The specialist is an area of ILO/IPEC Programme in Geneva. In addition to serving SRO-Bangkok countries, the specialist also covers Indonesia, Philippines and countries in the Pacific.

Support is given to partner organizations to develop and implement measures whichaim at preventing child labour, withdrawing children from hazardous work and providing alternatives, and improving the working conditions as a transitional measure towards the elimination of child labour.

The employers’ activities specialist is part of the network of employers’ organization specialists in the ILO’s multidisciplinary advisory tems around the world. Its tasks are to make the resources of the ILO available to employers’ organizations, and to keep the ILO constantly aware of their views, concerns and priorities. It promotes international cooperation amongst employers organization, and runs a programme of activities around the world.

The specialist runs a programme of technical cooperation which provides development assistance to countries covered by SRO-Bangkok. This work is mostly done through projects financed by the overseas development assistance funds of donor countries.

The ILO became the eighth cosponsoring agency of UNAIDS in October 2001. The objectives of the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the world of work (ILO/AIDS) are:

• to raise awareness of the economic and social impact of AIDS in the world of work

• to help governments, employers and workers support national efforts to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS

• to fight discrimination and stigma related to HIV/AIDS

• since the launching of the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work in 2001, the ILO has continuously strengthened and expanded its HIV/AIDS related initiatives in East Asia.  Key activities include:

• advocacy for workplace responses to HIV/AIDS among Governments, employers' and workers' organisations, business associations and other key stakeholders;

• capacity building through training and the development and dissemination of technical tools on how to develop and implement HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes; and

• advisory services for the formulation of national policies and legislation on HIV/AIDS and the world of work.

Within the sub-region, the ILO is currently implementing activities in support of HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. Previously, services have also been provided in Malaysia and Singapore.

The specialist services in the region cover the following;

• Assists member-states in discharging the obligations deriving from the ILO Constitution with regard to the International Labour Conventions and Recommendations.
• Provides technical assistance and advice to the Member-States with respect to the application assistance and supervision of ratified Conventions.
• Provides information on special procedures and cases related to the violation of the principles on freedom of association.
• Promotes and raise awareness on up-to-date and newly adopted international labour Conventions and Recommendations and procedure of their ratification and application, standards-related policy and developments.
• Provides technical assistance and advice to the Member States on drafting and application of labour legislation and regulations to promote their consistency with ratified international labour standards.
• Assists Member States in discharging their constitutional obligation to respect, promote and realize principles enunciated in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights and its Follow-Up, related reporting obligations and identify needs for technical assistance.
• Assists workers’ and employers’ organizations on matters related to international labour standards and promote social dialogue in this repect.
• Provides training on technical content and procedural requirements related to international labour standards.

The specialist is the sub-regional area of the ILO In-Focus Programme on Safety and Health at work and the Environment (SAFEWORK) in Geneva. The specialist provides services to this sub-regional on the following;-

• Protecting workers in hazardous jobs
• Extending protection to all workers
• Promoting workers’ health and well-being
• Showing that protection pays
• Promoting national and industry-based action

One of the main aims of the global campaign on social security is to find new and effective ways to extend social security coverage in low-income countries. SRO-Bangkok has already worked with many developing countries on the extension of social security.

Other activities of the specialist also focus on;-

• raising awareness among key actors
• training and policy discussion with shareholders
• strengthening institutients and social dialogue
• monitoring and evaluating results

Senior skill training specialists within each of the three Sub-Regional Offices assist constituents to develop policies, programmes and strategies for dealing with technical vocational education and training issues. The specialists may work alone, or in teams with colleagues specialising in different fields to create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income.

Approaches to this work include carrying out reviews, studies, preparing project proposals or drawing up and implementing projects, as well as providing technical support and advice to tripartite constituents in activities that include: 

• capacity building;

• advising on national policy and legislation;

• lifelong learning within the world of work

• workplace training;

• information delivery;

• developing strategies for addressing decent employment in the informal economy;

• regional, sub-regional and national workshops and

• tripartite issues dealing with skills development and productivity through social dialogue

Seminars, meetings and workshops are an important means of working directly with constituents.  They may be national, sub-regional or regional – and they may reach out to one group of constituents at a time – or to two groups together (for example, workers and employers). Or they may be tripartite – involving government, employers’ and workers’ representatives. Outcomes can include the development of strategies, common understandings or a set of guidelines on employment and human resource development and training.  For example, the ILO Tripartite Asian and Pacific Meeting on Skills Development and Productivity through Social Dialogue held in Bangkok in March 2003, brought together governments, employers and workers from around the region.  The workshop was very successful and contributed significantly to agreements on measures to improve the skills and earning capacity of workers, the economic performance of enterprises and individual national social and economic objectives.

Regional technical assistance focusing on skill development also includes a number of programmes and projects in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Timor-Leste, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam:  to name but a few countries where major projects are being implemented.

ILO institutions and programmes, for example the ILO International Training Centre, Turin, Italy; the Inter-American Research and Documentation Centre on Vocational Training (CINTERFOR), Montevideo, Uruguay and the Asia Pacific Skill Development Programme, Bangkok, Thailand are also very important linkages in skills development.

Of course, other important external partnerships and linkages on skill development are with governments and lead workers’ and employers’ organisations and some key institutions in the region. More recently the ILO has developed closer relationships with the World Bank, the OECD and international employment services such as the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES) and the International Confederation of Temporary Work Business (CIETT).  The ILO has traditionally worked with a number of other UN agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO and others.

The specialist focuses on developing activities to strengthen workers’ organizations at the sub-regional and national levels. The mandate of the Bureau for Workers’ Activities is to strengthen representative, independent and democratic trade unions in all countries, to enable them to play their role effectively in protecting workers’ rights and interests and in providing effective services to their members at national and international levels, and to promote the ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions.

Field of activities for the sub-region cover the following;

• Support for the Workers’ group and relations
• Institution-building and general workers’ education
• Trade unions and globalization
• To strengthen Workers’ Participation in the UN System and impact on the Bretton Woods institutions
• Promotion of standards and follow up to the Declaration
• Workers in the informal economy