Occupational Health and Safety: Validation of Compliance Reports Underway

Ouagadougou, November 26, 2025 - The Directorate General of Labor inaugurated a three-day workshop on Wednesday aimed at reviewing and validating compliance reports related to the alignment of national legislation with two critical International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions:

Convention No. 176, concerning safety and health in mines

Convention No. 187, concerning the framework for promoting health and safety at work

The objective of this workshop is to gather input from stakeholders across the sector to refine these strategic documents and strengthen the national occupational health and safety framework.

Representing the Secretary General of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Protection (MTEPPS), the Director General of Labor, Stella Somé/Zoungrana, emphasized in her opening address that occupational health and safety in the mining sector is a cornerstone of decent work. She highlighted:

The rapid expansion of Burkina Faso’s mining sector

Past tragedies in Perkoa and Gbomblora, which underscore the urgent need for a sustainable prevention framework

The discussions highlighted the magnitude of existing challenges, including:

Over 5,300 work-related accidents and occupational diseases recorded between 2021 and 2023

A financial cost exceeding 5.6 billion CFA francs for social security organizations

Despite existing progress, the Director General stressed the importance of strengthening the legislative and institutional framework to provide more effective protection for workers.

Finally, she explained that the assessments conducted during the workshop aim to:

Evaluate the feasibility of ratifying ILO Convention No. 176

Participants were encouraged to actively contribute to discussions, helping to consolidate these essential tools that fortify the national social protection system.