Promoting social dialogue and strengthening labour governance in Tunisia The ILO is currently implementing project TUN/12/01/NOR entitled “Promoting social dialogue and enhancing labour governance in Tunisia”, funded from the first phase of the Norway-ILO programme cooperation agreement. The project is in its final stages and will close in April 2015. The project has contributed to important results in Tunisia. It has provided over 25,000 days of training to national and local level constituents on social dialogue, fundamental principles and standards, and labour governance. Most critically, the project was instrumental in supporting the government and the social partners in negotiating the landmark Social Contract for Tunisia. The Social Contract was signed on 14 January 2013 by the Head of the Government, the President of the UTICA and the Secretary General of the UGTT (the workers and employers organisations of Tunisia), at the National Assembly, in presence of members of government, members of the National Constituent Assembly, political parties and the Director General of ILO. This represented a major milestone in the overall political transition in Tunisia, and led the way for the “Quartet”, composed of the UGTT, the UTICA and two other associations to mediate the political crisis in 2013. A new Constitution was finally adopted in 2014 with wide-ranging support from political parties, civil society organisations, academics and the general public, earning as well international praise for its recognition among other aspects of key human rights, including labour rights. The Social Contract marks the commitment of the Government and Social partners to five key axes of ambitious policy reforms: economic growth and economic development; employment policies and vocational training; professional relations and decent work; social protection; and the institutionalization of the social dialogue. It represents the central policy agenda for the socioeconomic transition in Tunisia, and one that recognises the centrality of decent work, tripartism and international labour standards. At a conference of national stakeholders on November 20th 2014, the Ministries of Social Affairs and Employment, the UGTT and the UTICA confirmed their continued recognition of the Social contract as their common guide in navigating the sensitive and highly needed social and economic reforms in Tunisia. Ensuring ILO’s continued support in this national dialogue and policy design efforts is essential, as highlighted by the national constituents including at the recent national conference of November 2014. The high-level delegation of the Tunisian Constituents conveyed the same message to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo in November 2013, and the Tunisian Prime Minister requested the same to the ILO/Cairo Director in February 2014. The ILO is uniquely positioned to support the roll-out of the Contract by facilitating tripartite negotiations both at political and technical levels, in providing trusted policy advice including in producing the evidence base for policy reforms and adjustments, and in offering capacity building to the tripartite stakeholders. At the national conference of November 2014, the key policy reform priorities and actions required from the four key stakeholders (MAS, MFPE, UGTT and UTICA) in collaboration with other important actors (other ministries and civil society organisations) have been clearly outlined. This project is designed to ensure the continuity of ILO technical assistance for the implementation of these reforms in the crucial period of 2015-2016.