The main objective of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU – also known by its French acronym, UEMOA) is to build a harmonized and integrated economic space in West Africa, within which full freedom of movement of people, capital, goods, services and factors of production would be guaranteed. UEMOA’s Member States are Benin, Burkina Faso,Côté d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Since 2010, the UEMOA has established a Council of Labour and Social Dialogue (CTDS) – a tripartite cross-border social dialogue body. The CTDS has 72 members: nine from each Member State, whereby three represent the government; two, the employers; two, the workers; and two, the civil society. It is responsible for, among other things, examining any question likely to have a social impact on the Union, strengthening consultation and tripartite engagement within the Union, and supporting the consolidation of social dialogue within the Union’s Member States. The CTDS has supported the establishment of Benin’s National Council for Social Dialogue, Burkina-Faso’s High Council for Social Dialogue, and Mali’s National Council for Social Dialogue.
It also delivers opinions such as the one issued in 2023, which contains 19 recommendations on the portability of migrant workers' rights to social security within the Union.
The CTDS provides opinions on possible social impacts of actions/proposals by the Union. Opinions can be provided at the CTDS’s own initiative, or at the request of a Member State, the UEMOA’s Council of Ministers, the UEMOA’s Commission, or employers' and workers' representatives.
The CTDS has been the first sub-regional social dialogue institution to discuss the promotion of the ILO’s MNE Declaration and to adopt specific recommendations addressed to its Member States and social partners, regarding the implementation of the Declaration’s principles.