GENEVA (ILO News) – Making globalization fair, creating jobs as a means of reducing poverty and promoting development through providing decent work are the foundations for global stability, the Director-General of the International Labour Office, Juan Somavia, declared today as the ILO opened its 92nd annual International Labour Conference.
The ILO can build a "foundation for the future" on the basis of "the decent work agenda as a development tool, employment as the main route out of poverty and achieving a fair globalization as a source of global stability".
Noting that the ILO was marking its 85th anniversary as well as the 35th anniversary of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. Somavia said the ILO's search for a new role in shaping a fair and equitable globalization for all is "a new opportunity to be meaningful" and added, "We should seize it".
"Many dreams have become reality in the halls of the ILO and in the lives of workers, employers and governments over these last 85 years", Mr. Somavia said, adding, "what others dismiss as a dream, we strive to make real in the lives and hopes of people".
During the opening of its session, which runs through 17 June, the Conference elected Milton Ray Guevara, Secretary of State for Labour of the Dominican Republic, as its President.
The Conference elected as Vice-Presidents Mr. Youssoufa Wade (Employers), Mr. Guillaume Attigbe (Workers) and Mr. Maatough Mohamed Maatough (Governments). Mr. Maatough is the government delegate of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mr. Wade is the employers' delegate from Senegal, and Mr. Attigbe is the workers' delegate from Benin.
Delegates to the International Labour Conference are to consider a wide range of issues. In addition to discussing a new role for the ILO in shaping a fair and equitable globalization, they will also consider new programme of action for migrant workers, a new standard on human resources development, the situation of workers in the Occupied Territories, Myanmar and other countries, fundamental rights of workers and employers and the working conditions in the world's fishing sector.
The annual Conference is expected to draw some 3,000 delegates, including heads of State, labour ministers and leaders of workers' and employers' organizations from most of the ILO's 177 member States. Each member country has the right to send four delegates to the Conference: two from government and one each representing workers and employers, each of whom may speak and vote independently.
The role of the International Labour Conference is to adopt and oversee compliance with international labour standards, establish the budget of the Organization and elect members of the Governing Body. Since 1919, the Conference has served as a major international forum for debate on social and labour questions of worldwide importance.