Opening Remarks to the ILO/Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) Networking of National Institutes for Labour Studies 2002-2004 Fourth Round of Investigative Studies Wrap-up Meeting

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning, and welcome to .

Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to all of you for attending this ‘Wrap-up Meeting of the ILO/JILPT Fourth Round of Investigative Studies on Information and Communication technology’. I also wish to gratefully acknowledge your continuing support for the Networking of National Institutes of Labour Studies.

Since its inception in 1994, the Network has carried out three major studies, which have focussed on globalization and its impact on the world of work. These studies have generated a host of interesting and informative country reports, as well as excellent synthesis reports. These reports have strengthened the knowledge base on changing labour markets and labour policies and helped to take forward the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.

The latest round of studies focuses on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), with the aim of determining its impact on and implications for employment and working conditions in the Asia-Pacific region. The ILO’s Regional Office for and the Pacific in collaboration with the International Institute of Labour Studies, , and the Japan Institute of Labour Policy and Training (JILPT) have organized today’s meeting to review the results of this fourth round of investigative studies on ICT. The objective of this 2-day meeting is to provide a forum for all participating institutions to present and discuss your research findings on ICT and Decent Work and to develop a synthesis report as a tangible output of this round of studies. The meeting will also identify possible research themes for the next round of studies.

Rapid technological development is a key feature of globalization. The information and communication technologies revolution has been global in its reach, irreversible in its drive and pervasive in its impact. The new information and communication technologies can both enhance and threaten the quality of our lives, livelihoods and institutions. Yet, our knowledge of the ICT revolution and its impact is still very limited. We have yet to fully understand how widely ICT is being utilized within the region, how wide the “digital divide” is and whether the divide is growing or shrinking, and, very importantly, what has been the effect of ICT on the world of work. The creation and loss of jobs, the content and quality of work, the location of work, the nature of the employment contract, the skills required and how often and easily they can be obtained, the organization of work and the functioning and effectiveness of workers’ and employers’ organizations are all affected by the era of digital globalization. For example, one important question is whether the information economy is also a jobs economy – are more jobs being created or being destroyed by ICT? Another burning question is whether and, if so, how ICT improves the quality of life and work. For example, ICT has certainly opened up enormous employment opportunities particularly for women workers in call centres and in data entry in back offices in developing countries but the quality of working conditions, the isolation of such workers and their lack of organization and representation – often cannot be termed decent work. On the other hand, it is also true that the networking economy can offer genuine potential for striking a better balance between work and family responsibilities and between work and leisure. For many too, work can become more rewarding in its pay and in its content. The creation and use of knowledge on the job can be inherently more satisfying than the monotony of narrow tasks performed under strict supervision. But there are, of course, major implications for constant skills upgrading and lifelong learning.

We are looking forward to the results of your deliberations, which we hope will contribute to furthering the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda in an increasingly globalizing context. The better we understand the impact and implications of ICT, the better equipped we will be to provide policy advice and implement technical cooperation activities that promote decent employment in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.

Before I conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the JILPT for their generous contribution to support the research activities of the Networking of National Institutes for Labour Studies, including the holding of this meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a fruitful discussion and successful meeting.

Thank you very much.