Uganda is set to benefit from a $10m (shs37bn) fund aimed at combating child labour in Africa.
This was revealed yesterday during the 334th session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva Switzerland.
Uganda’s delegation led by Hon Janat Mukwaya, Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development is currently attending the session.
It begun on 25th October and is set to end on 8th November 2018.
Other members of the Delegation include Mr. Pius Bigirimana, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and Mr. Martin Wandera the Director of Labour, Employment and Occupational Safety and Health.
Uganda was voted to the Governing Body for a three year term during the 106th International Conference held in Geneva in June 2017.
The Governing Body is the executive organ of the International Labour Organisation and already a wide range of issues have been discussed at the ongoing session including the programme and budget proposals for the biennium 2020-21; establishment of voluntary peer-review mechanisms of national employment policies and the high-level evaluations of strategies and Decent Work Country Programmes.
The Govering Body is also expected to guide the International Labour Office on how to transition from Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the tobacco industry in line with the Model Policy for Agencies of the United Nations System on Preventing Tobacco Industry Interference.
Under the PPP’s the tobacco industry has been funding ILO’s programmes on elimination of child labour in the tobacco industry.
In a statement made on behalf of the African Group, Hon Janat Mukwaya guided that the transition from tobacco funding should take due consideration of the principle of the best interest of the child articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
She accordingly advised the International Labour Office to come up with a clear exit strategy from tobacco funding which among others ensures no disruption of the ongoing efforts to eliminate child labour in the tobacco sector.
In response to the Africa Group Statement, the international Labour Office informed the Governing body that USD 10.8 million has been earmarked for Malawi and Uganda as part of a broader partnership to combat child labour in Africa.
In a related development, Mr. Pius Bigirimana, has been designated Chairperson of Policy Development Section of the 334th Session of the Governing Body.
The policy development section deals with all agenda items related to employment creation, social protection and development cooperation.
To this end Mr. Pius Bigirimana on Thursday chaired a sitting on enhanced programme of development cooperation for the occupied Arab territories.
