The Government of the Republic of Namibia has taken another decisive step toward realising its national goal of creating 500,000 jobs over the next five years by committing to using Employment Impact Assessments (EmpIAs) as a key policy tool.
This commitment was underscored at a high-level event convened in Windhoek, Namibia, at the end of October, under the framework of the United Nations Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions. The event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations and the International Labour Organization (ILO), brought together government officials, social partners, and development agencies to explore how EmpIAs can be institutionalized within Namibia's policy and budgeting architecture.
The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts under the "UN Joint Programme on Agri-systems Transformation through Biomass Processing for Decent Job Creation" and the Extension of Social Protection, a component of the Global Accelerator. The high-level event followed a week of intensive technical training for public officials and social partners on the use of employment impact analysis to assess how policies, public investments and projects, and sectoral interventions contribute to job creation and inclusive growth.
Speaking at the event, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Hopolang Phororo, underscored the importance of embedding employment considerations into every facet of government decision-making. She described the Global Accelerator as "a flagship initiative that helps countries design coherent policies, mobilise sustainable financing, and build partnerships to create decent jobs and extend social protection."
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Phororo commended Namibia's leadership as one of the first Pathfinder countries under the initiative, noting that "institutionalising employment impact assessments will ensure that every policy and investment decision counts for jobs." She further emphasised that by aligning employment policy with the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), Namibia is positioning itself to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth while ensuring that young people and marginalised groups are not left behind.
In his keynote address, Minister Fillemon Wise Immanuel, Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, reflected on the significance of the exercise for Namibia's development future. He defined employment impact assessment as "a structured and analytical exercise that helps us evaluate how policies, programmes, projects, and laws influence employment outcomes." He added that the tool "promotes evidence-based decision-making, enabling us to assess both the positive and negative effects of our choices on employment creation." The Minister emphasised that Namibia's employment agenda must be guided by the principles of inclusion, equity, and decent work, ensuring that policies deliver not only more jobs but better jobs.
"Employment creation must be grounded in fairness, quality, and sustainability, providing safe working environments and upholding workers' rights," Minister Immanuel said.
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Namibia's drive to institutionalize EmpIAs demonstrates its determination to use data and evidence to shape policy decisions that promote inclusive and sustainable job growth. By embedding employment analysis into planning, budgeting, and monitoring frameworks, the Government aims to ensure that employment outcomes are systematically tracked and improved across all sectors.
Efforts to institutionalise Employment Impact Assessments are already well underway. The training of officials from various ministries and agencies marks an important milestone in building national capacity to deploy the tool to support decision making. Follow-up actions are planned to deepen the application of EmpIA across government institutions, ensuring that evidence-based employment policymaking becomes a cornerstone of Namibia's national development strategy. As Phororo aptly described the value of the process, the initiative is not simply about new tools-it is about shaping a future where economic growth translates into decent work, social protection, and dignity for all Namibians.
