The International Labour Organization (ILO), in cooperation with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), is organizing an Africa regional meeting of labour statisticians and a capacity-building workshop from 29 May to 2 June 2017, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, at Ramada Encore Hotel.

The main purpose of the workshop (29-30 May 2017) is to strengthen capacity of participants from more than 35 African countries to produce labour market statistics that are useful for the formulation and implementation of labour policies, projects and programmes in support of the goal of decent work for all within the context of SDGs.

The workshop is expected to be opened by the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Hon. Jenista Mhagama (MP)  will also be addressed by the ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Africa, Mr. Aeneas C. Chuma and Senior Representatives from AfDB and COMESA.

The workshop will be immediately followed by the Preparatory Regional Meeting for Africa (31 May – 2 June 2017), a consultation process initiated by the ILO to ensure that the continent’s views on the labour markets and labour force data priorities of countries are properly reflected in the proposed international standards for statistics on work relationships.

These views on the current status of statistics on work relationships in African countries will be integrated in the global discussion planned for October 2018 when the International Labour Organization will convene the 20th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference will review, discuss and adopt international standards for statistics on work relationships.

The workshop agenda will focus on the new framework for work statistics, the Decent Work Measurement Framework and decent work-related SDG indicators, covering gender mainstreaming in labour statistics as well as data collection programs and planning.

The October 2018 ICLS is expected to adopt new labour statistics standards within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, please contact the Country Office for East Africa in Dar es Salaam- minja@ilo.org