All ILO Newsroom content

November 2012

1. 

   Rights in Myanmar

   Reform process in Myanmar is irreversible, says ILO expert

   16 November 2012

   As US President Barack Obama heads to Myanmar, the ILO’s liaison officer in Yangon discusses the various changes this Southeast Asian country has been going through.

2. 

   ILO supervisory body

   ILO names five countries for serious violations of freedom of association

   15 November 2012

   The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has highlighted five out of 32 cases as the most serious and urgent concerning the right to organize, collective bargaining and social dialogue.

October 2012

1. 

   World Teachers' Day

   Take a Stand for Teachers

   03 October 2012

   A Video Message from Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Office on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day.

June 2012

1. 

   News

   ILO lifts restrictions on Myanmar

   13 June 2012

   The International Labour Organization has lifted its restrictions on the full participation of Myanmar in its activities and decided to review the progress on the elimination of forced labour in the country next year.

2. 

   Video interview

   The ILO's role in Myanmar

   11 June 2012

   The ILO`s Liaison Officer in Myanmar discusses the history of the ILO`s involvement in Myanmar, some of the challenges of dealing with forced labour in the country, and the role played by the ILO's unique tripartite structure in achieving progress.

June 2011

1. 

   Video message

   Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Appeals to the ILO to Expand its Activities in Myanmar

   13 June 2011

   Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the former General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar, spoke via video message to the delegates of the 100th International Labour Conference of the ILO. She expressed her hope that the ILO would expand its activities in Myanmar and help usher in an era of social justice. The International Labour Organization's current activities in Myanmar include efforts to ensure the elimination of forced labour.

March 2011

1. 

   Video

   Tunisian Trade Unions Working For Peace and Democracy (in Arabic)

   21 March 2011

   Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. Mr. Jerad thanked the Director-General for his support for the Tunisian revolution and for helping to meet the people's needs for decent work, decent wages and social justice. He referred to the Director-General's statement of 19 January 2011, supporting the demands of the revolutionaries and workers of Tunisia and the workers' movement, and said it had a significant impact coming at a moment when there was no guarantee that the revolution would succeed in its efforts to overthrow the dictatorship and put an end to corruption. Other participants in the discussion included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; and Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA).

2. 

   Video

   The Egyptian Revolution as a Model for Peaceful Change (in Arabic)

   21 March 2011

   H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt, spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. He thanked the ILO Director-General for his support and for coming to Egypt to join in their declaration for trade union freedom. He described the Egyptian revolution as a model for "peaceful and rational changes in the region and the whole world" and as the inception of a new development process leading to a better future based on freedom, dignity and social justice. Other participants in the debate included Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA); and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).

3. 

   Video

   The Value of Social Dialogue for Algerian Employers

   21 March 2011

   Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA), spoke to the ILO Governing Body in a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. He discussed the value of social dialogue between governments, employers and workers to “realize social peace and create a climate fostering economic development”. He also welcomed the ILO Director-General’s strategic initiatives in several countries in the region, insisting on values and rights, as “an example of political courage: You were at the right place at the right time, encouraging young people to seek a greater degree of freedom”. Other participants in the debate included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT). (in French)

4. 

   Video

   Director-General Juan Somavia says ILO Ready to Assist in Egypt and Tunisia

   21 March 2011

   Referring to the situations in Egypt and Tunisia the ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia, said it is “a time when all actors of society are called upon to exercise their responsibilities so that they will be on the right side of history being made in front of your eyes by the peaceful, popular expression of the people’s will”, adding that “we at the ILO must be ready to assist them”. The Director-General spoke to the ILO Governing Body introducing a high-level discussion on Challenges and Change in the Arab World. Panel participants included H.E. Dr. Ahmed El-Borai, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt; Mr. Habib Yousfi, President of the General Confederation of Algerian Enterprises (CGEA); and Mr. Abdessalem Jerad, General Secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).