GENEVA (ILO News) - Addressing a special sitting of the 86 ^th International Labour Conference today, President Rafael Caldera said that while globalization and market economics are inevitable and potentially positive developments "there are also characteristics of globalization which must be dealt with carefully so that they will not cause harm to humanity."

"In the era of globalization," he said "the struggle for social justice needs to be international: globalization should not breed further injustice but be harnessed as an element for strengthening peace in the world."

Echoing the 1944 Declaration of Philadelphia, he said that poverty anywhere poses risks to peace and prosperity everywhere. "It was a valid principle yesterday and it is still a valid principle today."

"We must stress the fact that globalization is not a matter for discussion, something that one can be for or against. It is a fact." However, "only with social justice can the world tackle the pressing problems of poverty."

He said that while the market is important for governing relations among individuals, it is not an all-powerful force.

"There is one thing that the market cannot solve by itself: this is the unfair distribution of wealth. We live today in a world where two words predominate: productivity and competition. They cannot be the only standards of social relations. If we only think in terms of competition, the social consequences will be very serious."

Today, globalization has reached such a point that even labour legislation is seen by many with a certain hostility, denying the basic principle of social relationships, which is the freedom of social partners to bargain collectively.

He said that in such an environment it was vital that the ILO "stands as a guardian of the rights of workers in order to guarantee that social relationships can be founded on the principle of justice."

"We all know today that unemployment breeds poverty, which is why we need to affirm not only the rights of workers, but the right to work itself."

He praised the recent election of his "Latin American compatriot, Juan Somavía of Chile," to succeed Michel Hansenne as Director-General of the ILO (in March 1999). He said the decision to elect a Director-General from a developing country reflected a positive evolution.

"We have faith in the ILO and its defence of workers rights. We have faith in its struggle to improve social conditions throughout the world."

Referring to the main item under debate at the Conference, he said: "We feel that the promotion of a Declaration on Fundamental Rights of Workers is just". To loud applause, he added: "I want to say quite clearly that this declaration of principles, this reaffirmation of worker rights, must not be invoked by protectionist interests wishing to take advantage of the difficult circumstances prevailing in some countries in order to circumvent the principle of fair competition."

Dr. Rafael Caldera first served as President of the Republic of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974. He was reelected in 1994 for a second five-year term. Between 1979 and 1982, he was the President of the Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

A total of 3,469 delegates from 156 of the ILO's 174 member States have, to date, been accredited to the 86 ^th session of the International Labour Conference, which will conclude its work on Thursday, 18 June.