Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Sudan (Ratification: 1970)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Policies to promote employment and coordination with poverty reduction. The Committee notes the Government’s brief report received in May 2013 which refers to the launch of the National Rural Women’s Development Project (2012–16) and the establishment of the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities. The Government listed the following measures taken under the Tripartite Recovery Programme for the period 2011–13: (i) an increase in education funding benefiting the poor resulting from tax increases; (ii) an increase in microfinance funding from 12 per cent in 2011 to 13 per cent in 2012; (iii) an increase in funding devoted to the productive sectors (agriculture and industry) from 30 per cent in 2011 to 40 per cent in 2012; (iv) the promotion of youth employment and the reduction of the flow of unemployed from abroad; and (v) the reduction of the number of workers in the informal economy while integrating them in the national economy. The Committee refers to its previous comments and invites the Government to indicate in its next report the progress made in formulating an active employment policy, as required by the Convention. It also invites the Government to include information on the implementation and results of the measures taken under the National Rural Women’s Development Project, the Tripartite Recovery Programme or other plans and programmes designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment.

Collection and use of labour market data. The Government indicates in its report that a Labour Force Survey (LFS) was conducted in 2012 with the assistance of the ILO. The Committee notes that the preliminary results of the LFS suggest a total population of about 29.95 million, of which 19.2 million (64.1 per cent) reside in rural areas and 10.74 million (35.9 per cent) in urban areas. It further notes that the total labour force was 8.97 million persons, of which 1.66 million were unemployed (8.5 per cent unemployment in rural areas and 10.7 per cent in urban areas). The Committee invites the Government to indicate in its next report the manner in which the employment data collected by the LFS was used for deciding on and reviewing employment measures, in cooperation with the social partners and representatives of the stakeholders in the rural sector and the informal economy (Articles 2 and 3). Please also include relevant statistical data, disaggregated as much as possible, on the situation and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment in both the formal and informal economy.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners in policy formulation and implementation. The Committee refers to its previous comments and once again expresses its firm hope that the Government will supply detailed information in its next report on the consultations held with the social partners on the formulation and implementation of an active employment policy. It also requests the Government to supply information on the consultations held with the representatives of the persons affected by the employment measures taken, such as those working in the rural sector and the informal economy.

ILO technical assistance programme. The Committee notes that the ILO provided technical assistance to the Government of Sudan through the organization of a tripartite workshop in August 2013, which included training on how to better meet the reporting obligations required by the Convention. The Committee hopes that in its next regular report, due in 2015, the Government will be in a position to provide detailed information on the effectiveness of the active employment policies implemented to achieve the objectives set out in the Convention.