Tripartite Meeting on the Social and Labour Dimensions
of the Forestry and Wood Industries on the Move

Geneva, 17-21 September 2001

Background

This Meeting was one of a regular series of tripartite sectoral meetings - comprising representatives of governments, employers and workers - held under the auspices of the International Labour Organization to discuss current employment and labour issues of importance in the sector or industry concerned, and to provide guidance for action, at national and international levels, by employers' and workers' organizations, governments and the ILO itself.

Participation

Altogether, 53 delegates participated in the Meeting, 13 from governments, and 20 each from employers' and workers' circles. The participating countries were: Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Finland, France, Indonesia, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

The Employer and Worker delegates, selected based on nominations by the Employers' and Workers' groups of the ILO Governing Body, did not necessarily come from the same countries as the governments. A number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations involved with the forestry and wood industries sector participated as observers, with the right to speak but not to vote.

Purpose of the Meeting

At its 274th (March 1999) Session, the Governing Body decided that the purpose of the Meeting should be: 

• to exchange views on trends in structural adjustment, globalization and relocation in the forestry and wood industries, as well as on environmental aspects, and to discuss their social and labour consequences, using a report prepared by the Office as the basis for its discussions;
• to adopt conclusions that include proposals for action by governments, by employers' and workers' organizations at the national level and by the ILO; and 
• to adopt a report on its discussions.

Report to the Meeting and points for discussion

A report entitled Globalization and sustainability: The forestry and wood industries on the move (pdf , 602k) was prepared by the International Labour Office as a basis for discussions at the meeting. It included information and analysis of the following issues:

• Evidence that globalization is happening in the forest industries
• Mechanisms fostering closer linkages between countries and firms
• The forces of change
• A new international division of labour and sustainability
• Implications for decent work
• How to move forward? Decent work in a globalizing and sustainable forest industry

At the end of the report, four points for discussion suggested to the Meeting aimed at identifying the main developments in the forestry and wood industries, and the forces driving these changes. Against this background, delegates were invited to consider the implications of the changes experienced by the sector in terms of quantity and quality of employment, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue. Finally, the Meeting was asked to identify measures which governments, employers and workers and their organizations should take in order to contribute to socially sustainable development in the forestry and wood industries at international level, nationally and within enterprises.

Panel discussions

Panel discussions, bringing together external experts, participants of the Meeting and ILO specialists, were held during the Meeting to consider the following three themes:

• Social sustainability
• Certification of forest management and forest products
• Development of small and medium-sized enterprises

A summary of the panel discussions is included in the Note on the proceedings (pdf , 258k).

Conclusions and resolutions

The Meeting adopted a set of 11 conclusions covering:

• Globalization and sustainable development
• Sustainability of the forest resource base
• Certification of forest management and labelling of forest products
• Employment
• Skills
• Application of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Its Follow-up
• Gender issues
• Contractors
• Promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises
• Social dialogue
• The role of the ILO

The Meeting also adopted two resolutions concerning social dialogue initiatives in the wood and forestry sectors and concerning future activities of the ILO.

The "conclusions" embody the consensus of the Meeting on the topic being considered and on appropriate policy actions. The "resolutions" express the sense of the Meeting on general labour and social issues in the sector concerned, including those not covered by the agenda item, or future activities of the ILO relating to the needs of the sector.

Note on the proceedings

A Note on the Proceedings (pdf , 258k), including a report of the discussion and the text of conclusions and resolutions adopted, as well as a summary of the panel discussions, has been published. 

Contact address for more information

Mr. Edmundo Werna
Forestry and Wood Industries Specialist
Sectoral Activities Branch
International Labour Office
4 route des Morillons
CH-1211 GENEVA 22, Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 799 6036, Fax +41 22 799 7967
e-mail: werna@ilo.org or sector@ilo.org