Dakar - Senegal — The meeting on the ECOWAS Tripartite Social Dialogue Forum resulted in the adoption of the Declaration, Rules of Procedure and Regional Charter on ECOWAS Social Dialogue. The Plan of action for institutionalising the ECOWAS Social Dialogue in line with already existing provisions will be considered with the social partners from various countries with a view to developing them further.
These are some of the decisions taken at the Meeting of the ECOWAS Social Dialogue Forum which ended today in Dakar. For three days, participants had the opportunity of sharing their experiences on consultative and social dialogue mechanisms. They also exchanged views on the modalities for the establishment of an ECOWAS social dialogue and social conflicts prevention organ. Addressing participants at the end of the meeting, the Commissioner for Human Development and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Adrienne Diop, expressed gratitude to the Senegalese Government for accepting to host this meeting. Dr Diop further commended the commitment of the participants and the quality of discussions by declaring that: «These fruitful, constructive though sometimes stormy discussions have enabled us to have viable documents which will serve as reference materials and direct our efforts towards the institution of an ECOWAS social dialogue».
Dr Diop also stressed the importance of the Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Forum for ECOWAS Member States. She pointed out that the forum « should play a significant role in mobilising social actors to attain the objectives for the institutionalisation of a better social dialogue in our community, ECOWAS ». In conclusion, the Head of the Department of Human Development and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission reaffirmed her commitment and that of the Commission to cooperate with all stakeholders for the consolidation of peace and social cohesion without which the attainment of the socio-economic objectives of the region would remain a mirage. She ended on this note: «I would like to reassure you that the ECOWAS Commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure the good management of this Regional Forum on Social Dialogue in West Africa», Closing the meeting, the Director of African Economic Integration and Head of the ECOWAS National Unit in Senegal, Ambassador Mamadou Makhtar Guèye, commended the quality of discussions and active contribution of participants which, according to him, revealed the importance and interest of social dialogue to workers and governments of our Community.
According to Ambassador Guèye, the decisions and recommendations of this meeting were aimed at making the work environment more peaceful and improve employer/employee relationships in the ECOWAS region. He expressed the hope that these decisions and recommendations will be implemented promptly in the interest of workers and governments. He thereafter urged the ECOWAS Commission to establish the Committee on ECOWAS Social Dialogue as soon as possible and promote its activities.
