A high-powered delegation from the International Labor Organization’s Regional Office in Abuja, Nigeria, is in the country as guest of the Ministry of Labor and the labor sector of Liberia.
The delegation, which is headed by Vanessa Phala, ILO Regional Director for English-speaking West African States, include Chinyere Emeka-Anuna, Senior Program Officer, and Invoilata Chinyangarara, ILO Specialist on Workers Activities (ACTRAV).
Welcoming the delegation to the country, Labor Minister, Cllr. Charles H. Gibson, informed Phala and her delegation that Liberia appreciates the visit, and thanked her for the many supports the ILO has provided to the Labor Ministry and the labor sector of Liberia.
Minister Gibson said the primary request of the Government of Liberia (GOL) to the ILO is in the area of rehabilitation, skill training and job creation for disadvantaged youths and young adults, commonly referred to in Liberian local parlance as “zogoes”, as well as people living with disabilities.
During what was considered an initial meeting, the Labor Minister informed the delegation that during the Liberian civil war many young people were turned into child soldiers and did not have the opportunity to go to school, neither did they have the opportunity to be brought up in a civil environment or home.
He observed that many of these young people were also introduced to drugs, but have now become young adults in the society.
The Labor Minister maintained that the effect on them has made them not to be responsive to employment opportunities in the job market, and the economy is feeling that gap; hence, the need to have them rehabilitated, skill trained and absorbed into the job market cannot be overemphasized.
Cllr. Gibson informed the ILO Regional Director and team that President George Manneh Weah is seriously concerned about these groups of Liberians, and has expressed the need for the ILO to assist in rehabilitating them.
Minister Gibson used the occasion to speak about on-going development in the labor sector of the country, including the recent ratification of three ILO instruments: reporting on various ILO Conventions, the harmonization of the Labor Law of Liberia with competing concerns, and the promotion of decent work environment.
He told the ILO delegation that Liberia has finally submitted all of its outstanding reports to the ILO Headquarters in Geneva. He hailed the partnership between the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), representing employers’ organization, and the Liberia Labor Congress (LLC), representing workers and trade unions.
He however outlined the weaknesses of the LLC and emphasized the need for the ILO to help strengthen their capacity to enable them to fully participate as a tripartite member in the labor sector of the county.
For her part, ILO Regional Director for English-Speaking West African States, Vanessa Phala, thanked Minister Gibson and the team of the Ministry of Labor, acknowledging and appreciating their effort regarding the progress and achievements made so far.
“I recall when we held our first meeting via zoom, there were quite a number of issues that we needed to finalize, including the ratification of conventions and the submission of reports, and I am happy that all of these have been done. I think your involvement and engagement in this process is really a testament of your willingness to get this going and your leadership in finalizing the method. On behalf of the ILO Director General, the ILO Regional Director for Africa and the ILO Assistant Director General, we say thank you to you and your team for all the hard work that you put into this process,” Vanessa Phala said.
She said the Decent Work Country Program is a vehicle by which the ILO delivers technical support to countries. According to her, if countries are able to articulate their priorities within the program, it makes it easier for everyone. “I am also happy to see that there is a presentation around the Decent Work Country Program of Liberia, and this is a tripartite presentation which actually makes it very simple for us at the ILO.”
She promised to ensure that the ILO Decent Work Country Program succeeds in Liberia.
During the meeting, which was also attended by all deputy and assistant ministers of the MOL, as well as some directors of the Labor Ministry, the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), and the head of the ILO Office in Liberia, Salif Haji Massalay, presentations on framework for the Decent Work Country Program of Liberia were made, while the ILO visiting delegation also made presentation on Decent Work Country Program best practices and guidelines.
The ILO Regional Director is expected to hold discussions with the Liberia Labor Congress (LLC), the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC) and other institutions and organizations.