Labour Minister, ILO Country Director strengthen partnership on decent work and jobs
The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director for Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Dr Vanessa F. Phala, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration on decent work, job creation, skills development and workers’ rights.
The commitment was made when Dr Phala and an ILO delegation paid a courtesy call on the Minister to introduce the team and discuss ongoing and future areas of collaboration with the Ministry.
Dr Phala said the partnership would focus on priorities under the Decent Work Country Programme 2026–2030, including job creation, social protection and workers’ rights. She said the ILO would continue to provide technical support in areas including employment policy, labour market governance, occupational safety and health, labour legislation and productivity.
Dr. Phala also highlighted key ILO-supported initiatives, including the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills, Productivity Ecosystems, Jobs and Agriculture, and ACCEL Africa, which seeks to eliminate child labour from selected supply chains.
Mr Agyekum welcomed the partnership, stressing the importance of productivity measurement and skills development in addressing Ghana’s employment challenges. “Skill development to me is very key,” he said, calling for greater attention to practical skills in areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, fabrication and other technical fields.
On labour migration, the Minister called for stronger collaboration to promote fair recruitment and protect Ghanaian workers seeking employment abroad. “Fair recruitment is very important,” he said, stressing that migrant workers must be treated with dignity.
Mr Agyekum also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating child labour and protecting children from hazardous work, saying, “Our future is based on these young people.” He further called for stronger occupational safety measures, including basic life-support training in workplaces.
The two sides expressed their commitment to deepening the longstanding Ghana-ILO partnership to improve employment opportunities and productivity
Source: Northwebonline.com
