LABOUR EXPERT TENGBeh: WHAT DID LIBERIA BRING BACK FROM ILO CONFERENCE IN GENEVA?
“PHOTOSHOOT OR WORKER PROTECTION?” LILGA CEO QUESTIONS LIBERIA’S ILO 114 OUTCOMES
MONROVIA, Montserrado County,– Labour governance expert George Sahr Tengbeh is questioning what tangible benefits Liberia secured from this year’s International Labour Conference in Geneva, urging the Ministry of Labour and the Liberia Labour Congress to disclose policy gains from ILO Convention 114 negotiations.
In an opinion piece, Tengbeh, Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Labour and Governance Alliance and part-time lecturer at the University of Liberia, contrasted Liberia’s participation with that of South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya.
“While countries such as South Africa approached the Geneva conference with a well-structured tripartite delegation actively negotiating and aligning national priorities with emerging global labour reforms, Ghana used the platform to advance its labour reform agenda and further integrate international labour standards into its domestic framework,” Tengbeh said.
“Kenya, on its part, continued to strengthen its labour governance systems through active participation focused on labour market reforms, social protection expansion, and the gradual formalization of gig and informal sector employment.”
Tengbeh argued that for those countries, ILO participation was “tied to a broader vision of labour modernization, stronger institutions, and improved worker protections.”
“Liberia, however, appears to stand in sharp contrast,” he said.
“Although represented at the conference, there has been little public communication regarding specific policy gains, implementation plans, technical cooperation agreements, or reform commitments resulting from its participation.”
He said the silence has left many Liberians wondering whether the country’s presence in Geneva “translated into any tangible benefits for workers back home or whether it was simply another routine international engagement without a clearly defined roadmap for improving labour conditions.”
Tengbeh, a researcher and advocate for governance, WASH, and environmental justice, framed his critique as a call for accountability from the Ministry of Labour and the Liberia Labour Congress on what Convention 114 and other ILO 114 global labour diplomacy discussions will mean for Liberian workers.
The 112th International Labour Conference concluded in Geneva this month with negotiations on labour protection, occupational safety, and informal economy reforms.