News

April 2004

1. ILO Director-General addresses special meeting of African heads of State A major step towards the Extraordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Reduction in Africa

   23 April 2004

   Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), has welcomed “encouraging signs of political clarity and convergence of views” expressed by African leaders meeting here to examine new anti-poverty strategies ahead of the African Union Extra-Ordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Reduction scheduled for September in Burkina Faso.

March 2004

1. ILO Governing Body concludes its 289th Session, discusses globalization, forced labour and seafarer security

   26 March 2004

   The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 289th session today following a wide-ranging debate welcoming the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization.

2. ILO takes major step to ensure security of seafarers

   26 March 2004

   The International Labour Organization (ILO) today took a major step toward strengthening security measures on the high seas and in world ports by adopting a new "biometric" identity verification system for some 1.2 million maritime workers who handle 90 per cent of the world's trade.

3. ILO Governing Body welcomes report of World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization

   25 March 2004

   Employer, worker and government representatives at the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) today welcomed the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization as a "balanced" and "coherent" analysis of the social impact of globalization.

4. ILO Governing Body's 289th session to discuss "fair globalization", Myanmar and other issues

   11 March 2004

   Worker, employer and government representatives will hold a wide-ranging debate on the social dimension of globalization at the 289th session of the ILO Governing Body, from 11-26 March. The ongoing session is the first to be held under the second mandate of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia who was re-elected for another five-year term in 2003.

5. More women are entering the global labour force than ever before, but job equality, poverty reduction remain elusive

   05 March 2004

   Women are entering the global labour force in record numbers, but they still face higher unemployment rates and lower wages and represent 60 per cent of the world's 550 million working poor, says a new report by the International Labour Office (ILO) prepared for International Women's Day.

6. International Women's Day events at the ILO Geneva, Monday 8th March 2004

   02 March 2004

   Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi and international war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte will participate in a panel discussion on women and the judiciary at the International Labour Organization (ILO) on International Women's Day.

February 2004

1. 

   World Commission says globalization can and must change, calls for urgent rethink of global governance

   24 February 2004

   Globalization can and must change, says a new, groundbreaking report presented today to the International Labour Organization (ILO) urging that building a fair and inclusive globalization become a worldwide priority.

2. India, U.S. and ILO join forces to fight child labour; new project targets directly some 80,000 children in hazardous work

   16 February 2004

   The Government of India, in cooperation with the US Department of Labor and the International Labour Organization (ILO) today launched a US$ 40 million programme aimed at eliminating child labour that targets directly some 80,000 children in ten hazardous industries. This is the largest child labour programme ever undertaken by the ILO at the country level.

3. International cooperative alliance, ILO sign partnership agreement

   10 February 2004

   The International Labour Office (ILO) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) today signed an agreement to implement a "Common Cooperative Agenda" aimed at creating decent jobs and reducing poverty.