Senegal appoints four national focal points and lays the foundations of a national promotion strategy

By appointing by ministerial order four national focal points responsible for the promotion and application of the MNE Declaration, Senegal has become the first country in Africa to appoint national focal points. Earlier this year, Senegal already made history by creating the first tripartite Commission to promote the MNE Declaration within a national social dialogue institution.

On 22 December 2017, Mr. Samba Sy, the Minister of Labor, Social Dialogue, Professional Organizations and Relations with Institutions, officially appointed:
  • Mr. Ibra Ndoye of the Ministry of Labor as the government’s focal point;
  • Mr. Alioune Ba of the National Employers Council (CNP) as the employers' focal point;
  • Mr. Babacar Sarr of the National Confederation of Workers of Senegal (CNTS) as the workers' focal point; and
  • Ms. Mame Khar Basse, President of the Commission for the Promotion of the ILO MNE Declaration in the High Council of Social Dialogue
as national focal points for the promotion and application of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). The governmental focal point ensures the overall coordination and regular reports to measure the impact and performance of the actions undertaken will be produced.

Senegal is the second country after Portugal to appoint national focal points for the promotion of the MNE Declaration.

A unique feature of these appointments is that four national focal points have been nominated representing the government, employers, workers as well as a national tripartite social dialogue institution. Senegal was indeed the first country to respond to the call of the Abidjan Declaration on Strengthening the Role and Impact of National Social Dialogue Institutions for More Effective and Fair Economic and Social Governance adopted by eleven social dialogue institutions from West and Central Africa in May 2017, and to establish a commission within its national social dialogue institution in charge of promoting the MNE Declaration and creating partnerships for its implementation. Madame Basse, Head of Human Resources at Crédit du Sénégal from the Attijariwafa Bank Group, a multinational enterprise operating in Senegal, was appointed as chairperson of this tripartite commission.

The ILO revised its Declaration on Multinational Enterprises in March 2017. The MNE Declaration is the only ILO instrument that provides direct guidance to enterprises on social policy and inclusive, responsible and sustainable workplace practices. It is the only global instrument in this area that was elaborated and adopted by governments, employers and workers from around the world.

To encourage uptake of its principles of the MNE Declaration by all parties, the ILO Governing Body adopted a range of operational tools, including a regional follow-up mechanism, the appointment of national focal points on a tripartite basis, a company-union dialogue, and an interpretation procedure on the application of the principles of the MNE Declaration. The ILO is assisting many governments, employers and workers from around the world to build their capacity to promote the MNE Declaration and to apply its principles.

Senegal currently benefits from a development cooperation project financed by France for the promotion and application of the MNE Declaration. In this context, more than 200 national actors were met to raise awareness of the revised MNE Declaration, 18 resource persons were trained and concrete recommendations were put forward to promote the MNE Declaration across the country. The ILO's “Enterprises and Decent Work” project supports national focal points to develop a national action plan and define a strategy for its implementation. The national focal points will share good practices from enterprises contributing positively to the economic and social progress of the country and achievement of decent work for all.

Go to the MNE Declaration web site