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The Draft Regional Employment Policy (Workers Perspective)

Poverty reduction in East Africa has remained the biggest challenge to the partner states and the region as a whole with worrying consequences on the security and economic well being of its citizens.

<= Click to Download: 28/03/2011

1.1. Introduction

Poverty reduction in East Africa has remained the biggest challenge to the partner states and the region as a whole with worrying consequences on the security and economic well being of its citizens. Partner states hitherto implemented economic reforms at the macro level aimed at achieving economic growth and subsequently reducing mass poverty.

The creation of productive employment and the reduction of unemployment is a priority for the partner states in terms of adopting favourable policies and strategies. This includes pursuing the goals of ensuring that quality jobs are created and safeguarding the basic rights and interest of employers and workers and promoting the principles of enterprise development and respect for the relevant International Labour Standards.

However, despite the renewed economic growth, unemployment and poverty remain major challenges that continue to confront partner states. The employment challenges within the region are enormous and calls for an urgent need for an adequate response and a regional comprehensive approach towards addressing it. Employment promotion for poverty reduction is a common goal among the Partner states. For example the Decent Work Country Programmes in these member states have a common goal, which is to strive for economic growth with equity, whereas contributing to all the eight Millennium Development Goals.

A harmonised regional employment policy will be designed with a view of having employment creation as a regional priority that needs increased attention and intensified regional effort. Therefore it’s important to formulate and adopt a model regional employment policy for East Africa, which will help to fill the gap that still exists in the partner states development process.

This employment policy will provide the partner states with the necessary guidelines in their efforts to tackle unemployment and mass poverty that still affects her citizens.

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