Senegal to host first-ever African edition of Global Occupational Safety and Health Congress

Senegal is set to host the 24th World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health from April 26 to 30, 2027, marking the first time since the congress was established in 1955 that the event will be held on the African continent.

The international gathering is expected to bring together more than 5,000 participants from over 120 countries, including more than 400 experts from across the world. Organizers say the 2027 edition will be held under the theme: “Uniting the world around a resilient and inclusive culture of prevention.”

The significance of the decision goes beyond protocol. By hosting the congress in Dakar, Senegal is not only receiving a major international event; it is also being recognized as an emerging African center for dialogue, policy exchange, and leadership in the field of workplace safety and health.

Occupational health and safety may sometimes appear technical, but its importance is deeply human. It touches the daily lives of workers in factories, farms, offices, hospitals, construction sites, transport systems, and the informal economy. Stronger prevention cultures can reduce injuries, protect families from avoidable hardship, improve productivity, and help create more dignified working conditions.

For Africa, the congress carries added meaning. The continent has often been underrepresented in global conversations about labor protection, despite facing some of the world’s most urgent workplace challenges. Hosting the event in Senegal offers a rare opportunity to place African experiences, solutions, and priorities more visibly at the center of international discussion.

Senegal’s hosting of the congress also aligns with the country’s broader development ambitions under the Transformation Agenda – Vision Senegal 2050, which places emphasis on structural reform, economic modernization, and social wellbeing. In that context, workplace safety is not a side issue. It is part of the larger task of building an economy that is productive, competitive, and humane.

The event is also expected to strengthen Senegal’s ties with international partners while opening new space for cooperation in research, regulation, labor standards, prevention systems, and occupational risk management.

From April 26 to 30, 2027, Dakar will effectively become a global platform for one of the most important but often overlooked dimensions of development: the protection of human life and dignity at work.

For Senegal, that is both an honor and a responsibility. For Africa, it is a moment of visibility and voice.