Meeting between the ILO and the Burkinabe employers’ organization

The Burkinabe employers’ organization was received on 10 April 2026 in Ouagadougou by Mr. Gilbert F. HOUNGBO, Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), during his mission to Burkina Faso.
This visit was part of exchanges with the tripartite constituents, with a view to promoting social dialogue and strengthening cooperation among labour market stakeholders.

The delegation of the Burkinabe employers’ organization was led by Mr. Harouna TOGOYENI, Vice-President in charge of Social Dialogue. He was accompanied by Mr. Augustin BAMBARA, Chair of the Statutory Committee; Dr. Daouda DIALLO, Secretary in charge of Labour, Social Affairs and Corporate Affairs; Dr. Ismail GUIGMA, Vice-President of the Commission in charge of Labour, Social Affairs and Corporate Affairs; and Dr. Ismaël K. BIDIGA, Secretary in charge of liberal health professions.

The meeting was introduced by Ms. Coumba DIOP, Director of the ILO Country Office. She welcomed the availability of the members of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Faso (COGEF) and invited them to engage freely with the ILO Director-General in a spirit of open and constructive exchange.

In his remarks, delivered on behalf of Idrissa NASSA, the Vice-President in charge of Social Dialogue welcomed the ILO Director-General and his delegation. He praised the quality of the partnership between the ILO and Burkina Faso, while stressing that this visit represents a major opportunity to consolidate and deepen this cooperation, particularly around the essential issues of decent work and employment promotion. He also expressed the wish that strengthening dialogue between social partners, with the support of the ILO, would serve as a key lever for the implementation of inclusive policies conducive to sustainable economic growth.

Speaking in turn, Mr. Gilbert F. HOUNGBO congratulated the Burkinabe employers’ organization for its efforts in social dialogue. He stated that his visit is part of a desire to get closer to realities on the ground in order to better understand the challenges faced by economic actors. He also recalled the ILO’s priorities, notably youth employment, the development of technical and vocational training, strengthening social protection, aligning business needs with training provision, and the formalization of enterprises.

At the end of the discussions, COGEF presented an advocacy document. The two parties agreed to develop a roadmap incorporating three priority projects of the employers’ organization, with a view to supporting them and mobilizing the resources needed for their implementation.

The meeting concluded with a group photo, in an atmosphere marked by shared satisfaction.

It should be recalled that this meeting is part of a regional tour by the BIT official in the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), aimed at assessing the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) activities on the ground. On this occasion, he successively met with the Prime Minister, technical and financial partners, the Trade Union Action Unit, and COGEF.