The National Civil Service Commission (NCSC) and Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) have concluded a three-day national training programme, marking the launch of a national initiative to strengthen respectful, safe and professional workplaces across Somalia’s public service.
The training, titled “Building Respectful, Safe and Professional Workplaces for Public Sector Workers”, was organised by NCSC in partnership with FESTU, with support from the Ministry of Finance through the World Bank-funded Recurrent Cost and Reform Financing (RCRF) programme. As the first activity under the initiative, it lays the foundation for a series of nationwide interventions aimed at strengthening safe and respectful workplace culture, institutional capacity and professional standards throughout the public sector.
The training programme was developed in response to key recommendations from the recent Workplace Assessment conducted across Federal Government institutions. The assessment identified the need to strengthen awareness of workplace ethics and professional conduct, improve confidence in grievance and reporting mechanisms and build institutional capacity to prevent and respond to workplace misconduct. It also underscored the importance of strengthening leadership accountability, reinforcing institutional systems and fostering a workplace culture founded on dignity, respect and accountability. This training represents an important first step in implementing those recommendations and advancing workplace reforms across Somalia’s public service.
The initiative supports Somalia’s efforts to implement international standards and promote a healthy work environment, particularly the provisions of Somalia’s newly revised Labour Code relating to violence and harassment. It promotes every worker’s right to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment, while contributing to better governance, stronger public institutions and improved public service delivery.
Officially opening the programme, Amina Hussein Ali, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, underscored the Federal Government’s determination to ensure that all public sector workers enjoy a safe, respectful and professional working environment where dignity, equality and non-discrimination are upheld. She said eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace is essential to building an effective public administration and delivering quality services to the Somali people. The deputy minister emphasised that protecting women workers from violence, harassment and all forms of abuse remains a government priority and called for continued efforts to foster workplaces where everyone can work with dignity, safety and respect.
Representing the Ministry of Finance, Saleiman Sheikh Omar, Director General of the Ministry of Finance, said investing in civil servants is fundamental to strengthening government institutions and improving public service delivery. He noted that the government, through the World Bank-supported Recurrent Cost and Reform Financing (RCRF) programme, continues to invest in building a capable, accountable and professional civil service while creating workplaces where workers can perform their duties free from violence, harassment and discrimination. He also encouraged participants to make full use of the established grievance mechanisms, assuring them that all reported cases would be addressed.
Abdulkadir Suleiman, RCRF Coordinator, also attended the programme, demonstrating the RCRF programme’s continued full attention to strengthening institutional capacity, improving public sector performance and supporting the implementation of this national initiative.
Hassan Abshirow Mohamed, Chairman of the National Civil Service Commission (NCSC), affirmed the Commission’s commitment to a civil service based on professionalism, integrity and respect for all public servants. “A modern Civil Service depends not only on technical competence but also on a workplace culture built on dignity, mutual respect and accountability. The training programme enhances public sector workers’ skills to prevent violence and harassment while ensuring professional conduct and quality service for the Somali people. Every institution has a responsibility to ensure that its workers perform their duties in an environment where they feel safe, respected and able to give their best.”
Addressing participants, Omar Faruk Osman, General Secretary of FESTU, said the programme represents an important milestone in promoting decent work across Somalia’s public service and demonstrates the value of social dialogue in creating better workplaces.
“Every worker is entitled to dignity, equality and a workplace free from violence and harassment. Eliminating violence, harassment and sexual harassment is not only a workers’ rights issue; it is also essential to building productive, inclusive and professional public institutions. Through the effective implementation of the newly revised Labour Code and ILO Conventions, Somalia will be able to strengthen protection for workers while creating workplaces where women and men can contribute equally, safely and with dignity. This initiative marks the beginning of a sustained partnership to make respectful and violence-free workplaces the norm throughout Somalia’s public sector,” Omar said
During the three-day programme, more than 50 participants from various federal government institutions enhanced their understanding of workers’ rights, workplace ethics, occupational safety, gender equality and measures to prevent violence and harassment. The training also promoted ethical leadership, cooperation between workers and managers and a workplace culture based on mutual respect, accountability and inclusion.
Building on the successful completion of this first activity, the NCSC and FESTU will implement a series of further activities under the initiative, including training, awareness campaigns, institutional capacity-building and policy support.
As implementation moves forward, the continued support of the Ministry of Finance through the RCRF programme will help embed a culture of dignity, equality, safety and professionalism across Somalia’s public service while strengthening the implementation of the newly revised Labour Code and international labour standards, contributing to a modern, effective and people-centred civil service.
