GENEVA (ILO News) - Forced labour in Myanmar (Burma) and the contribution of freedom of association to social and economic development are among the agenda items of the 279th session of the International Labour Office (ILO) Governing Body which gets under way in Geneva on Thursday, 2 November and is scheduled to meet until Friday, 17 November.
The Governing Body will also examine proposals for possible improvements in ILO standards-related activities, concentrating at the current session on the choice of subjects for the setting of standards. It will return at its next session to a discussion of methods for increasing the impact of international labour standards.
The Governing Body will receive the first report prepared by the Special Representative of the Director-General for cooperation with Colombia, Mr. Rafael Alburquerque, who undertook a first mission to the country in order to assist in and verify the actions taken by the Government and the Employers' and Workers' organizations to implement the conclusions of the direct contacts mission and the recommendations of the Committee on Freedom of Association in the pending cases concerning Colombia.
Myanmar (Burma)
On the basis of a report from an ILO technical cooperation mission that has just returned from Myanmar (Burma), the Governing Body will consider the effect to be given to an unprecedented resolution condemning forced labour in the country, which was adopted by the International Labour Conference in June this year. The plenary debate on Myanmar (Burma) will take place during the last week of the Governing Body (November 13-17). The report is expected to be released next week.
Under the terms of the Conference resolution, a series of measures are scheduled to take effect on 30 November 2000, unless, before that date, the Governing Body members are satisfied that Myanmar (Burma) has adopted concrete measures to comply with the Recommendations of a 1998 Committee of Inquiry which found recourse to forced labour to be "widespread and systematic".
Those recommendations were that legislation, in particular the Village and Towns Acts, be brought into line with the terms of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) which Myanmar (Burma) has ratified; that no more forced or compulsory labour be imposed by the authorities, particularly by the military; and that penalties which may be imposed for the exaction of forced labour be strictly enforced, with thorough investigation, prosecution and punishment of those found guilty.
In the event of a Governing Body decision that Myanmar (Burma) is not in compliance, the measures which could be implemented include:
- Keeping under review the implementation of the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations at future sessions of the Conference so long as Myanmar (Burma) has not been shown to have fulfilled its obligations;
- Recommending to the Organization's constituents that they review their relations with Myanmar (Burma) and take appropriate measures to ensure that such relations do not perpetuate or extend the system of forced or compulsory labour in that country;
- Inviting the Director-General of the ILO to inform international organizations working with the ILO to reconsider any cooperation they may be engaged in with Myanmar (Burma) and, if appropriate, to cease as soon as possible any activity that could have the effect of directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced or compulsory labour;
- Inviting the Director-General to request the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to place on the agenda of its July 2001 session an item concerning the failure of Myanmar (Burma) to implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and seeking the adoption of recommendations directed by ECOSOC or by the General Assembly, or by both, to governments and other specialized agencies to ensure that by their involvement they are not directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced labour;
- Requesting the Director-General to submit to the Governing Body a periodic report on the outcome of measures directed to international organizations and the United Nations and to inform those entities of any developments in the implementation by Myanmar (Burma) of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry.
Social dimensions of globalization
The Governing Body's Working Party on the Social Dimensions of Globalization will examine a paper entitled Organization, bargaining and dialogue for development in a globalizing world which examines the role that respect for freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining play in promoting equitable and efficient growth. The paper finds that in spite of the broad array of development levels and industrial systems in the world, respect for the principles of freedom of association and collective bargaining and institutions built thereon "are not a barrier to economic performance".
It finds that "respect for and the realization of these fundamental principles and rights at work is consistent with different systems of industrial relations". It also finds that "tripartite social dialogue can play an important role in support of broader macroeconomic coordination and the enlargement of consensus over economic and social strategies".
(www.ilo.org)
Discussion on HIV/AIDS in the world of work
The Governing Body will also discuss the effect to be given to the resolution concerning HIV/AIDS and the world of work adopted by the Labour Conference last June. The newly created ILO Global Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work responds to the resolution which instructed the Director-General to create a capacity within the Office to deal with HIV/AIDS at the workplace and to strengthen the capacity of the social partners to formulate and effectively implement appropriate policies, programmes and activities at national and enterprise levels.
Coming into force of Worst forms of Child Labour Convention
The Governing Body will celebrate the coming into force of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182 (1999) at a ceremony on November 8 featuring an appearance by the well known musician/songwriter Youssou N'Dour of Senegal. Mr. N'Dour, whose social activism on behalf of children dates back to the early days of his careers in the 1980s, will be named ILO Honorary Ambassador in the Campaign Against Child Labour.
Convention No. 182 was adopted by the International Labour Conference in June of 1999, and has been ratified by more than 41 countries, the fastest ratification rate for any convention in the ILO's 81-year history. The formal date of coming into force of Convention No.182 will be 19 November.
The Governing Body will examine a series of proposals submitted by the Director-General which include research activities, development of international guidelines, capacity-building and institutional development in labour ministries and employers and workers' organizations, advocacy and awareness raising campaigns, assistance in developing legal instruments to combat discrimination and stigmatization and offer social protection, training and workers' education programmes, sensitization activities targeted at employers' and their organizations as well as care and support initiatives. The ILO Global Programme will be initially funded from ILO's own resources and is expected to attract donor funding. It will support country-level operational activities in at least 15 member States during the first year of operations.
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. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.
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. They are Algeria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, Croatia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Namibia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.