Lubango – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) needs to overcome a number of challenges, including excessive informality and poor compulsory social protection, said on Sunday in Lubango, Huila province, the Minister of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security (MAPTESS), Teresa Rodrigues Dias.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting of experts at the SADC Labour and Employment Ministers' Meeting, which is taking place in that province, Teresa Dias said that the shortage of decent and sustainable jobs is another problem that needs to be studied and solved, which is why "countless" agreements have been signed and ratified, many of them by all the member states.
However, the minister pointed out that it is not enough to sign or ratify "good agreements", but it is also necessary to guarantee their immediate implementation, so that the effects of the work outlined can be reflected in quality and efficiency, fundamentally in achieving the objectives defined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Statutes.
She urged the representatives of the organisation's member states, as well as the social partners, to work hard to implement the decent and sustainable work agenda, by promoting job creation and access to productive employment opportunities for young people.
Other actions in this context, according to the minister, include the establishment of fair labour standards with emphasis on the fundamental principles and rights at the workplace and the strengthening of social security systems with the aim to enable progressive extension for adequate coverage for all the workers.
The reinforcement of social dialogue mechanisms both regional and national, involving tripartite between governments, employers and workers, with a view to promoting industrial and labour market stability and strengthening the governance of labour migration in favour of social and economic development, are other guidelines that should be followed, according to Teresa Dias.
At the meeting to take place until Thursday, participants will discuss topics related to the state of the market in the SADC, the implementation of action plan on labour migration, the Code of Conduct on Child Labour, the implementation of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) international labour standards and the draft model framework for autonomous systems for resolving labour disputes.
The technical meeting of experts, which began today, runs until Tuesday, with the ministers' meeting taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.
Participating in the meeting are the 16 member states of the organisation, namely Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, eSwatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Angola has been a full member of the SADC, exercising its rights and fulfilling its obligations under the organisation's constitution since its creation on 17 August 1992.
SADC, which has its headquarters in Gaberone, Botswana, is a regional bloc that aims to create a common market in the medium term, following the basic model of the European Union (EU) and some aspects of Mercosur. It also aims to promote efforts to establish peace and security in the region. MS/MRA/DOJ
