Events in the international community

World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance

Durban, South Africa, 31 August-7 September 2001

Racism – a workplace issue

The principal concern of the ILO in relation to the Conference was to highlight the economic and social aspect of racism and xenophobia as they affect working men and women and those seeking work, with a special focus on discrimination in the world of work, migrant workers and indigenous and tribal peoples.

On the first issue, the ILO’s participation was within the framework of the theme "Discrimination is Everybody’s Business". A series of events on this theme, organized jointly by the ILO and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed that discrimination is harmful to all three components of the ILO’s constituency. A panel at the Conference on this subject met on the opening day, hosted by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, within the Global Compact framework. The ILO was represented on this panel by the Chairperson of the Governing Body. Mr. Tabani, Employer member of the ILO Governing Body, represented the International Organization of Employers. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions was represented by Mr. Bill Jordan, General Secretary. The panel stressed the role of business in combating discrimination, and the importance of employers' working with trade unions for this purpose. Other events were a multi-stakeholder workshop on fostering dialogue and cooperation, and a panel on the practical aspects of implementing diversity, to which the ILO provided input.

The subject of migrant workers was prominent throughout the Conference. In addition to discussions on how to refer to the issue in the Declaration and Programme of Action, there were also various parallel events during the Conference, with the ILO’s participation assured by the International Migration Branch. The ILO was instrumental in preparing a publication on international migration, racism, discrimination and xenophobia, which was signed jointly by the Director-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration.

Indigenous peoples from around the world were a large presence at the Conference, and were very active. The ILO's Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) figured prominently in these discussions, and the Office took part in several events organized around this question.

The Director-General addressed the plenary session of the Conference, and the ILO organized and took part in a number of panels and other events during the session.

The ILO had already taken an active part in the preparatory process, in which it was represented principally by the Equality and Employment Branch of the International Labour Standards Department (responsible for the promotion and supervision of the Conventions on discrimination, migrant workers and indigenous and tribal peoples, as well as for human rights coordination generally), and by the Migrant Workers Branch. External offices attended some of the regional preparatory meetings. The ILO was represented at the Conference by its Director-General, Juan Somavia, and a tripartite delegation of its Governing Body, comprising Mr. Tou (Chairperson), Mr. Tabani (Employer) and Lord Brett (Worker).

Declaration and Programme of Action

The final language adopted reflected active ILO participation in the process. The text includes calls for the ratification and application of a number of ILO Conventions relevant to discrimination, among other international Conventions to be ratified, and for respect for the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The ILO’s commitments to non-discrimination against migrant workers and the protection of indigenous and tribal peoples are also reflected. The Conference called on States to eliminate racism against all workers, including migrants and migrant workers, and to ensure full equality before the law. States were further urged to eliminate barriers to participation in vocational training, employment, and trade union activities, including collective bargaining. The Conference called for measures to advance non-discrimination at the workplace through multi-faceted strategies and stressed the importance of the involvement of labour, management and non-governmental organizations. The text in particular highlighted the multiple discrimination faced by women and the need to take positive or affirmative action.

ILO follow-up

The Conference helped make it clear that increased efforts by the ILO and its constituents were needed to identify and combat racial and related discrimination in the workplace. This involves –

• continued research and data collection on issues of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia;
• promoting and assisting implementation of measures combating discrimination and xenophobia against migrants;
• workers’ education on combating discrimination in all its forms, including racism;
• continued support of the Global Compact initiative on Diversity and Equality including human resource development;
• management training on issues of discrimination;
• supporting governments in the development of laws, policies and administrative and enforcement mechanisms addressing racial discrimination at the workplace.

The ILO Global Report on discrimination, scheduled for 2003 in the context of follow-up to the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, will benefit from the information and positions generated by the Conference. The action plan to be adopted after the Global Report has already been planned as an ILO contribution to follow-up on the World Conference.

The Conference helped to bring increased attention to the situation of migrant workers, and will help secure the necessary number of ratifications for the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; this will in turn call for ILO participation in the supervisory process for that Convention.

It will also help the ILO to focus on further measures needed to protect indigenous and tribal peoples from discrimination, which will be examined by the ILO’s internal Task Force on the issue.