Africa-Press – Angola. Angola, Malawi and Lesotho signed and must quickly ratify the Protocol on Employment and Labor of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), during the meeting of Employment and Labor Ministers of the Community and Social Partners, whose work ends Wednesday, in Huíla.
The information was released Wednesday, in Lubango, by the executive secretary of SADC, Elias Magosi, during the opening session of the event, expressing that it was “encouraging” to note that the three countries took the lead in the meeting, for which he congratulated them for the “decisive step”.
He also encouraged other Member States to sign and ratify the document, so that it comes into force as quickly as possible and benefits the citizens of the community.
Existing protocols and agreements are recognized tools at the regional level, important for driving the integration agenda, developed by members, the process of which involves a lot of work, according to Magosi.
He explained that the speed at which the region advances in ratifying and signing agreements can only make a difference between members and achieve true integration.
He asked Member States to avoid expanding national dialogues on the subject, some of which take between 10 and 15 years, as it is necessary to accelerate internal discourse to implement the documents.
“The regions that are moving at high speed are those that make decisions and ratify instruments more quickly. We must do this too, and based on the normative nature of the SADC labor sector, to allow for stability in the labor market, which is crucial for the social and global development of the region”, he stated.
Elias Magosi stressed that unemployment associated with under-unemployment represents a more urgent and inevitable challenge of the times, since in some countries, close to 50 percent of people looking for work are unable to find work.
SADC concerned about eliminating child labor
On the other hand, the executive secretary of SADC, Elias Magosi, said that the elimination of child labor is a concern, as the region is dominated by young people who represent close to three quarters of the population and the development potential lies in this demographic dividend.
He defended the need to adopt “measurable” actions to invest in the development of children and youth in general.
He highlighted that the crucial part of this development requires the elimination of child labor, with the creation of opportunities for all children in the region to have access to education and complete their education.
“It is worrying to note that child labor, including its worst forms, exists in the region. The latest statistics reveal that accidents in this segment range from five to close to 32 percent,” he revealed.
He praised Member States that are implementing practical actions to eliminate child labor, mainly through the domestication of the agreement on the implementation of the SADC Code of Conduct on child labor.
He thanked the support of the ILO and IOM, whose efforts effectively contribute to the progress of Member States in implementing key programs, such as the Decent Work program 2021-2025 and the labor migration action plan 2020-2025.
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