SL ratifies Employment Policy Convention

Sri Lanka recently became the 110th Member State of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ratify its Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) which aims to stimulate economic growth and development, raise levels of living standards, meet manpower requirements and overcome unemployment and underemployment.

This is included among the four standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance. With this ratification, the Government has given a clear signal of its commitment to promoting full, productive and freely chosen employment.

With the support of the ILO, the Government of Sri Lanka has adopted the National Human Resources and Employment Policy (NHREP), after extensive consultations with ministries and social partners. Sri Lanka, despite substantial gains reflected in overall social indicators, still encounters challenges of youth unemployment, female unemployment and a significant level of employment in the informal sector leading to ‘decent work’ gaps that need to be addressed as a matter of priority.

The NHREP was developed with attention towards a ‘decent work’ outcome. This led to the development of a Master Plan for implementation engaging over 15 ministries. The Master Plan includes Key Performance Indicators (KPI) inter alia and is updated and monitored by the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations with ILO support.

- ILO