Mr. Chairman,
Messrs Ministers and Heads of Delegations
Mr. Director-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Now that we are about to close the Thirteenth ILO Asian Regional Meeting we express our satisfaction with the results achieved by this Meeting. We have spent four days of serious discussions and constructive dialogue. Our discussions, either in groups meetings or in plenary, were objective and respectful of each other opinions.

I had the honour to preside the Panel on Standards and Follow-up of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the Panel on Employment and Social Protection. The work of the Panels was useful as the three parties insisted on the importance of and the need for respecting the fundamental principles and rights at work by ratifying and implementing the eight fundamental Conventions set out in the Declaration. The Panel on Employment and Social Protection emphasized the importance of providing employment opportunities, training, skills upgrading and capacity building for human resources in the Region, as well as providing work in an environment in which democracy, social protection, and spirit of social dialogue to help reduce decent work deficit and poverty in the Region prevail.

The Panels’ work constituted an important basis and useful indicators for the drafting Committee whose work resulted in practical conclusions that your august Meeting adopted. We, employers of the Region, hope that the Conclusions of this Meeting will receive all the attention and follow-up on the part of the International Labour Office in collaboration with the parties concerned; we also hope that these Conclusions will be translated into programmes of action for ILO activities for the next four years.

Finally, I should like to express my thanks to the President for having conducted the work of this Meeting so well; I should like also to thank both vice-chairpersons from the Government group and the Workers group, and to thank the Director-General, his assistants and secretariat for their continuous efforts to facilitate the Meeting’s work and make it a success. Thanks and consideration are addressed to the Minister of Labour and Social Protection in Thailand as well as to all members of the Government group; I should also like to thank the Employers’ and Workers’ groups of Thailand for their friendly welcome and hospitality as well as for the excellent facilities provided to the Meeting, all of which helped to smooth our work.

My thanks also go to the interpreters who helped establishing dialogue and understanding among us, as well as to the Managers of the Imperial Queen Park who made our stay comfortable and agreeable in this beautiful hotel.

Finally, let me express my consideration and acknowledgment to my colleagues of the Employers’ group, who gave me the honour to be the vice-chairperson of the Meeting on behalf of the Employers’ group.

I wish a peaceful and safe return to all of you in your countries.

Updated by CHW. Approved by RD. Last update: 3 October 2001.