Introduction

1. The Committee on Freedom of Association, set up by the Governing Body at its 117th Session (November 1951), met at the International Labour Office, Geneva, on 4, 5 and 17 March 1999 under the chairmanship of Professor Max Rood.

2. The Committee had before it several complaints of violations of freedom of association in Colombia, presented by a number of trade union organizations (Cases Nos. 1787, 1948, 1955, 1962, 1964 and 1973) as well as a complaint concerning the non-observance by Colombia of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), made by several Workers' delegates to the 86th Session (1998) of the International Labour Conference under article 26 of the ILO Constitution.

3. In conformity with the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 273rd Session (November 1998), the Committee submits, for the Governing Body's approval, a report on the pending cases and on the complaint presented in virtue of article 26 of the Constitution.