By Matik Kueth
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has adopted a set of landmark resolutions aimed at addressing the escalating youth employment crisis across its member states, marking a major step toward inclusive growth and regional integration.
The resolutions were endorsed at the 3rd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labor, Employment, and Labor Migration, held in Nairobi, Kenya, where ministers, technical experts, and social partners from the eight member states, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, gathered to deliberate on sustainable solutions to labor market challenges.
In a statement, IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, emphasized the urgency of creating decent jobs for the region’s rapidly growing youth population.
“With nearly 60 per cent of our people being of working age, we cannot afford to let this potential go untapped. This conference demonstrates our collective resolve to turn our demographic dividend into a source of prosperity,” Dr. Workneh said.
The resolutions, adopted under the framework of the Djibouti Declaration on Labor, Employment, and Labor Migration, focus on strengthening job creation, promoting skills development, and enhancing regional cooperation on labor migration governance.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to implement the 10-Year Plan of Action and its five-year flagship program, the Programme for the Implementation of the Djibouti Declaration (PIDD-I), developed in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and funded by the European Union.
A policy rooted in regional vision
The Djibouti Declaration, first signed in 2021, was conceived as a regional response to widespread unemployment, labor market informality, and migration pressures in the IGAD region.
It sought to establish a coordinated framework for employment creation, labor migration management, and protection of migrant workers’ rights.
In the years that followed, IGAD and ILO worked closely with member states to operationalize the Declaration through national action plans, skills mapping, and the promotion of fair recruitment standards.
The Nairobi conference marked the culmination of these efforts, with ministers now agreeing on stronger monitoring mechanisms and resource mobilization to accelerate implementation.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Labor and Social Protection, Florence Bore, who chaired the conference, hailed the resolutions as a milestone in the region’s employment reform agenda.
“Youth unemployment has become one of the greatest threats to peace and development in our region. Through this collective commitment, we are giving our young people hope, hope for decent work, fair wages, and a dignified future,” she stated.
Broader regional outlook
The conference also tackled related issues such as irregular migration through the Red Sea Route, migrant workers’ rights in the Middle East, and the proposed IGAD Single Visa Initiative, aimed at facilitating free movement and regional integration.
ILO’s Regional Director for Africa, Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, commended IGAD for its leadership in shaping a unified regional labor agenda.
“The adoption of these resolutions represents more than policy; it represents solidarity. It’s about ensuring that every young person in this region can aspire to decent work at home, not just abroad,” she noted.
The ministers concluded the deliberations pledging to accelerate job creation programs, harmonize labor laws, and strengthen vocational training to match regional market demands.
The resolutions are expected to guide member states in addressing unemployment, which has risen from 14.3 to 15.9 per cent between 2012 and 2022, despite steady GDP growth.