ADVANCING SDG 8: DECENT WORK & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In an era of ever-present change, disruption has become the one constant in the world of work. On top of the many shifts the pandemic brought—a mass migration to remote and then hybrid work, talent shortages across many industries, a rethinking of work’s place in people’s lives—come new and escalating transitions. The role of the private sector in shaping the future world of work, and the best ways of encouraging the development of sustainable enterprises. Decent work and economic development are essential for achieving sustainable and equitable growth. Safe and Decent work is based on the principles of dignity, fairness, and inclusion, and is key to achieving social well-being and reducing poverty in developing countries.And as a new generation of workers gains stature in a changed workplace, their patterns and preferences for communicating and learning will impact work for us all.

Registration Closed!

KEY FACTS

ONE DAY EVENT

30 EXCLUSIVE PRESENTATIONS

ROUND TABLE SESSIONS

CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS

100+ ATTENDEES

1-2-1 MEETINGS

WHY ATTEND

Enterprise Support Organization

Come connect with ESOs (incubator, accelerator, Innovation hubs) playing a significant role in helping SMEs create high quality jobs including offering training and resources

Startups

Feature your business to potential clients and investors and get to gain credibility in your industry

Investors

Explore lucrative investment opportunities at the front table of the Commonwealth innovation ecosystem

Government Leaders

First hand evaluation on how to best drive change in the various nations to motivate innovation

Academia and Researchers

Get first-hand information from the experienced experts in various fields of innovations

Policy Makers

Gain greater insights and global perspectives from attendees internationally and adopt new policies

Private sector

Network, get meaningful insights and investments from interacting with the public and private sector

Development Partners

Explore collaboration opportunities with potential development partners and venture into new ideas

Conference Themes

The conference will focus on the following key themes:

SMEs account for more than 90% of businesses and provide half of total global employment. How can governments, investors and large businesses ensure that SMEs have the financing, talent and wider ecosystems they need to innovate, expand and create jobs
We will explore the intersection of technology and the human element, providing guidance on how to strike a balance between automation of work and processes and maintaining employee engagement. The conference’s goal is to help attendees reimagine their company’s workplace transformation, including implementing powerful new technologies.
Gender equality is at the heart of decent work. The promotion of gender equality and non-discrimination have been fundamental principles underpinning the work of the ILO since its creation in 1919. What can be done to ensure gender parity and to advance more women to the highest levels of leadership?
From increased levels of chronic diseases to safety concerns to mental health illness, workers are facing a myriad of challenges to their health and well-being. What strategies are needed to shape worker stability , healthy workforces and workplaces? How are organizations strengthening the connection between workforce strategies and long-term value creation?
Jobs are green when they help reduce negative environmental impact ultimately leading to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable enterprises and economies. More precisely green jobs are decent jobs that: – Reduce consumption of energy and raw materials – Limit greenhouse gas emissions – Minimize waste and pollution – Protect and restore ecosystems. This conference will seek to analyze the position of jobs markets in transtioning to green; what are the opportunities?
We will explore the Role of Social Policies in Post-pandemic Recovery. Is the enforcement of labor regulations effective in promoting formal employment? The public sector plays a massive role in allocating resources, designing incentivizes, and driving attention to ESG issues. In this session, we’ll explore how the public sector can better foster multi-sector collaboration, align incentives, and make coordinated advancements for enduring impact.
It is crucial to ascertain that the jobs are sustainable, decent and impactful. For this reason, and to better gauge the impact of interventions. Investors are looking for a strong ESG proposition to protect their interests and the company’s success. How do we effectively measure and report on impact related to safe decent work to competitive position SMEs for external investment?





CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Toolkit

Program for the Conference

8:00AM – 8:30AM (30 Minutes)

Arrival, registration and networking

[Registration desk by SBC]

8:30AM – 9:00AM (30 Minutes)

Welcoming remarks

Gladys Kivati, Executive Director, Sustainable Business Consulting

9:00AM – 9:30AM (30 Minutes)

Keynote address I

Dr. Ehud Gachugu - Director Ajira Digital, KEPSA

9:30AM – 10:00AM (30 Minutes)

Keynote address II

Sabdiyo Dido - Ambassador Designate for Kenya in Botswana

Thematic Expert, Decent Work

Richard Munang

10:00AM – 10:30AM (30 Minutes)

Health Break and Press Briefing/conference

10:30AM – 11:30AM (1 Hour) Panel Session

Opening Panel Discussion

Topic

Inclusive approach for facilitating resilient and decent work

Panelists

  1. Dennis Orucho - National Project Officer, ILO
  2. Alberta Wambua - Executive Director of Gender Violence and Recovery Centre (GVRC)
  3. Dorcas Nderitu - Founder, Women in HR
  4. Emmeline Skinner - Evidence, Innovation and Inclusion Adviser, British High Commission Nairobi
  5. Anne Lawi - Managing Director Africa, Impacc

Moderator:

Gladys Kivati - Executive Director, Sustainable Business Consulting

11:45AM – 1:00PM (1 Hour 15 Minutes) Thematic discussions

Room 1: Small is Beautiful-MSMEs as Drivers of Innovation and Employment

Moderator: Dennis Aseto

Presentation:

MSMEs as drivers of Innovation and Employment; the case of MSEA [Henry Rithaa - CEO of Micro and Small Enterprises Authority]

Panelists

  1. Rachel Wanyoike - Managing Director, Solidaridad
  2. Peter Oloo - CEO of Social Enterprises Society of Kenya (SESOK)
  3. Stephen Musyoka - KCIC
  4. Mercy Kimalat - CEO, ASSEK
  5. Benson Wando - Co-founder Soko Kijiji

Group sessions: How might we drive innovation for safe and decent work?

Group plenary: Presentation from the groups

Room 2: The Future of Work

Moderator: Miriam Angil

Panelists

  1. Paul Breloff - CEO & Co-Founder, Shortlist
  2. Tim Oriedo - Big Data Scientist Predictive Analytics Lab
  3. Prabhakar Vanam - CEO of KCIC Consulting Limited
  4. Janet Wandia - Gender and Jobtech Lead | Jobtech Alliance
  5. Wabi Ng'ang'a - Founder of Soma Siri Afrika

Group sessions: How might we leverage technology to promote safe and decent work in various sectors?

Group plenary: Presentation from the groups

Closing reflections: Thematic expert and discussant

1:00PM – 2:00PM (1 Hour)

Health Break

2:00PM - 3:15PM (1 Hour 15 Minutes)

Room 1: Green jobs for creating masterpieces for sustainable development

Moderator: Miriam Angil

Panelists

  1. Sellah Bogonko, HSC - CEO and Co-founder Jacob’s Ladder Africa
  2. Shadrack Agaki - Communication, Climate Change and Food System Consultant, Office of Member of Parliament, National Assembly, Parliament of Kenya.
  3. Jeremiah Rogito - Food and Land Use Coalition-AGRA
  4. Winny Chepkemoi - Programme Management Specialist- UN-International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
  5. Victor Ndiege - CEO of Kenya Climate Ventures

Group sessions: How might we create more safe and decent jobs in different sectors?

Group plenary: Presentation from the groups

Room 2: Policies and Regulations for Decent Work

Moderator: Dennis Aseto

Panelists

  1. Lilian Ngala - HR Director, Diamond Trust Bank
  2. Austin Atandi - Advocate and partner at ONDABA & PARTNERS ADVOCATES LLP
  3. Grace Wachori - Regional Head, ANDE East Africa (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs)d

Group sessions: How can a harmonious collaboration between the public sector, private enterprises, and civil society organizations be established to address and overcome the challenges in the labour market, ensuring the promotion of formal employment, safeguarding workers' rights, and fostering sustainable business growth?

Group plenary: Presentation from the groups

Closing reflections: Thematic expert and discussant

3:30PM – 4:15PM (45 Minutes)

Closing Presentation

Topic

Tools to support the adoption of decent work practices

Presentation

Joel Onyango

Masters of Ceremony - Dennis Aseto/Miriam Angi

4:15PM – 5:00PM (45 Minutes)

Closing remarks and vote of thanks

Joel Onyango

Masters of Ceremony - Dennis Aseto/Miriam Angi

5:00PM

Networking and departure

SPEAKERS

Rachel Wanyoike

Executive Director Solidaridad, East and Central Africa

Dennis Orucho

National Project Officer ILO

Shadrack Agaki

Office of Member of Parliament, National Assembly, Parliament of Kenya

Alberta Wambua

Executive Director, Gender Violence and Recovery Centre (GVRC)

Sabdiyo Dido

Head of Gender and Inclusiveness, AGRA

Peter Oloo

CEO Social Enterprises Society of Kenya (SESOK)

Gladys Kivati

Executive Director, Sustainable Business Consulting

Joseph Murabula

CEO, KCIC

Mercy Kimalat

CEO, ASSE

Paul Breloff

CEO & Co-Founder, Shortlist

Tim Oriedo

Predictive Analytic

Sellah Bogonko

HSC CEO and Co-founder Jacob’s Ladder Africa

Dr. Eliud Gachugu

Director Ajira Digital, KEPSA

Winny Chepkemoi

Programme Management Specialist- UN-International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Victor Ndiege

CEO, Kenya Climate Ventures

Dorcas Nderitu

Founder, Women in HR

Prabhakar Vanam

CEO KCIC Consulting Limited

Lilian Ngala

HR Director, Diamond Trust Bank

Dr. Richard Munang

Deputy Director, UNEP

Austin Atandi

Advocate and Partner, ONDABA & PARTNERS ADVOCATES LLP

Grace Wachori

Chapter Head, East Africa , ANDE

Janet Wandia

Gender and Jobtech Lead | Jobtech Alliance

Emmeline Skinner

Evidence, Innovation and Inclusion Adviser | British High Commission Nairobi

Benson Wando

Founder Soko Kijiji

Wabi Ng'ang'a-Gĩtaũ

Founder Soma Siri Afrika

OUR PARTNERS