Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia*[1], Montenegro* and Albania*, the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.

1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the promotion, protection, respect and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights and the right to organise and the freedom of association.
2. We actively promote the universal ratification and implementation of fundamental international labour standards, including ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association. We support the ILO in its indispensable role to develop, promote and supervise the application of international labour standards and of fundamental Conventions in particular.
3. The EU and its Member States have been engaged in development dialogue and cooperation for more than 40 years with Ethiopia. We recognise the progress made on the implementation of international labour standards.
4. In line with the Committee’s assessment, we note with regret however, the insufficient progress with regard to freedom of association and the right to organise, in particular the fundamental right of social partners to form organizations and subsequently the right to official recognition through legal registration. Having this in mind, we urge Ethiopia to take the necessary measures to ensure the immediate registration of the teachers’ associations. It is the fundamental right of all workers, including civil servants and other employees of the state administration, to form organizations of their own choosing for furthering and defending their occupational interests.
5. We commend the replacement of the Charities and Societies Proclamation by the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation in 2019, which removed certain provisions that were not in conformity with the Convention, among others, provisions that gave governmental authorities great discretionary powers to interfere in workers’ and employers’ freedom of association and their right to organize. We call on the Government to revise, in consultation with social partners, remaining outstanding provisions not in line with the Convention, in particular on the registration and effect of appeals.
6. We also note with satisfaction the recent revision of the Labour Proclamation in 2019, however regret that it still unlawfully restricts the application of Convention 87, in particular in relation to the coverage of all categories of workers, the list of essential services in which strike action is prohibited and the quorum required for a strike ballot.
7. We welcome the written information provided by the Government of Ethiopia, underline the importance of technical assistance and hope for a close cooperation of the Government with ILO and social partners in addressing all the outstanding issues.
8. Furthermore, we note that the Committee, in its report of 2021, has requested the Government to take measures or provide information with respect to child labour. We appreciate many of the measures put in place by the government in recent years, but encourage further efforts to eliminate child labour, including by moving towards compulsory and free primary and secondary education for all children until they reach the minimum age of admission to work. Particular attention should be paid in this respect to gender equality and the informal sector.
9. The EU and its Member States will continue to cooperate with Ethiopia and stand ready to support the country in their continuous work towards the full implementation of ILO conventions.

Thank you Chair.

[1] *The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.