The first regional dialogue on child labour and forced labour in sub-Saharan Africa, facilitated by the International Labour Organization (ILO), was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 22-23 June 2017 at Elilly Hotel.
More than 80 participants from Sub-Saharan Africa were in attendance Forum, including Governments’ delegates and representatives of trade unions and employers’ organizations from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The high-level interactive platform was held in the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdulfatah Abdullahi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Ethiopia, Mr Aeneas C. Chuma, Assistant Director-General of the ILO and Regional Director for Africa, as well as senior representatives from the Africa Union Institutions, regional economic communities, UN agencies and other international organizations, civil society, the private sector, youth and academia.
The main objective of the consultation was to identify common challenges, priorities and good practices in eliminating child labour and forced labour in sub Saharan Africa in preparation for the IV Global Conference in Argentina and to provide a forum to discuss operationalization of Alliance 8.7 in Africa and to provide concrete recommendations on the way forward.