Norway and ILO partner to support for livelihood

opportunities to the conflict affected communities

Norway and International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Sri Lanka have signed a partnership agreement on
22 November to extend the Government of Norway’s support to the conflict affected communities in the
North. The project will address the immediate needs of decent work and livelihood opportunities at the grass
root level in the conflict affected Northern Districts.

Officer in Charge Indra Tudawa and the Ambassador of Norway to Sri Lanka Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther.The
Agreement was signed between ILO Sri Lanka, Office in Charge Indra Tudawa and the Ambassador of Norway to Sri
Lanka Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther. Under the partnership, ILO Sri Lanka with the financial support of the Government of
Norway will enhance local economic development through partnerships between the private sector and primary
producer communities which will lead to sustainable income generation activities for the families in the project
districts.

Under the support of NOK 11 million (approx. Rs. 190 million), this two-year project will directly support more than
2000 families by developing new Business models such as joint ventures between cooperatives and large agro based
companies, fruit and vegetable and fish exporters to transform the lives of conflict affected communities. Under the
fruit and vegetable sector the project will focus on expanding different varieties of fruits and green leaves and herbal
products which have viable export market potential. Under the fishery sector, the main focus will be on sea food for
developing export links.

The Cooperatives in the project areas will be strengthened to work with Private Sector and negotiate the partnerships
for the benefit of the members. In parallel the project will support to achieve Fairtrade certification and Sustainably
sourced certification for the cooperatives to enhance potential market value for the produced. In all the project
interventions will constitute of 60% of women, out of which 30% to 40% will be from Female Headed Households.

At the signing of the contract the Norwegian Ambassador stated “generating sustainable livelihood and economic
empowerment of the conflict affected communities is key to reconciliation and economic development of the country.”

Organizations join forces to tackle invisibility of South Asia’s brick kilns

Brick by Brick report highlights working conditions and practices affecting millions of people and
hundreds of thousands of animals in the industry every day.

Press release | Kathmandu, Nepal | 26 January 2017

KATHMANDU (ILO News) – A new report, launched at a high level regional policy event in Nepal, 26-
27 January 2017, for the first time highlights the challenges of South Asia’s brick making industry by
looking at human labour, working animal welfare, and the environment together. Until now this industry
has been largely invisible to policy makers, and the few organizations that have been working to address
the issues have primarily done so in isolation.

Bucking this trend, Brooke – Action for Working Horses and Donkeys , The Donkey Sanctuary , and the
International Labour Organization have come together to raise the visibility of the brick kilns in the region,
and to start tackling the harmful and often illegal practices that affect millions of people and the working
conditions of hundreds of thousands of animals every day.

Brick by Brick: Unveiling the full picture of South Asia’s brick kiln industry and building the blocks for
change , calls for greater attention and cross-sectoral action on the brick making sector. The report was
officially launched at the event, organized by The South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children
(SAIEVAC) and hosted by the Government of Nepal.

The traditional brick making industry is the backbone of urban development throughout South Asia. It
employs between 4.4 and 5.2 million people and over 500,000 working animals but the work is extremely
hazardous, and generates highly pollutant emissions. Traditional brick kilns also impact on the health of
people, animals and the environment.

Up to 68 per cent of brick kiln workers in South Asia are estimated to be trapped in bonded or forced
labour, and it is not uncommon to see children as young as five or six involved in the work, some of whom
are sent to the kilns unaccompanied by their families. Women are also heavily involved in brick making,
exposing them to severe health risks in particular when pregnant. Workers’ harsh working conditions and
illegal practices in the kilns are made worse by the lack of knowledge about labourers’ rights, extreme
poverty and a weak policy and legal environment.

Donkeys, mules and horses transport bricks within the kilns and to locations for use in the construction
industry, and provide their owners and handlers with an income. Despite being a key link in the brick
making value chain, they are mostly invisible in existing initiatives and policy. In the brick kilns animals
don’t have access to nutritious food or clean water and suffer wounds from overloading, overworking,
beating, inadequate harnessing and general poor care.

“We are putting emphasis on how complex South Asia’s brick kiln industry is, and examining the crucial
links between human, animal and the environment sectors. We hope the report will encourage collaboration
between people who have the power to act, and start off key conversations that can lead to changing the
face of the brick kiln industry,” said Delphine Valette, Head of Advocacy & Public Affairs for Brooke, and
co-author of the report.

“It is an incredibly valuable and important breakthrough to be able to directly link the welfare of working
animals, including donkeys, with humanitarian and environmental causes,” said Mike Baker, CEO at The
Donkey Sanctuary.
“The evidence and experience gained from this collaborative report will help to influence the future of the
brick kiln industry and make a positive and sustainable difference to those who are currently working every
day in such difficult conditions. The Brick By Brick report will be a key tool in our work to raise the
profile of these issues on an international level,” he added.

According to Richard Howard, ILO Nepal Director, “the report highlights the numerous challenges of
ensuring decent work for all workers in the brick kiln industry, particularly in respect to forced labour and
child labour. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities to improve routine monitoring and
inspection of the industry and support workers to organize and negotiate for better working conditions and
the elimination of child and forced labour. The SAIEVAC meeting is an important step in this direction.”

The high level policy event, organized by The South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children
(SAIEVAC) and hosted by the government of Nepal, took place in Pokhara and brought together
governments, trade unions, representatives from international non-government organizations (INGOs) and
the private sector, to discuss the issues and secure commitments for action from national, regional and
global decision makers.

It concluded with a statement of intent from SAIEVAC government representatives and ministries from
livestock and environment, on the actions they will take to make the brick industry a priority.

Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of working horses, donkeys and
mules which give people in the developing world the opportunity to work their way out of poverty. Over
100 million of these animals are the backbone of developing communities and their best means of making a
living. Without healthy working horses, donkeys and mules, around 600 million people wouldn’t be able to
put food on their tables, send their children to school or build better futures for themselves and their
families.

Brooke delivers significant and lasting change, even in some of the world’s most challenging areas. We use
our expertise to work with owners, communities, service providers, governments and international
organizations. Operating in 11 different countries, and funding projects in four others, Brooke now reaches
over two million working horses, donkeys and mules each year.

Brooke was set up in 1934 by Dorothy Brooke, the wife of a British cavalry officer, who travelled to Cairo
in Egypt in 1930 to seek out the abandoned war horses of the First World War. She set up the Old War
Horse Memorial Hospital, which later became Brooke.

About the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Founded in 1919, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and
internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is
essential to universal and lasting peace.

Only tripartite U.N. agency, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers representatives
of 187 member states to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent
work for all women and men. The ILO's Decent Work agenda helps advance the economic and working
conditions that give all workers, employers and governments a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and
progress.

The ILO implements programmes for the progressive elimination of child labour and forced labour
worldwide. It has worked to achieve this in several ways: through country-based programmes which
promote policy reform, build institutional capacity, changing social attitudes and promote ratification and
effective implementation of ILO child labour Conventions. Complementary to this direct action throughout
has been substantial in-depth statistical and qualitative research, policy and legal analysis, programme
evaluation and child labour monitoring, which have permitted the accumulation of vast knowledge base of
statistical data and methodologies, thematic studies, good practices, guidelines and training materials.

About The Donkey Sanctuary

The Donkey Sanctuary was founded by the late Dr Elisabeth Svendsen M.B.E. in 1969. We support
projects to alleviate the suffering of donkeys in 35 countries worldwide, including sanctuaries across
Europe, where more than 18,800 donkeys and mules have been cared for, and major projects in Egypt,
Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico, where donkey welfare is improved through community education and
veterinary work. We also provide donkey assisted interaction sessions for vulnerable children and adults
and carry out visits to care homes in the local community from our centres in Belfast, Birmingham,
Ivybridge, Leeds, Manchester and Sidmouth.

From brooms to books: Ranjita returns to school

Many choose migration to escape poverty for themselves and their families. The ILO’s Work in Freedom
programme reduces vulnerability to trafficking of women and girls by supporting informed migration, fair
recruitment and decent work.

CHHATTISGARH, India (ILO News) – Ranjita Kerketta , 14, is ecstatic. “I love studying in school,” she
says, with a glint in her eye. She has re-enrolled at her government middle school, which is located near her
village in Sarguja, Chhattisgarh, India.
Ranjita is a bright young girl who wishes to pursue her education but was forced to drop out of her school
at the age of 12 when she was in grade 6. Ranjita has been living with her brother and sister-in-law in a
remote tribal hamlet, where most families depend on forest products for their livelihood. To make ends
meet Ranjita’s brother sent her to Ambikapur city, a few hundred miles away from their home, to work as a
domestic worker. Ranjita earned 1400 Indian rupees which is about US$20.75 a month.

“I hated working as a domestic worker. My employer abused me and forced me to work without any break
throughout the day,” said Ranjita.

She recalled the abusive nature of her employer, and how she was forced to do jobs that she wasn’t good at,
such as cooking. She would spend the entire day cleaning the house, washing dishes and running errands.
Her employer would hardly provide her with sufficient food, even though it was her who did the cooking.
She was forbidden to leave the house, meet or talk to anyone. She remained in complete isolation.
Whenever she made any small mistake she was yelled at and treated poorly.

“There was not a single day that I didn’t cry,” said Ranjita.

Today Ranjita has a different story to tell. She beams with joy at the thought of going to school, without
having to think about her past, where she was made to suffer a life of drudgery and constant abuse.

Her story was discovered by the field outreach workers of Samarthan, ILO-DFID ’s implementing partner
in the Work in Freedom programme . It was Ranjita’s sister-in-law, Asha Kerketta, who discreetly
approached Samarthan for their assistance. The ‘Work in Freedom’ (WiF) programme aims at reducing
vulnerability of people like Ranjita who are often victims to forced labour and trafficking in the South
Asian countries.

Migration should be a choice

Ranjita is now at school. The programme works in both the source countries of Bangladesh, India and
Nepal, and the destination countries of India, Jordan and Lebanon. It collaborates closely with the national
and state governments of these countries, the trade unions and civil society partners.

It helps women access mobility by choice, promotes fair recruitment to decent jobs, and campaigns for
dignity and decent work in destination countries, especially in sectors like domestic work and garment
manufacturing. The programme is expected to impact positively the lives of nearly 200,000 women and
girls by 2018. Samarthan – under the WiF programme – was conducting Participatory Rural Appraisal
(PRA) with the village community. The survey by Samarthan was intended to find whether people in the
village were migrating for work, their reasons for choosing migration, sources of livelihood and other
issues. Discussions took place on how men and women undertake this migration journey and often find
themselves stuck in underpaid jobs with poor working conditions.

Asha explained to the Samarthan team how her husband, who traveled to Ambikapur every month to meet
Ranjita and collect her earnings, would see Ranjita in a very distressed state. During each visit Ranjita
would plead with her brother to take her back home.

Asha was advised to approach her husband and speak firmly about her determination to get Ranjita back. It
took a great deal of effort but Ranjita finally returned home. During the first two to three months of her
return, Ranjita wasn’t her usual self. The once lively girl now was distant, and depressed. She’d often cry
endlessly. Seeing this Asha was distraught.

Ranjita and her sister-in-law, Asha Kerketta“The work she did in the city seemed to have taken an
emotional toll on my sister-in-law. She doesn’t talk to anyone, and often she feels hopeless,” said Asha.

Samarthan stepped in again and counseled Ranjita. After repeated counseling sessions, Ranjita began to
regain her cheerful spirit. She slowly opened up to her family members.

Samarthan regularly organizes pre-decision training sessions for potential women migrants to help them
make informed choices. Ranjita has been invited for these trainings to share her experience.

When the training leader asked Ranjita as to what is the one thing she would like to do? Ranjita replied
instantly “Go back to my school.”

With support of the local school teachers, Ranjita attends her classes at the nearby government school
regularly now. She enjoys her studies and interacting with her classmates. Not only did Ranjita overcome
traumatic conditions in early childhood but today she serves as an inspiration to many girls in her
community.

ILO, Russia renew cooperation on skills and G20 Training Strategy

The project will strengthen regional and global knowledge-sharing on skills development as an effective
means to support productivity, competitiveness and growth.

© IEMS HKUSTGENEVA/MOSCOW (ILO News) – The Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry
of Finance, has agreed to contribute USD 12.000.000 to implement the second phase of the
project Applying the G20 Training Strategy , which runs from 2016 to 2019.
The project draws on a range of technical cooperation tools developed by the ILO as well as on new tools
developed by the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo , a partner of the project. Phase II aims to
promote coordination between education and training departments of national institutions, including the
ministries of labour, education and economy, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and academic
institutions in the context of the G20 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We welcome this important effort by the Russian Federation to upgrade skills and education systems in
line with the G20 Training Strategy. Initiatives like this one will decide on how well our workforce is
prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Girma Agune, Chief of the ILO’s Skills and
Employability Branch.

The project is expected to promote peer-to-peer training strategies and cooperation among Central Asian
countries, as well as Vietnam and Jordan, with the results achieved being shared at national and sub-
regional levels. The objective is to further encourage the implementation of effective G20 training
strategies that will feed into meetings of the regional and sub-regional groups in Central Asia, South-South
triangular cooperation development partners, and Vietnam and Jordan.

It will strengthen regional and global knowledge-sharing on skills development as an effective means of
fostering productivity, competitiveness and growth through access to decent work and improved
livelihoods.

The Russian-funded partnership programme will also contribute to the ILO-Russia Programme of
Cooperation for 2017-2020 . It takes into account new social and economic contexts based on the goals and
priorities of the national Concept of Long-Term Social and Economic Development. The agreement was
signed in December 2016.

ILO and UNFPA to collaborate on gender issues

ILO and UNFPA to combine efforts relating to workplace violence as well as sexual and reproductive
health rights

ILOThe International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have
agreed to strengthen their collaboration in Bangladesh around activities of common interest, in particular
efforts to combat sexual and gender based violence as well as to strengthen sexual and reproductive health
rights.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ILO and UNFPA in Dhaka 30 November
2016 by Mr. Srinivas B. Reddy, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh and Ms. Argentina Matavel Piccin,
Country Representative of UNFPA in Bangladesh in the presence of Mr. Robert Watkins, UN Resident
Coordinator. Mr. Sarat Das, Chief of Mission,
IOM Dhaka was also present during the
ceremony. “This agreement between ILO and UNFPA will help
multiply the impact of our interventions to counter
The MoU will guide both agencies to violence in the workplace as well as promote the rights of
collaborate on matters of common interest under workers relating to sexual and reproductive health.
the United Nations Development Assistance - Srinivas Reddy
Framework for Bangladesh and the Sustainable
Development Goals. The partnership between the two UN Agencies will help make workplaces free of
sexual and gender based violence as well as more supportive of the sexual and reproductive health rights of
women and girls.

Réunion d’experts chargée d’adopter

des directives sur le travail décent et le
tourisme socialement responsable
L’objet de la réunion est d’examiner des directives sur le travail décent et le tourisme
socialement responsable et de les adopter en vue d’encourager les acteurs et
partenaires sociaux du secteur de l’hôtellerie, de la restauration et du tourisme à
promouvoir la responsabilité sociale et à défendre le travail décent, conformément aux
objectifs de développement durable et au programme de développement pour l’après-
2015.
En Egypte, l’énergie renouvelable ravive
l’espoir de créer des emplois
Un projet pilote de l’OIT relatif à la production de biogaz dans deux villages égyptiens
contribue à créer des emplois et à réduire la pollution.
Reportage | 14 février 2017

«Le nouvel engrais organique a permis de faire de meilleures récoltes de fruits et de légumes»,
déclare El-Desouky Refaat.PORT-SAÏD, Egypte (OIT Infos) – El-Desouky Refaat cherchait
désespérément une bombonne de gaz dans son village. Il avait presque perdu tout espoir
quand il a appris qu’un projet pilote allait être mis en place dans sa région pour produire du
biogaz à partir des déchets agricoles.

«L’unité de biogaz produit actuellement l’équivalent de deux bombonnes de gaz par mois. En
outre, le fermenteur fournit des engrais biologiques de grande qualité pour protéger nos
récoltes des vers, des insectes et des parasites, ainsi que nos semences herbacées. Le
rendement a augmenté et le coût des fertilisants a été économisé», déclare El-Desouky Refaat.

Le projet pilote sur le biogaz a rassemblé le projet OIT-Canada «Des emplois décents pour les
jeunes en Egypte » et le ministère égyptien de l’Agriculture, sous les auspices du gouvernorat
de Port-Saïd. Le projet est non seulement bénéfique pour l’environnement mais il l’est aussi
pour la santé et les moyens d’existence de la famille d’ El-Desouky Refaat et des autres
membres de la communauté.

Il n’est donc pas surprenant que le projet ait été sélectionné comme l’un des meilleurs projets
de développement du pays en 2016 et qu’il soit présenté dans le rapport du Centre
d’information et d’appui à la décision (IDSC) du gouvernement égyptien: «Examen des projets
de développement réussis dans les gouvernorats égyptiens».

“ Le projet, essentiellement destiné à diversifier les sources d’énergie,... a aussi contribué à

augmenter les possibilités d’emploi.»

Peter van Rooij, Directeur du Bureau de l’OIT du Caire

«C’est une solution gagnante pour tous dans un pays qui compte une forte densité animale. Le
projet, essentiellement destiné à diversifier les sources d’énergie, a proposé une méthode verte
alternative de gestion des déchets et a finalement abouti à la production d’engrais biologiques»,
explique Peter van Rooij, Directeur du Bureau de l’OIT du Caire.

«De plus, il a aussi contribué à augmenter les possibilités d’emploi et a dispensé la formation
nécessaire pour renforcer les compétences et l’expertise requises dans le domaine du biogaz».

M. van Rooij ajoute que le projet répondait aux trois plus importants problèmes qui touchent
l’Egypte, à savoir le chômage des jeunes, les sources d’énergie renouvelables et efficaces et la
pollution.

Un avenir vert
Le biogaz est une forme d’énergie produite à base de matériaux organiques comme les bouses
de vaches et de buffles issues des déchets agricoles et c’est aussi une source majeure de
substrat dans une centrale au biogaz.

L’usage du biogaz s’est propagé des petites fermes aux grands élevages commerciaux. Le
biogaz devrait devenir une importante source d’énergie à l’avenir, ce qui contribuerait à
préserver l’environnement, à résoudre les problèmes de pollution et à promouvoir une meilleure
santé dans les communautés rurales. Une fois que les excréments d’animaux ont fermenté
dans la fabrique de biogaz, ils se transforment en substrat inodore, souvent de meilleure qualité
que du fumier frais et donc plus efficace pour améliorer la qualité des sols.

«Le nouvel engrais organique a permis de faire de meilleures récoltes de fruits et de légumes»,
déclare El-Desouky Refaat.

Deux villages du gouvernorat de Port-Saïd – Al-Amal et Rabiaa – ont été sélectionnés pour ce
projet pilote de biogaz qui concerne 20 ménages au total. Un digesteur de biogaz a été
construit sur les terres d’El-Desouky Refaat à Al-Amal, tandis que deux autres digesteurs
étaient bâtis à Rabiaa.

Mohamed Andel-Hadi, consultant de l’OIT en matière de biogaz, indique que les bénéficiaires
ont été sélectionnés selon leur niveau d’éducation, leurs besoins en gaz et la possession d’une
grange aménageable susceptible d’accueillir un digesteur de biogaz.

L’expert peut déjà observer un effet d’entrainement. Alors qu’un seul digesteur était prévu pour
Rabiaa, un fermier constatant ses bénéfices a décidé de construire un second digesteur.

«Il était heureux d’investir dans la construction d’un second digesteur. Les bénéfices financiers
et environnementaux étaient évidents pour lui. Chaque fermenteur fournit au moins 30 emplois
et, grâce au compost et à l’engrais organique, nous récoltons des produits biologiques de haute
qualité bons pour l’export», explique Abdel-Hadi.

Parallèlement, les autorités égyptiennes espèrent que l’effet d’entrainement va passer à la

vitesse supérieure.
«J’espère que ce projet sera répliqué à grande échelle. J’espère voir un complexe de biogaz
dans chaque village d’Egypte qui fournira une énergie verte propre tout en éliminant les déchets
animaux», conclut Enayat Farag, Directeur général du département des affaires
environnementales du Gouvernorat de Port-Saïd.

Tags: emplois verts, création d'emploi, énergie