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ICTSD/QUNO DialogueThe Mode 4 Issue and LDCs: Reaping development benefits through building
competitive capacities and tackling market access difficultiesWMO, Geneva Switzerland
26 February 2009
Facilitating Temporary Labour Mobility in African LDCs: addressing Mode 4 related supply-side constraints
OUTLINE
Background Focus of paper, structure and
methodology/approach Main messages Conclusion
BACKGROUND
Follow up to LDC requests on Mode 4 TOR central concern with building productive
capacity Focus on African LDCs* and supply side
issues Biggest problem lack of data
FOCUS OF PAPER, STRUCTURE OF PAPER AND APPROACH/METHODLOGY
Existing studies tend to focus on the end product – specific trade/non-trade agreements and their related management issues
Many cross-cutting issues, hence ‘joined-up policy’ approach
Therefore focus of this paper on the skills dimension and the ‘pre’-mode 4/TLM considerations
FOCUS OF PAPER, STRUCTURE OF PAPER AND APPROACH/METHODLOGY
Examples of types of issues paper explores: - To what extent are African LDCs are in a position to supply trading partners with temporary low skilled workers?- What are the main policy and institutional constraints on the supply-side?- To what extent is mode 4/TLM recognised in national development plans? How is it addressed regionally?- How can the development impact be maximised and costs minimised?- Are there good practices?
FOCUS OF PAPER, STRUCTURE OF PAPER AND APPROACH/METHODLOGY
Structure of paper:- Main features of labour market- Specific skills related challenges- Overview of whether TLM is being used in the skills development context - An assessment of existing regional policy mechanisms- Considerations for a revised Mode 4 request- Recommendations
MAIN MESSAGES: Overall themes
Various policy and institutional issues/constraints related to mode 4 supply side need to be addressed for development benefits of market access at trade level to be realised
Mode 4/TLM should be embedded in a broader skills development strategy.
Therefore TLM should be used as a policy tool for facilitating training, work experience, work values and up-skilling with a view to ensuring consistency with the needs of the sending economy.
MAIN MESSAGES: Skills dimension
Existing education and training (formal and non-formal) is not meeting needs of African LDC economies due to weak labour market analysis and lack of overall coherent strategy
Little comprehensive assessment of the skills challenge despite skills shortages in a range of areas:
– Private sector/business; vocational; agricultural; high end; service related; public sector; also basic and transferable etc
MAIN MESSAGES: TVT
Due to the importance of the informal sector and low skilled labour, particular focus on role of TVT.
Overview of TVT: lack of practical experience in training programmes; management issues; relevance; poor infrastructure and materials; funding; actors.
Some positive TVT initiatives: Rwanda, Gambia, Mozambique, Mauritania, Benin, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia.
MAIN MESSAGES: Priority of mode 4/TLM at national level & links to skills
Based on PRSPs/DTISs/NDPs for Uganda, Zambia, Senegal, DRC, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Malawi and Mauritania- commonalities: job creation/cross cutting issue (social sector); TVT; migration hardly discussed and TLM not mentioned; no overall strategy- contrasts: visions
MAIN MESSAGES: Existing policy and institutional capacity to facilitate mode 4/TLM
Policy initiatives at downstream level covering specific aspects Changing landscape: new generation of development
cooperation on TLM (eg. Senegal, Cape Verde*) Existing work shows that the most positive TLM arrangements
are those which are specific, transparent, take a holistic approach and have shared mutual responsibility by both sending and receiving countries
Examples: Philippines, Bangladesh, Pacific region, Abu Dhabi Declaration
MAIN MESSAGES: Regional policy frameworks
AU Migration Policy Framework AU Strategy to Revitalise Technical and Vocational
Training in Africa AU Framework for Post-conflict Reconstruction and
TVT NEPAD, Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa,
Education Institutions, Dakar Declaration RECs (COMESA, SADC) Limited regional cooperation on the ground: lack of
capacity, expertise, resources, fragmentation and lack of prioritisation
MAIN MESSAGES: GATS
Prospects for mode 4 low skilled further limited by current economic climate: expectations should be realistic
Flexibility and readiness to share responsibility Existing work shows that development dimension
can be addressed in GATS architecture Skills development agenda can also be pursued
through other GATS provisions such as Articles 4, 7 and 8 of the LDC modalities on attaching conditions
Knock-on effects, eg. TVT, mode 2
MAIN MESSAGES
Recommendations at National Level: 1. Develop core vision for skills development
2. More emphasis on TVT
3. Assess relevance and applicability of TLM in context of national development plans/skills development agenda 4. Address policy and institutional gaps
MAIN MESSAGES
Recommendations at Regional Level:1. Facilitate information systems
2. Training, teaching materials and curricula needs3. Qualifications framework?4. Harmonisation of education policies to address skills shortages
MAIN MESSAGES
Recommendations at GATS level:- More specific based on priority areas- Target trading partners whose needs are in common interest with LDCs- Extend definition of CSS to CSS-2- Possible use of a model framework for addressing development dimension- Consider how other modes can be used for skills development
MAIN MESSAGES
Role of international community and donors:- Capacity building, diagnostics, funding, implementation and monitoring- EIF, ODA and other bilateral agreements- Provide MA for LDCs in mode 4 areas of interest
THANK YOU