As recently announced on this Web site (see CIS News June 2008), the Safety and Health Summit took place in Seoul, Rep. of Korea, on June 29, 2008. It preceded the XVIIIth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work (June 29-July 2) organized by the International Labour Office (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA). The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health.

The Summit gathered about 50 international leaders and decision-makers, including government ministers, CEOs of major multinational companies, social security leaders, senior safety and health experts, and representatives of employers and workers.

The Declaration marks a major step in the establishment of a preventive safety and health culture at the national and international level and calls on governments, employers and workers to reinforce their cooperation in order to reduce work-related accidents and diseases.

In its preamble, the Declaration emphasizes, among other points, that the right to a safe and healthy working environment should be recognized as a fundamental human right, and reaffirms that the promotion of occupational safety and health and the prevention of accidents and diseases at work are core elements of the ILO’s founding mission and of the Decent Work Agenda.

The Declaration encourages Governments to consider the ratification of the ILO Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) as a priority, and it calls on employers to ensure that prevention is an integral part of their activities and on workers to follow safety and health instructions and procedures.

In conclusion, it was agreed to review progress made on achieving safety and health at work during the XIXth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work due to take place in Turkey in 2011.

For additional information about the Congress see the press release of the ILO Department of Communication and Public Information.

   Access to the Seoul Declaration (with the list of signatories).