Maputo — Mozambican Labour Minister Helena Taipo said in Maputo on Monday that the current international financial crisis could led to economic and social setbacks in Mozambique, and in Africa as a whole, thus compromising the fight against poverty.

Speaking at the launch of a week of events commemorating the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Taipo warned that the crisis could endanger the efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), laid down by the United Nations in 2000, and signed up to by almost every country on the planet. These anti-poverty goals would be missed, she said, unless the various stakeholders involved together sought for the best way to respond to the crisis.

That, she insisted, must involve "tripartite social dialogue" (i.e. between governments, trade unions and employers).

As for foreign aid, Taipo insisted "we think it fundamental that aid to developing countries should be aligned and harmonised with the priorities defined by the countries receiving the aid, instead of imposing conditionalities".

She urged donor countries to maintain their solidarity with the developing countries so that these will be able to continue their programmes to eradicate poverty.

"From this perspective, the commemorations of 90 years of the ILO represent for all of us a high moment of our responsibility in the fight against poverty, and have a special added value since they are occurring at a moment when Mozambique is a member of the ILO Board of Directors", she said.

Taipo added that the Mozambican government will continue to count on ILO technical assistance in implementing its job creation and poverty reduction policies.