New pilot programmes are the leading edge of the ILO's efforts to implement its decent work agenda at the country level. Decent Work Pilot Programmes (DWPP) are founded on the ILO's four strategic objectives – employment promotion, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue – integrating economic and social objectives.
In Ghana, a pilot Decent Work Country Programme has shown how people can put decent work into practice, and fight poverty in the bargain.
AYUMAKO, Central Ghana – In the palm oil business here, being more productive is all about sharing.
“Before we used to keep knowledge for ourselves but after the training, we help each other out and we have increased the quantity of palm nuts processed”, says Victoria Edith Mensah, a member of the Palm Oil and Palm Kennel Oil Association in Ayumako.
In October 2005, ten of its 15 members participated in the ILO's Small Business Association (SBA) training and were very enthusiastic about the new skills they acquired, particularly workload and account management, and organising an SBA.
The project is part of the ILO's Ghana Decent Work Pilot Programme (GDWPP), a joint initiative of the ILO and the Government of Ghana, which aims at reducing poverty through the promotion of decent work in the informal economy.
This project is among the new ILO DWCPs that are being instituted in a number of regions to apply ILO principles to improving working lives and jobs.
“The ILO experience with decent work country programmes has been very positive in putting decent work goals on top of the national policy agendas”, says ILO Director-General Juan Somavia.
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