GENEVA (ILO News) – Respecting and promoting fundamental principles and rights at work and their related international labour standards can and must be part of integrated policy measures for an economic recovery that is based on the dignity of work, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said in a statement issued for Human Rights Day on 10 December.
“We cannot lose sight of the goal of ending discrimination at this time of economic crisis when existing patterns of discrimination and exclusion risk being accentuated”, said Mr. Somavia. This year’s observance focuses on promoting discrimination-free societies and a world of equal treatment for all.
He added that while “financial markets and economies show some signs of a rebound, the crisis is far from over – least of all in the lives of millions of men and women who have lost their jobs or who are still in work but facing considerable uncertainty and insecurity. For those in the informal economy it means heightened vulnerability, worsening poverty”.
Referring to the Global Jobs Pact approved earlier this year by the ILO’s 183 Member States, Mr. Somavia said it “recalls that respecting fundamental principles and rights at work, promoting gender equality and encouraging voice, participation, and social dialogue are also critical to recovery and development”. The Pact is a set of tried and tested policy measures centred on employment and social protection designed to strengthen crisis response efforts.
“There has been progress in prohibiting workplace discrimination by law. However, proactive measures and better enforcement are needed to make equality a reality. We must also ensure that education, training and employment policies are in place to deliver effectively for groups affected by persisting and entrenched forms of discrimination and exclusion”, concluded Mr. Somavia.
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