GENEVA (ILO News) – The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) is to examine the response of the world of work to the global economic crisis, and assess the current outlook for a recovery in employment at its meeting here on 5-20 November under the Global Jobs Pact adopted by the ILO’s International Labour Conference in June 2009.

The Global Jobs Pact is the first global instrument adopted to address the employment and social effects of the economic and financial crisis. In it governments and employers and workers’ organizations committed to work together to tackle the global jobs crisis through policies based on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.

The Governing Body’s Committee on Employment and Social Policy will start discussing on November 9 the principal means of giving effect to the Global Jobs Pact. A report prepared by the ILO recalls the framework approach of the Pact based on the Decent Work Agenda, describes the current economic and employment situation and focuses on actions developed by multilateral institutions, governments, employers and trade unions in utilizing the Pact, including with the support of the ILO.

The Governing Body’s Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization will focus on 16 November on policy coherence and international coordination in support of the Pact. It will make specific reference to the outcome of the Pittsburgh G20 Summit, where the ILO participated and was asked to provide further inputs to the G20 process, as well as the ILO’s work with other international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The Governing Body’s Committee on Employment and Social Policy will also examine flexicurity, public employment services and wages. The Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings will discuss an update on the sectoral impact of the global economic crisis.

The Committee on Technical Cooperation will discuss technical cooperation in support of the ILO’s response to the global economic crisis, as well as a new ILO-UNDP led United Nations Policy for post-conflict employment creation, income generation and reintegration.

The meeting will also consider developments in Myanmar with respect to forced labour on the basis of a report by the ILO Liaison Officer in Yangon. It will also discuss the latest report of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November and takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the International Labour Conference and the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference.

It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years.