CMNT_TITLE

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Guinea (RATIFICATION: 1966)

Other comments on C117

Observation

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Parts I and II of the Convention. Articles 1 and 2. General principles. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the adoption by Guinea of the National Social Protection Policy 2016–2020 (PNPS), the objective of which is to gradually build a system of effective, equitable and sustainable social protection. In its report, the Government indicates that its vision is that, by 2021, 20 per cent of the population will have access to basic social services and protection against social, environmental, political and economic risks. The Committee notes that this social policy prioritizes six components: access to employment and decent work, the improvement of living conditions for the most disadvantaged social groups, access to high-quality health and education services, access to food security and nutrition, crisis and disaster prevention and management and the strengthening of resilience, and access to social housing. The Government indicates that, within the framework of the implementation of this policy, it has established development programmes that are showing significant progress, such as increased productivity in subsistence sectors and the reinforcement of food marketing networks, the development of manufacturing for the local processing of certain agricultural products, the construction of hydroelectric dams, improved infrastructure, and gradual access to high-speed information and communication technology. The Committee also notes the adoption of a new social policy, the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2016–2020 (PNDES), which is the second generation of social policy following the Five-year Plan 2011–2015 and which is aligned with the vision for 2021 in the PNPS. The Committee notes with interest that the PNDES will prioritize the improvement of standards of living for the poorest and most vulnerable, with the aim of reducing poverty and promoting social and gender advancement, investment and activation in order to create economic opportunities. The Committee requests the Government to send detailed and updated information on the progress made in the framework of the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy 2016–2020 (PNPS), the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2016–2020 (PNDES), the Government’s poverty-reduction strategy, and any other programme that is “primarily directed to the well-being and development of the population and to the promotion of its desire for social progress”, as required by the Convention. It also requests the Government to provide updated information on the impact of the measures implemented, including their impact on target groups.

Article 3. Improvement of living conditions in rural areas. The Committee notes that regional equity is one of the strategic components of the National Social and Economic Development Plan 2016–2020. Among the advances made in the reduction of regional disparities and the improvement of the living conditions of the rural population, the Committee notes the implementation of rural electrification projects, the creation of the National Community Financing Agency, and the creation of a National Agency for Social and Economic Inclusion (ANIES) in January 2019, the goal of which is to combat poverty. The Government indicates that the ANIES has transferred 439 billion Guinean francs in food donations and telephones to a target group of 24,000 households. The Committee also notes the Government’s intention to implement an urban infrastructure building programme to significantly expand household access to secure housing and high-quality basic social services. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated and detailed information on the progress made in the reduction of regional disparities and the improvement of living conditions in rural areas.

In the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee recalls the comprehensive guidance provided by international labour standards. It encourages the Government to engage in tripartite consultation and social dialogue more broadly as a solid foundation for developing and implementing effective responses to the profound socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The Committee invites the Government to provide updated information in its next report on measures taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic as well as on the impact of such measures on the implementation of the Convention.