Alarmed by escalating conflicts and democratic setbacks across Africa, labour leaders from throughout the continent will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for a crucial two-day summit from 20–21 November 2025. Organized by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), this assembly aims to define a clear pathway toward peace and stability.
A Continental Response to Crisis
The workshop, themed “African Trade Union Contribution to Peace and Security,” will host 40 participants from national trade union centres in nations severely impacted by conflict and fragility. These include representatives from Sudan, Niger, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
In a powerful statement ahead of the meeting, ITUC-Africa General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie emphasized the urgent need for labour involvement. “Workers are often the first victims of conflict and the last to recover from its consequences,” he noted. “Trade unions must therefore play a more active role in promoting peace, defending rights, and fostering stability.”
The Deep-Rooted Drivers of Instability
This initiative comes at a critical time. Despite the African Union's ambitious “Silence the Guns by 2030” campaign, instability continues to ravage the continent. Currently, at least 30 African countries are grappling with conflict, political crises, or democratic regression.
The human cost is devastating. Odigie highlighted severe consequences including mass displacement, widespread job losses, destruction of vital infrastructure, and the complete collapse of livelihoods. He further cited alarming data showing that millions of African children and migrants are trapped in forced labour linked to these conflicts, with women and youth facing the worst of the economic exclusion.
Explaining the core rationale for the Nairobi meeting, Odigie pointed to deep structural failures. “Persistent inequalities in resource distribution, entrenched corruption, weak public accountability, and shrinking civic space continue to erode state legitimacy,” he stated. These issues are compounded by mass youth unemployment, the informalisation of work, and gender-based violence. Furthermore, economic exclusion and climate-induced shocks like droughts and floods are fuelling competition over scarce resources, triggering displacement and entrenched cycles of violence.
Forging a Unified Labour Front for Peace
The Nairobi meeting will serve as a strategic platform for trade union leaders to share experiences and strengthen solidarity. A key outcome will be the adoption of an African Trade Union Peace Charter and a detailed Peace and Security Roadmap (2026–2028). This roadmap is designed to guide union engagement in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and post-conflict reconstruction across Africa.
The event has garnered support from key partners including Oxfam Africa, the ITUC Human and Trade Union Rights Department (HTUR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Pan African Policy Institute (PAPI). A significant moment will be the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ITUC-Africa and PAPI to institutionalise their collaboration on research, advocacy, and policy engagement.
Odigie affirmed that this peace and security agenda is fully aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Goal 4 (A Peaceful and Secure Africa) and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). He stressed a fundamental truth: sustainable peace cannot be achieved without decent work, respect for rights, and social protection for all.
“Trade unions have a unique and credible role to play in transforming Africa’s conflicts into opportunities for dialogue, justice, and inclusion,” Odigie concluded. “Our collective mission is to ensure that the pursuit of peace and the fight for decent work go hand in hand.” The meeting will conclude with the adoption of key resolutions, symbolizing the labour movement's unified stand against Africa's security challenges.
