On Tuesday 21^st October 2014, Ms Veronique Bresson, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development met with Ms. Nombana Razafinisoa, a programme officer with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Ms. Razafinisoa was on an official mission in the country as part of Seychelles’ decent work country programme (DWCP) and was here to plan activities within the implementation of the DWCP for the 2014-2015 part of the programme. She also used the occasion to discuss with the Minister of Labour and Human Resource Development, as well as with social partners, on the implementation of the DWCP and other ILO technical cooperation activities in Seychelles.

The Decent Work Country Programme itself is a mechanism through which the ILO supports the efforts of tripartite constituents to find effective and long-lasting solutions to commonly identified challenges in socio economic development.

The development plans of Seychelles have always been a challenge for employment and supply of labour imposed by demographic conditions of our country. Nonetheless, quality employment and unemployment marginalisation is however well within our reach. The Government is set to attain this important milestone in the remaining years of our nation’s development.

It is for this reason that the Government has welcomed the Decent Work Country Programme initiative as it will facilitates the preparation of a coherent and focused programme that promotes decent work throughout the economy. It also consolidates labour and employment achievements to which the ILO has been an indispensable contributor.

During the meeting, Ms. Bresson gave Ms. Razafinisoa of the nation’s progress and achievements under the programme, giving the example of the new National Employment Policy launched in April 2014. Ms. Razafinisoa said she was impressed with Seychelles’ progress in the programme so far. The programme itself began in 2011 and will run until 2015. Ms. Razafinisoa said that the idea is that the following year will be focused on seeing how Seychelles can better accomplish the goals of the DWCP.

Ms. Bresson said that the Minister was thankful to the ILO for helping get Seychelles this far.

Among the issues discussed in the meeting was the matter of statistics gathering, which, she confessed, is still a challenge in Seychelles, but that, again, under the programme, the ILO approved a mission only last month to help prepare action plans to provide technical assistance in the Labour Market Information System. The ILO is also assisting the Ministry in conducting the Productivity Study, Youth Employment Study, a review of the Occupational Safety and Health Decree and Policy, and review of the HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

“The public expects action,” Ms. Bresson said. “And the Ministry is eager to deliver on the challenge. Employment continues to evolve and we need to keep up with what is happening in the world.”

This meeting was followed by another on Thursday 23^rd October wherein Ms. Razafinisoa reiterated the objective of her mission as an opportunity for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office to discuss and plan with the tripartite constituents the projects that the country requires over this biennium (2014-2015) for the effective implementation of Seychelles’ DWCP.

It was noted that Seychelles remains at the forefront in the implementation of the DWCP in comparison to its counterparts in the Indian Ocean and is among the top three countries in Africa. In view that the programme is sustained by both the political will and commitment of the applicable partners. The team in Seychelles is also proactive and maintains a strong collaboration with the ILO Country Office based in Antananarivo, Madagascar. In this regard, the Antananarivo office considered the possibility of organising a workshop in order to facilitate an exchange of best practices among the countries under its purview.