The Governing Body:

(a) endorsed the Committee’s recommendation, in relation to the Meeting of Experts to Adopt a Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Agriculture:

– to appoint, after consultation with the Employers’ and Workers’ groups of the Governing Body, a knowledgeable chairperson from outside the Meeting;

– to invite the Governments of Costa Rica, Kenya, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Viet Nam to appoint an expert;

– to include Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Finland, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Republic of Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sao Tome and Principe, Slovakia or Zambia on a reserve list of countries;

(b) authorized the holding, in the first quarter of 2009, of a two-day tripartite technical workshop on the impact of the food price crisis on decent work:

– in order to take account of the work of the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, to share with other United Nations agencies the expertise of the ILO tripartite partners on rural employment and poverty reduction; and to contribute to an informed discussion within the United Nations on the social and employment impact of food prices on decent work;

– to be composed of eight Employer and eight Worker participants;

– to be open to representatives of all interested governments and to representatives of the organizations participating in the United Nations High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis;

(c) authorized the holding, in the week of 23–27 February 2009, of a two-day tripartite global díalogue forum on the impact of the financial crisis on financial sector workers:

– in order to propose and assess ways of alleviating and mitigating the impact of the crisis on workers in the financial services sector;

– to be composed of ten Employer and ten Worker participants;

– to be open to representatives of all interested governments, other interested Employer and Worker participants and representatives of international, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 27.)

The Governing Body took note of the report of the Tripartite Meeting of Experts and its expert advice concerning the preparation of draft resolutions relating to child labour statistics and the measurement of working time, to be submitted for approval to the 18th ICLS to be held in Geneva from 24 November to 5 December 2008.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 39.)

The Governing Body took note of this part of the report.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraphs 40 to 41.)

(a) Adoption of guidelines on the inspection of ships under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006

The Governing Body:

(a) took note of the points mentioned in paragraph 4 of document GB.303/STM/4/1;

(b) requested the Director-General to publish the guidelines as soon as possible and to promote them together with the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 46.)

(b) Revision of the ILO/WHO Guidelines for Conducting Pre-Sea and Periodic Medical Fitness Examinations for Seafarers

The Governing Body:

(a) requested the Office to pursue the necessary arrangements with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the preparation of draft guidelines on the medical fitness examinations of seafarers, with the assistance of the International Maritime Health Association (IMHA); and

(b) decided to convene an ILO/IMO/WHO tripartite meeting of experts to be held with no additional budgetary allocation from the ILO.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 51.)

(c) Proposal for the convening of the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission

The Governing Body approved the convening of the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission at ILO headquarters in Geneva on 12–13 February 2009, at no cost to the ILO.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 54.)

(d) Update on the ILO’s participation in the development by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of safety recommendations for small fishing vessels

The Governing Body:

(a) authorized the continued participation of the ILO in the development of safety recommendations for decked fishing vessels of less than 12 metres in length and undecked fishing vessels, and the participation by an ILO tripartite delegation, at no cost to the Office, in the next (52nd) Session of the IMO’s Subcommittee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels’ Safety, with the aim, inter alia, of placing the final document before the Governing Body for approval as a joint FAO/ILO/IMO publication;

(b) invited the Governments, Employers and Workers to nominate one representative each to participate, at no cost to the ILO, in the work of the correspondence group and in the ILO delegation to the 52nd Session of the IMO’s Subcommittee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels’ Safety; and

(c) authorized participation by the ILO in the further development of draft guidelines to assist competent authorities in the implementation of Part B of the Fishing Vessel Safety Code, the Voluntary Guidelines and the Safety Recommendations.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 58.)

(e) Report of the Joint IMO/ILO Ad Hoc Expert Working Group on Liability
and Compensation regarding Claims for Death, Personal Injury and
Abandonment of Seafarers
(Seventh and Eighth Sessions)

The Governing Body approved:

(a) the revised terms of reference for the Joint Working Group, as contained in paragraph 6 of document GB.303/STM/4/5; and

(b) the holding of a Ninth Session of the Joint Working Group at ILO headquarters in Geneva from 2 to 6 March 2009, with the participation of eight ILO representatives (three Shipowners, one fishing vessel owner, and four Seafarers), at no cost to the ILO.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraph 63.)

The Governing Body took note of these parts of the report.

(Document GB.303/15, paragraphs 64 to 71.)