Prime Minister,
Mr Chairperson,
Dear Friends,

It is a rare moment and a proud one for the ILO to see its tripartite representatives in Africa - representatives of governments, employers and workers - solemnly gathered here. It is a great pleasure for me to witness this very important occasion in the very year in which I took over as Director-General of the ILO.

I would like to begin by thanking Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan, who honours us with his presence at the opening ceremony of our Ninth Regional Meeting. He represents H.E. Mr. Henri Konan Bédié, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, who was our distinguished guest on 10 June 1999 at the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

I also think back today to the first President of our host country, the late and lamented Félix Houphouët Boigny, the "Ram of Yamoussoukro", whose passing six years ago was commemorated yesterday with great reverence throughout Côte d'Ivoire. It would have been remiss of me not to recall him when addressing an audience from a continent where he was held in such high esteem.

The purpose of this Regional Meeting, today and during the coming days, is to ensure that the Organization listens to you. I want to get an idea of the direction which you would like our activities in Africa to take. I would like to situate your priorities within the overall framework of the four strategic objectives which we have adopted and which form the basis of our activities. I will come back to these later. The discussions and conclusions of this Meeting will therefore reflect Africans' own vision of Africa and will guide us in implementing our future programmes in the region.

Much is at stake here, and I have every confidence that the Officers of the Meeting, chaired by Mr. Marcel Zirimba Aka, Minister of Employment, Public Service and Social Security of Côte d'Ivoire, will guide our discussions to a successful conclusion. I would like to congratulate Mr. Zirimba Aka and his employer and worker colleagues on their election, and express my gratitude for his very kind words about me.

I am in Africa, a continent which, as I said in Windhoek, I love and respect. It is a region from which so many of my friends and colleagues come - friends and colleagues with whom I have shared ideals and faced difficulties and disappointments in a world full of difficulties for developing countries, brothers and sisters of all ages who are all members of my extended international family.

Since I was a young man, I have watched with fascination the gradual emergence of an independent Africa that is with each passing day more self-reliant within the community of nations. Ever since that time, I have retained a strong admiration for the heroes of African emancipation.

For me, one individual stands out as an embodiment of all those heroes - the late Julius Nyerere, the Mwalimu, whom I had the honour to know as a friend. He was my teacher and my mentor. Only recently, when I still represented my country on the United Nations Security Council, he guided me through the complex issues of the Great Lakes region. I have keenly felt the loss of this much-loved man who, in his work, in particular as Head of the South Centre in Geneva, did much to ensure that the developing countries, and especially their rural sector, are heard and understood.

A number of major African figures have had a lasting influence on the world through their generous commitment to the cause of human dignity and peace. I have been profoundly influenced by their vision and am one of those who believe in the promise of the future and the present of this continent, a future and a present which must obviously be built on the foundations of your own dreams and your own highest aspirations.

But we must acknowledge that dreams do not become reality on their own. In order to do so, they need craftsmen who will shape them, institutions which will embody them and give them concrete expression. As one century draws to a close and heralds a new one, the ILO wants to stand by Africa with realism and determination, as the continent strives to realize its ambitions.

By inclination and experience, I have always believed in the ability of peoples to transform reality. Nowhere, in my view, is this belief more justified than in Africa. The people of Africa - including, I may say, the women of Africa - are now more than ever confronting their problems in a dynamic and creative way, providing daily evidence of their unshakeable determination to take control of their own destiny.

In recent years, a number of African countries have made crucial advances towards open political systems, democracy and human rights. Important progress has been made in bringing about greater social participation and greater macro-economic stability. I am very happy to note that for a number of years, some African economies have been growing again, and the continent as a whole has managed to avoid the vicious circle of negative per capita growth for four years in a row.

However, as we all know, considerable challenges remain.

Growth rates are still too low to combat extreme poverty effectively. Africa continues to be tormented by ethnic conflicts and beset by civil wars which make it more vulnerable. The region is still forced to bear a crushing burden of debt servicing.

As I emphasized in my report, Decent Work, the economic situation throughout the region remains fragile, and the social situation remains critical, as a large proportion of the population still lives in conditions of absolute poverty.

Seen in this light, a better linkage between economic and social issues will require a closer relationship between the ILO and these other institutions, as well as with other bodies such as the African Development Bank. I believe that strengthening this cooperation, and allowing the ILO to play a more active role in working with the constituents in the structural adjustment process, will benefit Africa. This was also one of the main wishes you expressed during the intensive consultations which I conducted before and after my election and at meetings during the last sessions of the International Labour Conference and Governing Body.

That is why I went to Washington in September 1999, after the ILO had been granted observer status on the IMF's Interim Committee and on the Development Committee of the World Bank. At those meetings, I said that we could all contribute effectively to reducing poverty if greater attention were paid to the world of work as part of an integrated framework of development policies. I also emphasized the unique features of our own Organization within the multilateral system, which are its tripartite structure and its social mandate.

The ILO is not a financing body. Our capital is knowledge. Our "product" consists of research, analysis and information on the world of work, and the technical assistance given to our constituents to put them to good use. Our work is based on the experience we have acquired in the course of eighty years of dialogue and tripartite cooperation.

In Seattle, where the WTO Ministerial Conference took place recently, I also sought to emphasize the social dimension of globalization and recalled that too few people as yet were enjoying its benefits. I called for a change of course to ensure that the markets operate to the benefit of everyone, and stressed that the Conference was an opportunity to make trade relevant to the needs of developing countries.

The need to pursue the goals of economic and social efficiency simultaneously has never been more clear than it is today. The multilateral system comprising the international organizations is, in my view, far from operating at full capacity. Each organization - and this I think includes the ILO - tends to pursue its own mandate narrowly and with insufficient reference to the work of other organizations. I believe that within this system, we are reaching the intellectual and political limits of sector-based solutions to generalized problems in the globalized economy. We must now make the effort together to seek a more integrated way of thinking and operating in response to the needs of people.

We must therefore give all necessary impetus to the creation and development of enterprises. Economic and social progress needs the spirit of enterprise as the leaven which can produce growth, jobs and income; we know that in Africa, the answer to the problem of employment must involve the creation of small and medium-sized enterprises. Enterprise is at the heart of sustainable development, and for this reason we must encourage and support private initiatives. Similarly, we must pay particular attention to the informal economy which in many countries in the region is the source of 90 per cent of new jobs, although also a source of serious problems which affect the lives of millions of women, men and children.

In this regard we cannot over-emphasize the importance of a qualitative approach to employment. Of course, we want to create the greatest possible number of jobs, but we also want those jobs to be of an acceptable quality. This is a matter of principle for our Organization. How is this to be achieved?

The answer is that markets must be made to work for everyone.

We face the difficult task of finding modern solutions to the historical problem of ensuring that our peoples have access to education, training, jobs, health care and adequate incomes which will allow every individual to develop his or her talents, creativity and resources.

In an increasingly knowledge-based economy, Africa, no less than any other region, faces the challenge of reconciling the need for social justice with modern technology and work practices, by ensuring full respect for the fundamental rights at work which form the bedrock of an open and democratic society.

We must also face up to the challenge of providing better protection for everyone, given that the majority of the world's population has no social security coverage. This problem particularly affects the developing countries and is most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa, where generally less than 10 per cent of the population enjoys any social security protection. This is largely due to the absence of any social protection for informal sector workers and other vulnerable groups.

The issues of gender equality and development enter into this new framework in a way that cuts across all the strategic objectives. Turning first to the question of equality, I should like to pay tribute to the crucial role which the women of Africa play in the world of work. If we can be optimistic about Africa's future, it is due precisely to their strength, their virtues. This should spur us on to do more to change attitudes, structures, policies, laws and practice, in order to promote full and equal participation by women in social, economic, political and cultural life. And by making equality an integral part of all the ILO's programmes and activities, we will be acknowledging the key role played by women in development, the other cross-cutting issue.

Accelerating the process of development in Africa and ensuring that it is sustainable are crucial to attaining our strategic objectives. But we cannot achieve all this by waving a magic wand. We all know that great efforts are needed. Africans are the architects of their own future, but the international community has a responsibility to assist you in your development efforts. That is precisely why I am here with you now.

These initiatives have met a very encouraging response in the support given by the OAU to our strategic approach: It was decided in Windhoek in April that the OAU Labour and Social Affairs Commission should always include on the agenda of its ordinary meetings an item on the efforts made by ILO member States to implement the ILO Declaration in the areas of employment, social protection, social dialogue and technical cooperation.

First, with regard to the fundamental principle of the ILO, which is that every individual at work has rights, we have begun by promoting the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Workand its Follow-up. This Declaration was the ILO's response to the Social Summit in Copenhagen, where seven ILO Conventions were identified as the minimum social platform for the global economy.

In order to assist countries experiencing difficulties in ratifying these core Conventions, I was anxious that the very first activity under the new InFocus programme on promoting the Declaration should take place in Africa, in Dakar. The follow-up mechanism will make it possible to determine the technical assistance which the ILO could provide to improve the implementation of these fundamental principles and rights in Africa. This will obviously promote development.

I would like to pause for a moment to consider one of the specific goals referred to in the Declaration, namely, the elimination of child labour. I have devoted particular attention to the situation of that silent "nation" made up of 80 million working children in Africa. These children, aged between five and fourteen, and 170 million other children throughout the world, have to endure the misfortunes of a lost childhood and a future made uncertain by the denial of their basic rights.

We all know that child labour is linked to poverty and we must ensure that development results in jobs for parents and education for children, since this in the long term is the only durable solution. But we have decided this year to set about eliminating the morally abhorrent forms of child labour without delay - forms which must be eliminated immediately throughout the world, which cannot be justified or excused under any circumstances. These are: prostitution, pornography, hazardous and unhealthy work, activities related to drugs and crime, and forced labour involving children, including their use in armed conflicts.

As part of this general initiative, the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) was adopted unanimously by the International Labour Conference. I would like to pay tribute here to Minister Achi Atsain of Côte d'Ivoire, who led the discussions of the Committee on Child Labour with rigour and skill in an exemplary climate of mutual understanding.

It is thanks to the determination of Africa that we know the date on which this crucial Convention will come into force - 19 November 2000 - since the first two ratifications which are needed for this have come from this continent (the Seychelles and Malawi).

I have no doubt that this region will continue to set the example, and I invite each and every one of you to be goodwill ambassadors in this world-wide cause. I for my part will ensure that our InFocus Programme on Child Labour (IPEC) will provide any assistance which you may require in this area. We already have a presence in 60 countries which have invited us.

Turning to the matter of job creation, government representatives in Windhoek affirmed the importance which they attach to assistance in the formulation and implementation of active employment policies. The employers stressed the central role of investment as a job-creation tool. The workers emphasized the importance of human resources development.

In order to enhance the assistance which we provide in these areas, especially through the promotion of innovative growth strategies capable of creating jobs and reducing poverty, it has been my concern to ensure that concrete activities should enable the social partners to refine their strategies and thus continue more effectively to promote decent employment. I also decided in June to allocate resources additional to those of the UNDP in order to expand the Jobs for Africa programme from ten to sixteen countries.

As for social protection, the President of Namibia, H.E. Mr. Sam Nujoma, speaking in Windhoek, drew attention to the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS on the African continent. UNAIDS estimates that, of the global total of people infected with HIV, 70 per cent, or nearly 23 million cases, are found in African countries. Such a pandemic has all the makings of a terrible human, economic, social and cultural tragedy.

It imperils the fragile gains of development by jeopardizing efforts to develop human capital and forcing entire families into even greater poverty. It challenges our concepts of compassion, solidarity and social inclusion.

History teaches us that, in the face of adversity, societies cannot survive, win through and prosper unless they can remain cohesive and strengthen their social fabric. This is one of the dilemmas created by the AIDS pandemic.

It was to support the substantive efforts made in your countries that I decided to strengthen the ILO's activities in this area by convening a meeting in Windhoek. The Platform of Action, which was drawn up on that occasion with the active participation of tripartite representatives from twenty African countries and in close collaboration with UNAIDS, will be submitted to you during this Meeting. It will be essential to define the ILO's specific role in the global fight against this pandemic.

Finally, we come to social dialogue. No one will believe that political stability, economic growth, job creation and social justice can come about of their own accord. These essential conditions for human progress require conviction and courage, but also, and above all, a belief in dialogue and consultation as means of resolving conflicts of interest, or of simply overcoming breakdowns in communication.

Again, it was my wish that the first activity of the InFocus Programme on the Promotion of Social Dialogue should take place in Africa, and, symbolically, in Addis Ababa, where the OAU is based. By facilitating the search for and maintenance of peace, nurturing democratic life and promoting the transformation of economic growth into social justice, tripartism and social dialogue can contribute towards the attainment of all the ILO's strategic objectives.

Experience shows that dialogue, although indispensable, is not always easy. It requires a spirit of openness, tolerance and respect for others. These qualities are the essential ingredients of social progress. I call on Africa to put social dialogue at the heart of all its economic and social activities as an essential means of achieving stability and progress.

On the other hand, we in the ILO must not attempt to do everything on our own. I am aware that our values and our aims are widely shared, our role acknowledged. In my view, we should be agents for change, catalysts, advocates of the indissoluble link between economic efficiency and social efficiency. Partnerships within the United Nations system and with international, regional and subregional financial institutions should enhance our common capabilities. A number of bilateral donors are also very willing, with us, to emphasize the social dimension of development assistance. We are ready and willing to promote trilateral agreements, through the different sources of international cooperation, involving your countries and the ILO.

I would therefore encourage you to be creative and imaginative in your deliberations, ambitious and bold in your proposals concerning the development of our technical assistance in your region.

I for my part undertake to ensure that Africa will always find in the ILO an attentive partner in dialogue, a special ally which will accompany it along the road to development. You will also always find in me a loyal friend.

Notes

1. For further information on the IXth African Regional Meeting please see the public Web site on this meeting. (Back)