/ADMIN), and the Project for the Implementation of the ILO Declaration (PAMODEC) with assistance from the Decent Work Team in the ILO Country Office in Cameroon (DWT/CO). This event – similar to the one held last May in Cotonou, Benin, for French-speaking countries in West Africa – brought together the Secretaries and Directors-General of Labour from the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Rwanda. The social partners from Cameroon were also invited. Additionally, the Deputy Director of the ILO Office for Africa and the Director of the DWT/CO-Cameroon attended the session together with the Secretary General of the Coastal Governorate, who represented the Minister of Labour in the opening ceremony of the meeting. After three days of intense work, the workshop ended on a satisfactory note for all parties. Agreement was reached on the following main recommendations: (i) acceleration of the ratification of ILO Conventions No. 129 and 150 and (ii) initiation of the process of drafting national labour policies for individual countries, with the aim that by 2015 countries will have prepared a framework document.