Decision on the 11th item on the agenda: Reports of the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards

Second report: International labour standards and human rights

The Governing Body took note of the report and adopted the following decisions:

(a) ILO standards policy: An approach for a robust and effective international labour code

The Governing Body invited the Office to prepare a paper for submission to the 312th Session (November 2011) of the Governing Body, taking into account comments made during the discussion and containing concrete proposals for the establishment and the implementation of a standards review mechanism.

(Document GB.310/11/2, paragraph 39.)

(b) Streamlining of the sending and processing of information and reports

The Governing Body:

(a) decided to modify the Annex to the Occupational Safety and Health Recommendation, 1981 (No. 164), in the article 22 report form on the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), as set out in Appendix III to document GB.310/LILS/3/2;

(b) invited the Office to report on the ongoing review of the article 22 report forms concerning the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162), the Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167), the Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170), the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention, 1993 (No. 174), and the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176);

(c) invited the Office to carry out a review of the general parts of the report forms of the up-to-date Conventions, in due time;

(d) approved the three-year and five-year reporting cycles with the existing grouping of Conventions by subject matter, as set out in Appendix IV to document GB.310/LILS/3/2; and

(e) invited the Office to implement the three-year reporting cycle for the fundamental and governance Conventions as of 2012.

(Document GB.310/11/2, paragraph 49.)

IV. Choice of Conventions and Recommendations on which reports should be requested under article 19 of the Constitution in 2012 (Fourth item on the agenda)

The Governing Body:

(i) decided to request governments to submit reports for 2012, under article 19 of the Constitution, on the Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151), the Labour Relations (Public Service) Recommendation, 1978 (No. 159), the Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154), and the Collective Bargaining Recommendation, 1981 (No. 163), on the basis of the report form contained in the appendix; and

(ii) in order to realign the discussions of General Surveys with recurrent discussions, decided that no new General Survey on instruments related to employment should be undertaken for the purposes of the next recurrent discussion on employment during the present cycle.

(Document GB.310/11/2, paragraph 59.)

V. Ratification and promotion of fundamental and governance ILO Conventions
(Fifth item on the agenda)

The Governing Body:

(a) took note of the information contained in document GB.310/LILS/5(&Add.); and

(b) decided to keep the subject on the agenda of the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards with a view to following the progress made.

(Document GB.310/11/2, paragraph 69.)