GENEVA (ILO News) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, in an address today to delegates at the 86 ^th International Labour Conference, said "there is no room for anyone anywhere to be complacent in relation to human rights."

"All countries have human rights problems, and that includes problems with basic labour rights," Mrs. Robinson said.

In the first appearance at an International Labour Conference by a U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights since the post was created by the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, Mrs. Robinson said that she was "heartened" by the discussion on a proposed Declaration on Fundamental Rights of Workers, the main agenda item of this year's Conference.

The High Commissioner also urged that a proposed new ILO Convention on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour be approved next year, and lauded the decision of the Government of Indonesia to ratify ILO core Conventions, including No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Rights to Organize, 1948).

Support for Declaration, ILO collaboration

Referring to the proposed Declaration on Fundamental Rights of Workers - on freedom of association, the prohibition of forced labour and of discrimination and the abolition of child labour - the High Commissioner said she "subscribed fully" to it.

"I am pleased to see it so clearly stated," she said. "I must say that I firmly believe these four fundamental human rights should be subscribed to by all."

Mrs. Robinson also lauded the collaboration and cooperation between the United Nations and the International Labour Office on human rights issues concerning children and indigenous peoples as well as workers, and added that she hoped that collaboration between the two organizations could be "strengthened, built upon and enhanced."

Noting that in her view, there should be a balance between civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, she added that "it is important to understand the interdependence of rights and to recognize economic and social and cultural rights and the right to development."

"It is important to protect civil and political rights," she said. "And as High Commissioner it is very important to prioritize, but also to understand the interdependence of rights and to recognize economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development."

Mrs. Robinson also urged swift adoption of a new convention on the worst forms of child labour following a second reading at the International Labour Conference in 1999.

"If next year's Conference adopts the Convention on child labour, it will warrant the status of one of the fundamental standards of the ILO and be critically important for all our futures," she said. "Is there a better way for the ILO to enter the next millennium than by adopting this Convention? Clearly, there is no better way."