Press releases

June 2007 

• ILO awards first Decent Work Research Prize to Nelson Mandela and Carmelo Mesa-Lago
  15 June 2007 - The International Labour Organization today awarded its first annual Decent Work Research Prize to Nobel peace laureate and former South African President Nelson Mandela and to the eminent academic and specialist in social security, Professor Carmelo Mesa-Lago, citing their contributions to improving the lives of people around the world.
• Conference concludes with adoption of new standards on fishing sector, approaches to sustainable development and measures to promote decent work
  15 June 2007 - The 96th annual conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 15-day run here today after adopting a comprehensive new set of labour standards for the fishing industry and holding extensive discussions on new approaches to promoting sustainable enterprises and decent work.
• Ambassador of Sri Lanka elected new Chairman of ILO Governing Body: Committee on Freedom of Association cites Cambodia, Colombia and the Philippines
  15 June 2007 - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) elected H.E. Mr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, as Chairman for its 2007-08 Session.
• President of Sri Lanka expresses support for ILO Decent Work Agenda: Focus on improving lives of workers, especially in rural areas
  15 June 2007 - The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa today expressed support for the Decent Work Agenda of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as “central to peoples’ lives.”
• ILO adopts comprehensive new labour standards for millions in the world’s fishing sector
  14 June 2007 - Innovative new labour standards designed to improve the conditions for roughly 30 million men and women working in the fishing sector worldwide were adopted today at the 96th annual conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbón, Prince of Asturias, highlights the need to “humanize” economic change
  13 June 2007 - Addressing government, worker and employer delegates at the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO), His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbón, Prince of Asturias today highlighted the need to “humanize” economic change and ensure that globalization offers “real advantages for all”.
• World Day Against Child Labour 2007: New global partnership against child labour in agriculture
  12 June 2007 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) today joined forces with five key international agricultural organizations to launch a new landmark global partnership to tackle child labour in agriculture.
• Jamaican Prime Minister calls ILO’s Decent Work Agenda critical to overcoming poverty - Warns of “human tsunami of frustration, rage and rebellion”
  12 June 2007 - The Decent Work Agenda is critical to stemming a potential “human tsunami of frustration” over the devastating effects of poverty, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, said today in an address to government, employer and worker delegates to the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• President of Senegal says Decent Work is the key to economic and social development
  12 June 2007 - The President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, today told the plenary session of the 96th annual conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) that economic and social development must be based on Decent Work.
• Crown Prince of Bahrain calls for increased social dialogue, fair globalization, announces regional labour summit
  11 June 2007 - His Highness Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, today urged delegates to the International Labour Organization’s annual conference to “work together towards fair globalization”...
• ILO Director-General calls for “Green Jobs Initiative” to support environmentally sustainable development - Also highlights impact of globalization and need to reduce “Decent Work” deficits
  11 June 2007 - International Labour Organization Director-General Juan Somavia today urged government, worker and employer delegates at the ILO’s annual labour conference to develop policy tools for a global “Green Jobs Initiative” aimed at achieving an environmentally-sustainable process of development.
• ILO welcomes G8 support for decent work as central to globalization with social progress
  08 June 2007 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) today welcomed the commitment of the G8 summit to support the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda as central to globalization with social progress.
• Working Time Around The World - One in five workers worldwide are putting in "excessive" hours: New ILO study spotlights working time in over 50 countries
  07 June 2007 - Nearly a century after adopting its first international standard on working time, a new study by the International Labour Office estimates that one in five workers around the world - or over 600 million persons - are still working more than 48 hours a week, often merely to make ends meet.
• 12 june 2007 - World Day Against Child Labour to focus on elimination of child labour in agriculture
  05 June 2007 - This year’s World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June is to focus on the elimination of child labour in agriculture, which accounts for a staggering percentage of the world’s working children and is one of the most dangerous forms of work for children and adults like.
• Decent Work Agenda instrumental for African Renaissance, says President of Ghana
  04 June 2007 - The ILO Decent Work Agenda can play a pivotal role in assuring human dignity and an African Renaissance, H.E. Mr John Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union (AU) said today in an address to the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• Social protection is key to taking up the decent work challenge, says President of Chile
  04 June 2007 - Social protection is an essential tool for responding to “the challenge of decent work in an ever more uncertain world”, H.E. Ms. Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile, told government, employer and worker delegates from all over the world here today at the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• ILO to launch new global study on working time trends
  01 June 2007 - Are people working more or less hours, and where? What is the status of the 40-hour week? In what jobs, and where, do people work longer or shorter hours? Who works longer hours, women or men, and why?
• ILO annual Conference elects officers
  01 June 2007 - The 96th Session of the International Labour Conference, which will run here till 15 June, elected as its President Mr. Kastriot Sulka, Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Albania.

May 2007 

• Media advisory: Media Accreditation to the International Labour Conference
  31 May 2007 - Correspondents wishing to cover the International Labour Conference must be accredited by the International Labour Office.
• Heads of State, government and leaders from the world of work to address wide range of labour issues at the 96th International Labour Conference
  29 May 2007 - More than 3,000 government, worker and employer leaders are to meet here from 30 May to 15 June for the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to discuss issues ranging from decent work and development to child labour in agriculture, work in the fishing sector, equality at work, forced labour and the promotion of sustainable enterprises.