President Jakaya Kikwete

The International Labour Organization (ILO), East Africa Office, has commended Tanzania for its initiative to implement the Agriculture First policy aimed at enabling the private sector and other stakeholders use the country's vast land and water potential for agricultural activities.

The praise comes in the wake of the United Nations encouragement of each of its member countries to formulate and implement policies specific to their priorities.

According to a statement by the ILO Office for East Africa, over 170 UN member states had welcomed the adoption of the Global Jobs Pact aimed at creating jobs and stimulating economic recovery to offset the global economic crisis.

"This augurs well for ongoing initiatives in Tanzania under which President Jakaya Kikwete has said some land would be given to the private sector for translating into action the Agriculture First policy,” said a senior ILO official.

According to ILO, the Global Jobs Pact aimed at creating jobs, protecting workers and stimulating economic recovery.

"The Global Jobs Pact is an urgent call for worldwide action to put employment and societal protection at the heart of every policy.

"This resolution provides a strong new element in the growing international support for the ILO's Global Pact, " ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, adding:

"It is an indication of both the urgency of the situation, and the relevance and timeliness of the pact, and creates a strong platform for follow-up actions in addressing the global jobs crisis".

It requested UN funds, programmes and specialized agencies to take into account the pact in their policies and programmes and invited international financial institutions and other relevant organizations to integrate the policy contents of the pact in their activities.

It also invited donor countries, multilateral and development partners to consider providing funding for the implementation of the recommendations and policy options of the Global Jobs Pact.