GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Government of Japan have signed a new Framework for Cooperation agreement that will assist Asia Pacific countries in dealing with the effects of natural disasters and strengthen the role of employment in early recovery and reconstruction.

The agreement, the “Framework for Cooperation by ILO/Japan Fund for Dissemination of Employment and Labour Measures for Recovering from the Great East Japan Earthquake as International Public Resources” will be supported by more than US$ 1.5 million in funding.

The agreement aims to bring together the expertise of the ILO with the experience and know-how gained by Japan in dealing with the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011. Outcomes are expected to include improvements in the compiling, analysis and distribution of information on how employment and labour measures can support disaster recovery, capacity building for governments in Asia Pacific to improve their ability to respond to natural disasters, the arrangement of seminars and workshops to disseminate lessons learned, and study trips to Japan for officials from other Asia Pacific countries.

The agreement was signed by Mr Yoshihiro Senoo, Japan’s Assistant Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Mr Jürgen Schwettmann, Director of the ILO’s Department of Partnership and Development Cooperation on Tuesday 12 June in Geneva. The ceremony took place during the International Labour Conference, the annual meeting of the ILO’s member States.

Asia-Pacific is disproportionately affected by natural disasters: 40 per cent of natural disasters and 82 per cent of disaster-related casualties occur in the region. Using an employment-led approach to recovery the ILO has supported disaster survivors in a number of countries in the region in the last 10 years, including China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the ceremony Ms Thetis Mangahas, Regional Director a.i. of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said: “Jobs are key to restore communities in disaster-affected areas. Without jobs, people in disaster-affected communities, especially people with young children, are forced to leave their home and move to other places with job opportunities. A job-rich recovery is vital to prevent disaster-affected communities from dissolving….Japan has demonstrated a number of good practices which we can apply in future recovery efforts in the region”.

Mr Toshiaki Ota, the Vice Minister for Policy Coordination, at Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan said "This fund will allow for research and analysis of the employment and labour measures taken by the public and private sectors in their response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. It will allow good practices and guidelines derived from Japan’s experience to be collected to help other Asia Pacific countries build up their capacity to respond to natural disasters, particularly with employment and labour measures".

For more information please contact:

Ms Sophy Fisher
Senior Communications and Public Information Officer
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok
Tel.: 00 41 79 558 6333
Email

Ms Krisdaporn Singhaseni
Information Officer
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok
Tel.: 00 66 2 288 1664
Email

Mr Masahiko Hayashi
Deputy Director, ILO Office for Japan, Tokyo
Tel.: +81 3 5467 2701
Email