Remarks by UN Resident Coordinator at the National Commemoration of International Labour Day

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda,

Your Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda,

Right Honourable Speaker of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda,

Your Lordship the Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda,

Right Honourable Deputy Speaker of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda,

Right Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda,

Honourable Ministers,

Representatives of the Workers and Employers Organizations,

Colleagues from the United Nations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the United Nations in Uganda, I am delighted to be here for the national commemoration of International Labour Day. Let me begin by expressing our solidarity with all Workers and renewing our commitment to work with workers, employers, Government and partners towards safe and secure working environments in the public and private sector. Your Excellency, we applaud your leadership and commitment towards preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Uganda and keeping workers safe while production and other economic activities continue.  We commend the Ministry of Health for working closely with partners to ensure the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine, protecting front line workers and other relevant segments of society as a priority.  “No one is safe until everyone is safe”.

Ladies and Gentlemen: COVID-19, joins climate change, violence against women and children, youth unemployment, irregular migration and excessive use of force in law enforcement as the critical challenges of our time. If are to achieve prosperity and strategic security for all we need a human-centered economic growth model that has access to justice and equality for all at its epicentre. We need a labour force that has the skills, incentives, protections and values to succeed. This year’s celebrations comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has created the urgent need to change service delivery and accountability as we implement the NDPIII and the SDGs. AgriLED industrialization, tourism, manufacturing, services and the digital economy all require an innovative and inclusive approach to work. We must ensure we follow clear principles and values in the work place as we create jobs: there should be no child labour, women should be safe at the work place, there should be no corruption, workers should be paid for the value of their work, and young employers should be supported as they become job creators. Obwesimbu-Integrity, Obwerufu- Transparency must guide our efforts. Allow me to take this opportunity to reiterate our call for more robust investment in bolstering ethical recruitment policies and preventing the exploitation of Ugandan workers both at home and abroad. At this time, Uganda’s development financing pathways includes taxes from those working in the country as well as remittances from those working abroad. Uganda has experienced a significant growth in remittances from US$238 million in 2000 to US$1.4 billion in 2019 which is 3.6 percent of GDP, more than half the size of ODA, and larger than FDI received in Uganda. The question is, what can we do to protect Ugandan migrant workers so that they may continue to help improve the quality of life of their families, invest in local development and retain their dignity? IOM is working with the government and partners in this area, focusing  on preventing exploitation, human trafficking and modern slavery, especially for those working as domestic workers, those in construction and in agriculture. We look forward to stronger collaboration among East African member states on this issue.

Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, 2021 has been declared the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour by the UN General Assembly. We welcome the efforts of the Government with support from ILO and FAO to develop essential frameworks such as the National Child Labour Policy and its Action Plan which are aligned to NDPIII and SDG 8 which calls on the global community to “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment.” Your action is particularly important for the two million Ugandan children between 5-17 years old who are reported to be engaged in some form of child labour, constituting 14 percent of all children in the nation.

As I conclude, allow me to convey a word of thanks. I wish to congratulate the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, who with support from the UN’s International Labour Organization is conducting a study on the impact of COVID-19 on labour, employment and productivity. It is our hope that this will lead to a National Employment Strategy for Uganda with an initial national target of creating 50,000 dignified jobs across the country by 2025. We will continue to support Apprenticeships Programmes and identification of job opportunities in key sectors. On behalf of the United Nations system in Uganda, I pledge our continued support to Government, Employers and Workers through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021- 2025. Together let’s create a world of work with justice and dignity for all in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Thank you.