A delegation of the International Labor Office for Africa (ILO-ACTRAV) had conducted on 05 and 06 March in Lome a working visit to ITUC-Africa.

The meeting chaired by Mr. Kwasi ADU-AMANKWAH, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa was attended by 6- six ACTRAV specialists, and the Desk Officer for Africa led by their director, Mr. Dan CUNNIAH and 10 members of the ITUC-Africa Secretariat.

The meeting followed the one held in Geneva between the ITUC-Africa and the ILO-ACTRAV at the end of January and the beginning of February 2012.

The visit of Mr. CUNNIAH and his team to the ITUC-Africa aimed at defining a new vision of collaboration between the ITUC-Africa and the ILO-ACTRAV focusing on sharing information about the organizations action policy, the definition of common priorities, the optimal use of resources, creating a work synergy between ITUC-Africa and ILO-ACTRAV.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Kwasi ADU-AMANKWAH reviewed the resolutions of ITUC-Africa Second Congress held last November in Johannesburg. He also presented the strategic plan of the ITUC-Africa. A plan adopted by the General Council he said, and that is based upon the resolutions of the Vancouver and Johannesburg Congresses of the ITUC and ITUC-Africa respectively.

In response, the Director of ILO –ACTRAV, Dan CUNNIAH said he was pleased to engage, on behalf of his organization, into this new approach with the ITUC-Africa. He found very relevant the priorities identified by the strategic plan of the ITUC-Africa.

He said areas such as social protection, internal democracy, HIV-AIDS, youth employment, peace and security in Africa, environment and climate change, resource mobilization etc.., are those where the ILO can effectively consider joint action with the ITUC-Africa. The working sessions, spread over the two - days, focused on a series of themes. They range from strengthening the capacity of unions to sharing information, decent work, the informal economy, HIV-AIDS, the representativeness of labor unions, collective bargaining and strengthening the synergy between the two organizations.

The ILO specialists and program coordinators of the ITUC-Africa presented in turns their action plan for these various challenges. The various exchanges have resulted in a number of conclusions such as: creating a national network of human rights, capacity building of trade union, collective bargaining, union leaders training, awareness, green job, better exchange of information on current target countries, and the implementation of international labor standards.

The two delegations were pleased with the outcome of this meeting and hoped that cooperation between ITUC-Africa and the Cs-ILO-ACTRAV will be closer and more productive.