GENEVA (ILO News) - The 95th Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its work here today following extensive debates centred on the profoundly changing patterns in the world of work and promoting decent work in the 21st Century.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Conference, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said the meeting had "set standards for the 21st century which are relevant and applicable for countries all over the world and at all stages of development" and had provided "a strong mandate to engage fully in the process of renewing our multilateral system, confident in the recognition we have as 'the decent work agency".
Mr. Somavia said the discussion at the Conference on the new ILO report " Changing Patterns in the World of Work" had produced "extremely thoughtful and interesting contributions" to help "inform and shape" the ILO's future work.
The Conference, which annually gathers some 4,000 government, worker and employer participants representing the ILO's member States, hosted two eminent guest speakers. H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia called for urgent action for peace and development in her country, while H.E. President Oscar Arias Sánchez of Costa Rica urged the adoption of concrete measures to ensure a fairer globalization.
The Conference was presided over by Mr. Cestmir Sajda, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. Conference Vice-Presidents were Mrs. Aisha Abdel Hady (Governments), Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt, Mr. Jorge de Regil (Employers) of Mexico and Mr. N.M. Adyanthaya (Workers) of India.
The Conference also discussed forced labour in Myanmar and rights at work in other countries. The gathering of the ILO's 178 member States described the situation in Myanmar as one of "unprecedented gravity" that was "unacceptable to the ILO".
New measures for the world of work
Delegates adopted new standards and measures addressing health and safety issues. They gave overwhelming approval to a new Promotional Framework Convention on Occupational Safety and Health and an accompanying Recommendation addressing the development of a "preventative safety and health culture" through national occupational safety and health programmes. (For further details see ILO press release ILO/06/34.)
A majority of delegates also supported a new Recommendation on the Employment Relationship, proposing to member States the formulation and adoption, in consultation with workers and employers, of national policies on effectively establishing the existence of an employment relationship and on the distinction between employed and self-employed workers; combating disguised employment relationships and ensuring standards applicable to all forms of contractual arrangements.
Standards issues
In a discussion on the situation of forced labour in Myanmar, the Conference noted that progress could be made on the issue of forced labour only if there was a real commitment from the Government. The Conference set out two areas that required "tangible and verifiable" action from Myanmar. These were (i) the release of any person who had been imprisoned following contacts with the ILO and stopping prosecutions that were currently underway, by the end of July, and (ii) agreement between Myanmar and the ILO by the end of October on a credible mechanism for dealing with complaints of forced labour with all necessary guarantees for the protection of complainants.
At its November 2006 session, the ILO Governing Body would examine whether this action had been taken and would have full authority to decide on the most appropriate course of action. During the Conference, Myanmar had expressed a willingness to cooperate with the ILO and had released Su Su Nwe from detention. Her release had been called for by the ILO since her imprisonment last year, a few months after she successfully prosecuted government officials for imposing forced labour.
The Committee on the Application of Standards held complex discussions on a wide variety of issues. The Committee again held a special sitting on the application by Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), following up measures taken in the context of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.
The Committee took note of the information provided by the Ambassador of Myanmar that his Government would put a moratorium of six months on prosecutions of complainants on an experimental basis and that during this period, as an interim measure, the complaints of forced labour will be handled by the Director-General of the Labour Department of Myanmar together with the ILO Liaison Officer.
In its conclusions, the Committee underlined that although this may sound positive, it was late and limited. Words had to be urgently completed and confirmed by deeds in all relevant matters, in particular the acquittal and release of persons who had already been prosecuted and the cessation of prosecutions currently underway. Such action was particularly important as the Conference was to discuss further action to be taken by the ILO, and other organizations. The authorities now needed to immediately enter into discussions with the ILO, with a view to establishing as soon as possible a credible mechanism for dealing with complaints of forced labour.
The Committee's conclusions were taken into account by the plenary of the Conference in its considerations of what further action the ILO should take to secure compliance by the Government of Myanmar.
In addition to this special sitting, the Committee carried out the examination of 25 other individual cases covering freedom of association, forced labour, discrimination, child labour, employment policy, labour inspection, wages, etc. - the whole range of concerns addressed in ILO standards. The Committee adopted special paragraphs to express concern about the situation of freedom of association in Bangladesh (Convention No. 98) and Belarus (Conventions Nos. 87 and 98). In the case of Belarus, the Committee noted with great concern that there had been continued failure to eliminate serious discrepancies in the application of the Conventions concerned. Further action would be considered by the Governing Body in November.
The Committee was also able to record a historic agreement reached in its framework between the government, employers and workers of Colombia. The tripartite partners agreed on a permanent presence of the ILO in the country which would provide technical assistance in the framework of the National Decent Work Country Programme and include the promotion and defense of fundamental workers rights, in particular as regards the right to live, freedom of association and expression as well as collective bargaining and freedom of enterprise for employers.
The General Survey discussed by the Conference Committee this year was on labour inspection. The Committee highlighted the crucial importance of labour inspection for ensuring the protection of workers and compliance at national level of labour laws, and its key role for good governance in the world of work.
Technical cooperation
Delegates also reviewed the ILO's technical cooperation programme taking account of significant changes that have taken place in the approach and modalities of ILO programmes and activities since the last time the issue was discussed at the Conference in 1999, including Decent Work Country Programmes and partnerships within the United Nations system and elsewhere. It emphasised the importance of strengthening the tripartite consitutents of the ILO and their participation in technical cooperation.
Noting that "full and productive employment and decent work are a central driver of development and therefore a priority objective of international cooperation", the Committee reviewed all aspects of technical cooperation extensively. The Committee's work will usefully feed into the forthcoming High-Level Segment of ECOSOC, which will debate Decent Work and Sustainable Development as its special theme this year.
The annual Conference of the ILO drew some
4,000 delegates, including heads of State, labour
ministers and leaders of workers' and
employers' organizations from most of the
ILO's 178 member States. Each member State 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.