Somalia Concludes Participation in the 113th International Labour Conference and Condemns Malicious Campaign

The Somali delegation, led by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Mohamed Adan, has concluded its participation in the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), held in Geneva from 2 to 13 June 2025. All twelve delegates have returned safely to Mogadishu and spent the past two days (yesterday and today) in meetings and reflection at the Ministry’s headquarters. 

Throughout the conference, the delegation engaged in thoughtful and meaningful discussions on global labour issues. These included the protection of workers from biological hazards, ensuring decent work in the platform economy and exploring effective approaches to support countries transitioning from informal to formal economies. Given Somalia’s national context, these themes were particularly significant.

The Somali delegation presented the National Action Plan on formalising the informal economy, a plan jointly developed and agreed upon by Somalia’s tripartite partners.

During the two-day post-conference consultations, the delegation reviewed the ILC outcomes and discussed how to adapt and implement the key conclusions within Somalia. These exchanges reflected a shared sense of purpose and commitment to promoting fairer, safer and more secure work for all Somali workers.

While this important work was underway, the delegation became the target of an unwarranted, highly defamatory and politically motivated smear campaign. It began when three diaspora individuals, who were not eligible for inclusion in the official delegation because they did not meet the rules, were not included.

This later escalated into a coordinated and malicious effort by well-known political actors hostile to the government. With external backing, they hired social media influencers and financed online attacks aimed at spreading false claims about the delegation’s presence, return and conduct at the ILC.

Minister Yusuf Mohamed Adan said: “This malicious campaign was a cheap and reckless attempt to drag our work into political games. It had nothing to do with facts or principles. It was a desperate move by those who could not impose themselves through proper channels and instead chose to attack from the sidelines. We remain focused on our duty to serve the Somali people with honesty and purpose, not on entertaining baseless noise from those who put political and personal grudges above the country’s dignity.”

For the sake of transparency, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs fully supports the delegation and firmly rejects the falsehoods being circulated. All twelve official members completed their duties in Geneva and returned home safely. Four additional colleagues, who had been approved to travel and obtained their visas, were unable to attend due to professional workload, including one who had existing travel commitments to the United States.

The Ministry urges all tripartite constituencies in Somalia’s labour sector, including government, employers and workers, to continue working together to build on the progress already achieved. The Somali delegation’s active participation in the ILC reflects the country’s determination to deepen international cooperation, promote decent work, advance social justice and uphold the rights of all workers.