(11-06-23) GENEVA — Somalia has achieved a historic milestone in its quest to develop a roadmap that will help it emerge from the steep unemployment rates imposed by a devastating three-decade armed conflict.
The unemployment rate is soaring at an estimated 70%, leaving the country’s youth jobless.
More than seventy per cent of Somalia’s population consists of youths under the age of 25. They are considered crucial to driving the country’s economic recovery. However, high poverty rates and limited employment opportunities hamper their ability to contribute to economic and social reconstruction due to a shortage of viable opportunities.
On Friday, Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Bihgi Egeh, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU), and employers signed the first-ever Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) on the margins of the 111th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.
The annual conference, which brought together workers, employers, and government delegates from the ILO’s 187 member states, focused on a wide range of issues, including a just transition to sustainable and inclusive economies, quality apprenticeships, social justice, and worker protection.
The DWCP will focus on several key areas, including jobs, productivity and sustainable growth, livelihoods, human capital, and a skilled workforce, as well as labour market governance and labour rights.
“I am proud to have appended my signature to the first-ever decent work program on behalf of the trade unions of Somalia,” said Omar Faruk, a trade unionist and General Secretary of FESTU, who co-signed the programme.
Mr Egeh termed the signing of the DWCP with ILO Director for Africa Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon as a milestone in the Somali government’s efforts to advance Decent Work and Social Justice in Somalia.
The signing of the DWCP followed negotiations between the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, FESTU, and the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), which represents Somali employers.
The minister expressed hope that the implementation of the DWCP will have a positive effect on President Hassan Sheikh’s national job creation plan for Somali youth through the National Youth Development Initiative, which was launched in May 2022.
It will also elevate the collaboration between the ILO and Somalia to a higher level, he added.
The DWCP is a key plank of the UN’s 2030 Vision aiming to bring about Sustainable Development and related goals worldwide. It is viewed as central to delivering inclusive and equitable development for Somalia.
ILO member states recognise three sectors: government, workers, and employers. It acknowledges that Somali workers are represented by FESTU, while the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is recognised as the representative of Somali employers.
Reporter: Abdirisak Mohamud Tuuryare
