Mukwaya leads team to International Labour Organisation meeting

Janat Mukwaya and Pius Bigirimana in Geneva, Switzerland

Janat Mukwaya, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development is currently in Geneva, Switzerland attending the 331^st Governing Body Meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Uganda was voted to the Governing Body for a three-year term during the  International Labour Conference held in Geneva in June.

The governing body will discuss a number of issues including the contemporary global challenges of labour migration and the strategies of promoting fair labour migration governance in the countries of origin, transit and destination.

The Human Resource Strategy 2018-21 is also being considered.

According to a release from the ministry, discussion on this matter is dominated by concerns by the African Group about under representation by African countries within the ILO staff structure.

The meeting is also expected to take a decision on whether the ILO should terminate Public Private Partnerships 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 contributing funds to ILO's programmes of elimination of child labour in the tobacco industry.

Furthermore, the meeting adopted a decision to exclude France and the UK from attending ILO Africa Regional Meetings as full members with equal rights as independent African states. The representation of the two had roots in their former role as colonialists.

Uganda's delegation includes Pius Bigirimana, permanent secretary oat the gender ministryand Martin Wandera the director of labour, employment and occupational safety and health.