Côte d’Ivoire
The overall objective of the project is to improve labour relations and working conditions in accordance with sustainable development goals. The project in Côte d’Ivoire aims to improve the effective application of ILO Fundamental Conventions in the country, thereby contributing to the nexus between trade and decent work. The project also promotes the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration), contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 8. The MNE Declaration is referenced in the EU Trade for All Policy and the Trade and Sustainable Development chapters of EU Trade agreements.
Côte d’Ivoire has been a member of the ILO since 1960 and has ratified all ten ILO Fundamental Conventions. In 2019, the country ratified the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No.29). Additionally, Côte d’Ivoire has ratified three governance conventions and 40 technical conventions. In 2019, in order to support the government with regard to International Labour Standards, Côte d’Ivoire established the Tripartite Consultative Committee on International Labor Standards (CCTNIT).
At the national level, Côte d’Ivoire’s legislative, political, and institutional environment is well developed, particularly as regards the elimination of child labour in all its forms.
Efforts such as the creation of the Interministerial Committee to Combat Child Trafficking, Exploitation, and Labour (CIM), the enactment of laws prohibiting child trafficking, and revisions to the Labour Code demonstrate the government’s commitment to addressing this issue. Despite these efforts, child labour remains a significant challenge, as highlighted by statistics from the National Survey on the Situation of Employment and Child Labour (2013) and a March 2019 survey by UNICEF on promoting the rights of children in the cocoa producing areas of Côte d’Ivoire. These surveys reveal that around two million children between the ages of 5 to 17 are engaged in child labour. In addition, 21.5 percent of the children engaged in the cocoa sector work under dangerous conditions per the 2019 survey. To address this ongoing problem, the government, with the support of the project, has recently adopted a strategic plan to combat child labour, with a particular focus on the cocoa sector.
Côte d’Ivoire was also among the first countries to designate focal points for the promotion of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). The focal points have a joint national action plan, which includes priority activities to promote responsible business conduct for the realization of decent work in Côte d’Ivoire. The focal points from the Ministry of Employment, the Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI) and the workers’ organizations directly implement some of these activities with the support of the project for initiatives requiring specific technical expertise.
Objective
Improving the application of ILO Fundamental Conventions and the fulfillment of reporting commitments to the ILO supervisory bodies.
Achievements
In Côte d’Ivoire, significant progress was made in promoting international labour standards and decent work through various initiatives in key sectors, including:
- Strengthened collaboration among stakeholders to combat child and forced labour, reinforcing government efforts to uphold labour laws.
- The development of a global strategic plan and a sectorial strategic plan to combat child labour in the cocoa farming sector, in partnership with the General Directorate of Labour.
- The development of intervention plans for the labour inspectorate, particularly in key sectors like cocoa farming, in alignment with government priorities to improve working conditions.
- The development of a comprehensive plan for the labour inspectorate to optimize government resources and improve working conditions across sectors, in alignment with broader governance objectives.
- A study on labour rights in the forestry sector, providing valuable insights to inform government policies and interventions.
- Promotion of sustainable business practices, especially in forestry, thereby supporting the government’s agenda for environmentally friendly and socially responsible economic development.
- Enhanced stakeholder engagement, particularly in the forestry sector, which supports government objectives for sustainable resource management and responsible business practices.
- Empowerment of media professionals to contribute to the efforts to disseminate information and raise awareness about labour laws and rights.
Activities
In Côte d’Ivoire the project focuses on the following objectives:
- Strengthening the Tripartite Consultative Committee on International Labour Standards on the ILO Fundamental Conventions, thus improving compliance with and reporting on Fundamental Conventions.
- Reinforcing the implementation of International Labour Conventions.
- Supporting the Directorate General of Labour for the conception of a concrete labour inspection strategy in the cocoa sector to combat child labour.
- Supporting the national focal points for the promotion of the MNE Declaration for the implementation of their national action plan.
- Supporting the linking of decent work, trade, and the environment through tripartite engagement on just transition and the green economy.
Resources
News / Côte d’Ivoire
Lancement de la première planification stratégique globale pour la conformité du travail à Abidjan
March 28, 2024
News / Côte d’Ivoire
L’OIT imprègne et oriente les acteurs du secteur de la foresterie et du bois sur la Sécurité et Santé au Travail (SST)
February 28, 2024
News / Côte d’Ivoire
Promouvoir des pratiques d’entreprises durables et responsables dans le secteur de la foresterie et du bois en Côte d’Ivoire
November 28, 2022
Fundamental Conventions and select International Labour Standards and protocols ratified
Promoting the ratification of International Labour Standards
Raising awareness on the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) and the Violence and Harassment at Work Convention, 2019 (No.190) to support the ratification process
The project provides technical and advocacy support to attain the ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) (C189) and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) (C190).
Action
- Online workshop on International Labour Standards addressing the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work
- Research on national legislation and practice, along with the requirements of Conventions Nos. 189 and 190, was presented to members of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and the Senate of the National Assembly (Parliament), Mediators of the Republic, and members of the Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Council
- Workshop with the National Council of Human Rights (CNDH) for civil society members on Fundamental Conventions and Conventions Nos. 189 and 190
Results
- Promotion of Convention No. 190 to ILO constituents, civil society, and activists in Côte d'Ivoire with a view to promote their ratification
- The recipients of the presentations, particularly the members of parliament, now have a better understanding of the scope of Conventions Nos. 189 and 190
- Sensitization of civil society on International Labour Standards
Supporting the constituents in their efforts to initiate the ratification process for ILO Conventions Nos. 189 and 190
In 2022, the National Tripartite Advisory Committee on International Labour Standards (CCTNIT), which was established in 2019, adopted roadmaps in relation to the ratification of Conventions Nos. 189 and 190. The project undertook capacity-building activities focused on members of that new Committee in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, to support the agenda of the constituents, technical assistance and support to advocacy efforts was provided to promote the ratification of the two conventions.
Action
- Study on the conformity of ILO Conventions Nos. 189 and 190 with the national legal framework and practice
- Presentation of the Report on the conformity of national legislation and practice with Conventions Nos. 189 and 190 to the CCTNIT
Results
- Development of a report on the conformity of national legislation and practice with Conventions Nos. 189 and 190
- Adoption of a Roadmap for the ratification of Conventions Nos. 189 and 190 by Côte d’Ivoire
Enhancing the capacity of national stakeholders to apply International Labour Instruments and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in practice
Capacitating magistrates and media personnel to apply international labour instruments in their practice
Ivorian judges are increasingly called upon to address emerging issues, such as violence and harassment at the workplace. Efforts were therefore undertaken by the project to capacitate members of the judiciary to enhance the application of international labour instruments and the recommendations of the ILO supervisory bodies in their judicial practice. Furthermore, the project focused on building the capacity and awareness of media professionals on decent work, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and more generally on ILO’s mandate so as to facilitate enhanced quality of reporting. As a result of this training, an association, the Network of journalists specialising in employment and work in Côte d’Ivoire (RJSET-CI), with the aim to support ILO action and promote decent work was created by the participating journalists.
Action
- Training to increase the use and application of international labour standards at the national level
- Training on reporting and analysis for media professionals
Results
- Enhanced the implementation by judges of international labour standards
- Media professionals have a better understanding of the ILO's mandate and decent work, their reporting is more comprehensive, and they communicate better on rights at work
Enhancing the awareness of employers and workers of international labour standards and their rights and duties at work
Acknowledging the need expressed by ILO constituents for better access to labour legislation, the project developed a guide on workers' rights. Once published and made available to constituents, this guide aims to promote the application of labour law and, through it, international labour standards.
Action
- Development of a guide on workers' rights under national labour law
Results
- Facilitating access of workers and employers to labour legislation
- Enhanced awareness among workers and employers of their rights and duties at work
Constituents effectively participate in national processes that address gaps between national law and practice and targeted conventions
Strengthening the Labour Inspectorate
Development of an intervention strategy plan to combat child labour in the cocoa sector
Côte d'Ivoire holds the distinction of being the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa, contributing 30% of global production. Within this context, the Third National Plan of Action to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2019–21 was developed to address various challenges hindering the country's efforts to combat child labour. One of the key issues identified was the lack of traceability in the cocoa supply chain, which makes it difficult to monitor the product's journey from the field to the market. Recognizing the critical role of the Labour Inspectorate in this campaign against child labour, support is provided for the implementation of a strategic plan to ensure enhanced compliance with labour regulations in this sector.
Action
- Supporting the Labour Inspectorate to develop a strategic planification to combat child labour in the cocoa sector
- Supporting the Labour Inspectorate to develop a global strategic planification for ILS compliance, including combatting child labour in 4 strategic sectors: agriculture, trade, industrial and public works
Results
- Strategic planification to combat child labour in the cocoa sector developed which enables the optimal use of resources
- Global Strategic planification for compliance in strategic sectors developed
Enhanced collaboration and dialogues between constituents, supply chain actors and trade partners to prompt responsible business conduct in policy and practice
Promoting the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises (MNE Declaration)
Supporting the national focal points to implement the national action plan
The project supports the government and social partners to implement the national action plan to promote and apply the MNE Declaration's principles across sectors. This entails engaging with enterprises to advance decent work practices.
Action
- Dialogue on promoting sustainable, responsible, and inclusive business practices in the forestry and timber sectors in Côte d'Ivoire
- A specific training on occupational safety and health in the forestry and timber sectors was delivered
- Support was provided to workers’ organizations to set up a national workers’ platform for the promotion of the MNE Declaration
- Trainings on the MNE Declaration and its use by workers were provided to members of the platform
- A dedicated workshop was organized involving members of the platform and workers’ representatives from multinational enterprises. The agenda focused on two main topics: discussing freedom of association within multinational enterprises, and outlining strategies to enhance trade union representativity in sectors where numerous MNEs are active.
Results
- A study on working conditions and industrial relations in the forestry and timber sectors was conducted
- Priority actions to make decent work a reality in the forestry sector were identified
- Activities agreed upon during the dialogue were integrated into the national action plan of the national focal points for the promotion of the MNE Declaration
- The development and launch of a workers’ platform
- Empowering workers, especially the members of the platform, to effectively utilize the platform and enhancing their awareness of the practical value of the principles outlined in the MNE Declaration
Tripartite constituents effectively fulfil their respective roles in reporting to the supervisory bodies
Supporting the Government to fulfil its reporting obligations
Building the capacity of the members of the National Tripartite Advisory Committee on International Labour Standards (CCTNIT) in data collection
The project supported the organization of data collection workshops to assist the CCTNIT in producing reports to the ILO supervisory bodies.
Action
- Capacity-building and data collection workshop for the preparation of reports on conventions relating to child labour and forced labour (2021)
- Capacity-building workshop for members of the CCTNIT on the preparation of annual reports due to the ILO supervisory bodies on Conventions Nos. 81, 100, 111, 129, 150,155, 187, 189, and 190 (2022)
Results
- Timely submission of reports in 2021, 2022 and 2023 with no reports outstanding