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By Juan Somavia,
Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Sixty years ago this week the International Labour Conference met
during the waning days of World War II to define a new set of aims and
purposes for the ILO, the International Labour Organization. In an
expression of belief in the statement from the ILO Constitution that
"lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social
justice," tripartite delegates from 49 member States took a
decision that would not only ensure the survival of the ILO into the
21st century but also define the social parameters of what today we
call globalization and interdependence.
Looking back, it is clear that our forebears were very much ahead of
their time. The Declaration of Philadelphia allowed the ILO to become
the only remnant of the
League
of Nations
to survive the world war and become a part of the
League's successor, the United Nations.
The Declaration of Philadelphia established that labour is not a
commodity. That freedom of expression and association are essential to
sustained progress. That poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to
prosperity everywhere. And that "all human beings, irrespective
of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material
well‑being and their spiritual development in conditions of
freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity"
These principles are as relevant today as they were 60 years ago. The
ILO continues to embrace the vision of the Declaration of Philadelphia
and its central message - that social progress cannot be
achieved solely by social policies. This has been reaffirmed by the
World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization1.
This Commission, established by the ILO and comprising heads of
states, employers and workers representatives, policy‑makers and
academics and other social actors from all walks of life, has
essentially urged the ILO to fulfil the promise of that historic
mandate.
It calls for a stronger ethical framework to deal with the challenges
of globalization. It urges the ILO to fully implement its integrated
economic and social mandate given by the Declaration of Philadelphia
to evaluate economic policies in the light of their impact on social
and labour polices. And it reminds us that the ILO has been, and will
remain, an ever‑evolving organization, redefining and
revitalizing itself throughout history when the need to signal a shift
in political direction is clear.
This
revitalization is made possible by the ILO's unique tripartite system.
The partnership of workers, employers and governments has been key to
every major development in the history of the ILO. Today it remains
the foundation of the ILO's relevance in the changing world of work.
Through tripartism, the ILO will continue to capitalize on those
precious moments in history when opportunities are there to be
grasped. Tripartism provides the strength and the vision to identify
such opportunities, and the courage to take the necessary decisions.
Five years ago we agreed Decent Work should become the organizing
concept of the ILO's activities. What is clear is that our pursuit of
decent work is consistent with the goals identified by the framers of
the Declaration of Philadelphia. The World Commission has taken us
further along this path by confirming that decent work is essential to
achieving a fair globalization that creates opportunities for all. It
calls for Decent Work to become a global goal to be pursued by every
country and the international community through the objectives of
employment and enterprise creation, workers' rights, social protection
and social dialogue.
I can think of no better way for us to celebrate this 60th Anniversary
of the Declaration of Philadelphia than by recommitting ourselves to
the realization of this mandate in the 21st century.
1
Their final report, "A Fair Globalization: creating opportunities
for all" was published in February 2004
http://www-ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/index.htm
For more information please contact :
Sophy Fisher
Regional Information Officer
ILO Bangkok
Tel : (66) 2288 2482
fisher@ilo.org
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