GENEVA (ILO News) - Worker, employer and government representatives will hold a wide-ranging debate on the social dimension of globalization at the 289th session of the ILO Governing Body, from 11-26 March. The ongoing session is the first to be held under the second mandate of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia who was re-elected for another five-year term in 2003.
The findings and conclusions of the recently published report, " A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All", presented to the International Labour Organization (ILO) by the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization ( Note 1) will be at the centre of these discussions.
President Benjamin William Mkapa of Tanzania, who co-chaired the World Commission with Tarja Halonen of Finland, is expected to present the Report to the Governing Body and participate in the discussion at the Working Party, which includes the participation of several Ministers of labour on 24-25 March.
The Report of the independent Commission established by the ILO to examine the social impact of globalization calls for an "urgent rethink" of current policies and institutions involved in the governance of globalization and outlines a vision for making it fair for all. In its report, the Commission proposes a series of coordinated measures across a broad front to improve governance and accountability at both national and international levels.
These measures include fairer rules for international trade, investment, finance and migration; policies to make decent work a global goal; measures to promote core labour standards and a minimum level of social protection in the global economy; and new efforts to mobilize international resources to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Governing Body will also discuss continued efforts to end the use of forced labour in Myanmar (Burma). In November 2003, the Governing Body instructed the ILO Director-General to assess whether it was feasible to proceed to the implementation of a joint plan of action negotiated in May 2003 between the ILO and the government of Myanmar.
This plan foresees, among other things, the establishment of a facilitator who potential victims of forced labour can confidentially approach to seek remedy. The plan of action has been in suspension since the confrontations in the end of May 2003 which led to the detention of the opposition NLD leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Governing Body's Committee on Employment and Social Policy will discuss employment policies in the run-up to the African Union's Extraordinary Summit in September 2004 and the G8 Summit later this year. The ILO estimates that 185.9 million people - or 6.2 per cent of the world labour force - were unemployed in 2003. In this respect, the Governing Body will review implementation of the ILO's Global Employment Agenda adopted in November 2001 and discuss ways to create productive employment in order to reduce poverty and accelerate development.
The Committee will also examine a progress report on the " Global Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for all" launched at the International Labour Conference in June 2003. On 1 March 2004, the campaign was launched for the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and other launches are foreseen in India, Nepal, Nigeria and Senegal.
The latest report of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association is also among the agenda items of the March session of the Governing Body.
The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November and takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the International Labour Conference and the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference.
It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years.
Note 1 - A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All, World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, published, International Labour Office, Geneva 2004, ISBN 92-2-115426-2.