Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Guinea (Ratification: 1966)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Adoption and implementation of an active labour policy. Education and vocational training policy. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s indication that the national employment policy formulated in 2003 was obsolete and that in 2015 it was decided to update the policy, The Committee requested the Government to continue providing information on the progress made in the formulation and implementation of a new national employment policy. It also requested the Government to provide information on the results achieved by the measures to promote employment and improve the supply of vocational and technical training. In this regard, the Committee notes that the Government again reiterates that a draft new national employment policy has been formulated with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under the coordination of a tripartite national steering committee. In respect of the supply of technical and vocational training, the Government indicates that in 2022, a total of 55,765 persons completed a vocational training centre programme, of which 29,981 were men (53.8 per cent) and 25,784 were women (46.2 per cent). The Government indicates that 4.2 per cent of trainees were under 17 years of age, 61.6 per cent were between 17 and 24 years of age and 34.2 per cent between 25 and 36 years of age. Noting that the new employment policy has not yet been adopted, the Committee hopes that the Government will be able to show progress in that regard in its next report and be in a position to provide a copy of the new policy adopted. The Committee also reiterates its request to the Government to provide information, including statistics disaggregated by sex, age and rural/urban area, on the results achieved by the measures to promote employment. With reference to its comments on the Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), in which it requests the Government to provide information on the measures to coordinate the different bodies charged with the development of training policies and programmes, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, including statistics disaggregated by sex and age, on the results achieved through improving the supply of technical and vocational training in the country.

Informal economy. The Government indicates that the proportion of informal employment in the country remains high, at around 76 per cent. In this regard, the Committee recalls that the employment policy remains a key tool to comprehend the transitions in all their complexity, and guide them towards the formal economy by attacking the factors that push people and enterprises towards functioning informally. Thus, according to the best comparative practices, when these policies are correctly designed and applied, they can play a catalysing role accelerating the transition from the informal economy to the formal economy, leading to more inclusive, productive and resilient labour markets as a result of an environment more favourable to formalization, at the same time providing targeted assistance to facilitate the transition process. The Committee further recalls that the Recommendation concerning the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy, 2015 (No. 204) provides detailed guidance on the elements to take into consideration when formulating and implementing a political response to the informal economy, which should include: the promotion of strategies for sustainable development, poverty eradication and inclusive growth, and the generation of decent jobs in the formal economy; the promotion of a conducive business and investment environment; and the promotion of entrepreneurship, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and other forms of business models and economic units, such as cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy units (see the General Survey of 2020, Promoting employment and decent work in a changing landscape, paragraph 130). The Committee requests more detailed information on specific measures taken, in particular in the framework of the draft new economic policy, to take up the many challenges inherent to work in the informal economy, indicating in particular whether the measures taken or envisaged include elements aimed at: (i) reducing administrative constraints and formalities; (ii) strengthening and extending social protection as a means to enrol enterprises and their workers; (iii) promoting access to finance and business development services, including access to credit and training, as these are often lacking for informal enterprises; (iv) enhancing labour market placement and intermediation and skills development services; (v) raising awareness and promoting formalization; (vi) tailoring policies to specific sectors and occupations as the informal economy is not monolithic, and informalization patterns vary across sectors and occupations; (vii) promoting dialogue and collaboration among all relevant stakeholders for effective policy formulation and implementation; and (viii) monitoring and evaluating policy impacts as this is crucial to assess policy effectiveness in promoting transitions from informality to formality. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide detailed and updated information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on levels of informality in the country.

Article 2. Employment trends. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the variation in the number of job seekers in the fourth quarter of 2022. The Committee observes, according to ILO statistics, that unemployment in Guinea in 2023 stood at 5.4 per cent, at an identical rate for men and women (5.5 per cent for women and 5.4 per cent for men). It notes however that unemployment is significantly higher among young persons, with a level of 7.3 per cent in 2023. It also notes that the unemployment rate has been falling since 2020, dropping from 6.1 per cent in 2020 to 5.4 per cent in 2023). The unemployment rate is nonetheless still higher than before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (4.7 per cent in 2018 against 5.4 per cent in 2023). The Government indicates that underemployment stands at 60 per cent. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated data, including statistical data disaggregated by age, sex, economic sector and urban/rural area, on the employment situation, including the employment, unemployment and underemployment trends visible in the country. Noting the high level of unemployment among the young, the Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the content of the measures taken or envisaged to promote full, productive, freely chosen and decent employment for young persons throughout the country.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and implementation of employment policies. In its previous comments, the Committee had noted the Government’s indication that the formulation of the new national employment policy was coordinated by a tripartite national steering committee. It also noted the absence of information regarding the participation of rural workers or workers in the informal economy. In its report, the Government indicates that the formulation and implementation process of the national employment policy provides for consultation: of the National Statistics Institute, the National Directorate for the Economy, the Offices for Strategy Development of various ministries, the General Confederation of Guinean Enterprises (COGE-GUI), the National Confederation of Workers of Guinea (CNTG), the National Union of Workers of Guinea (USTG), the UNDP and the ILO. However, the Government provides no information concerning the participation of the representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken, in conformity with Article 3 of the Convention. The Committee recalls in this regard that it is the responsibility of the tripartite partners to ensure that representatives of the most marginalized and disadvantaged segments of the active population are consulted in the formulation and implementation of the measures of which they are the prime beneficiaries. The Committee considers that the active participation of the concerned groups will foster ownership and cooperation in the policy and its implementation (see the General Survey of 2020, Promoting employment and decent work in a changing landscape, paragraphs 94–95). The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide information on the consultations held, in conformity with Article 3 of the Convention, with the representatives of the groups affected by the measures to be taken in the context of the national employment policy, in particular rural workers, workers from the informal economy and young workers. It also requests the Government to continue to communicate detailed and updated information on the manner in which the social partners are consulted during the formulation and implementation process of the national employment policy.

COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee notes the information provided in response to its previous comment on updated information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.