Major Programme 10. International Labour Conference

Summary of 1998-99 proposals and comparison with previous biennium (including funds from other sources)

10.1. This major programme provides for the directly identifiable costs of holding two ordinary sessions of the Conference in the biennium 1998-99, and for certain preparatory work that will have to be undertaken in 1999 for the session of the Conference to be held in the year 2000. The resources provided under this major programme take into account the decisions made by the Governing Body at its 264th (November 1995) Session on the reforms in the functioning of the Conference. These decisions imply a reduction in:

the duration of the Conference by one day (resulting in a total duration of 17 calendar days);

the time devoted in plenary to the discussion of the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the Director-General to one week;

the time-limit for speeches in plenary to five minutes;

the number of issues of the Provisional Record covering the discussion of the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the Director-General;

the number of copies of Conference reports to be distributed.

Taking account of the discussion during the 267th (November 1996) Session of the Governing Body, provision is made for copies of individual speeches made in plenary, as submitted by the speakers, to be made available in electronic and in hard-copy form. A complete Record of proceedings, including verbatim records of the discussion of the reports of the Chairperson, the Governing Body and the Director-General in the plenary sittings of the Conference will be published several weeks after the conclusion of the Conference.

10.2. As a result of the above changes, the resources for this major programme are reduced by some $2,177,000 in real terms compared with the biennium 1996-97. This reduction is a result of savings in interpretation, translation, transcription and printing costs, as well as miscellaneous material and operating costs. A further reduction of $582,500 has been made due to the exclusion of resources provided for in 1996-97 for the Maritime Session of the Conference.

10.3. The agenda of the 1998 ordinary session of the Conference, as determined by the Governing Body at its 265th (March 1996) Session, will be as follows:

Standing items

I. Reports of the Governing Body and the Director-General.

II. Programme and Budget proposals and other financial questions.

III. Information and reports on the application of Conventions and Recommendations.

Items placed on the agenda by the Conference or the Governing Body

IV. General conditions to stimulate job creation in small and medium-sized enterprises (second discussion).

V. Contract labour (second discussion).

VI. Child labour (first discussion).

10.4. The agenda of the 1999 ordinary session of the Conference will include the same standing items I, II and III as in 1998, a second discussion of item VI and such new items as the Governing Body may determine in 1997. Without in any way prejudging the Governing Body’s decision, it has been assumed for budgetary purposes that the Conference agenda will include a total of three technical items in 1999 and again in the year 2000.

Material and staffing arrangements

10.5. This part of the programme covers the material arrangements (such as the rental of rooms at the Palais des Nations, moving expenses and transportation services between the Palais and the ILO building) for a Conference session of 17 calendar days in each year of the biennium, the staffing arrangements, including interpreters and other temporary staff to assist in servicing the Conference, and miscellaneous costs. The total estimate for the biennium under this heading amounts to some $9,804,000.

Printing of reports, records of proceedings and other documents

10.6. The number of reports to be printed externally in 1998 and 1999 in relation to the agenda items for the 1998 and 1999 ordinary sessions of the Conference is estimated at 116 volumes, as shown in the following table. These estimates reflect the number of reports to be submitted to the Conference and the number of copies necessary to meet distribution requirements and in-session needs.

External printing for the Conference during the biennium 1998-99

¹ Where seven language editions are mentioned, the documents will be issued in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic and Chinese; where three language editions are mentioned, the documents will be issued in English, French and Spanish. ² Including the memorandum of each session, the authentic texts of instruments adopted at each session, the report forms on the application of Conventions and Recommendations, the reprinting of the Constitution of the ILO, the Standing Orders of the Conference and the List of Ratifications by Convention and by country.

Preparation of reports

10.7. A provision of 2/01 Professional work-years is made for the preparation of reports on technical items for the 1999 and 2000 ordinary sessions of the Conference and for the preparation of the Director-General’s Report. This provision is based on the assumption that there will be a total of three technical items on the agenda of the session in the year 2000.

Other costs

10.8. In addition to the directly identifiable costs shown in the budget table for this major programme, costs are incurred under a number of other major programmes.

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