GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) will hold its annual International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on 1-17 June. The Conference will be held at the United Nations Office at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

This 100^th session of the Conference convenes as major social change unfolds in parts of the Middle East and North Africa and elsewhere in the world as well as at a time when the world still faces ongoing challenges such as the global economic and jobs crisis. The agenda of the Conference reflects these new realities and concerns.

The ILC highlights include: the presentation of the Director-General’s report on the need for a new era of social justice; the publication of a report on the situation of workers in the occupied territories; the launch of a new ILO-IPEC report on hazardous forms of child labour; interventions by a number of high-level guests expected to attend, including: H.E. Tarja Halonen (Finland); H.E. Salam Fayyad (Palestine); H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (Indonesia), H.E. Angela Merkel (Germany), H.E. Vladimir Putin (Russia) and H.E. Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania); H.E. Micheline Calmy-Rey (Switzerland) (check the conference website for possible updates).

Several committees will meet during the ILC, including on: decent work for domestic workers (Standard setting, second discussion, with a view to the adoption of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation); the strategic objective of social protection; labour administration and labour inspection, and the application of conventions and recommendations.

Several high level panels will also be organized on the follwing topics: “Arab Youth: Aspiring for Social Justice” and “Global Youth:Leading Change”; “Employment and Social Justice in a Globalizing Economy”; “The Role of Decent Work in a Fairer, Greener, Sustainable Globalization”, and a “New Era of Social Justice”.

Full details on special guests, timing of interventions, as well as the make up of high-level panels and attendees at special events will become available shortly. More details can be found at: www.ilo.org/ilc. This website will be constantly updated with new material.

Media accreditation

Geneva-based correspondents already accredited to the UN

Correspondents who already hold media accredition from UNOG will receive a specific badge directly from the UNOG press office – room C323 – until 1 June. They will have to carry this badge (on top of their usual UN badge) to have access to areas accessible to the media. After 1 June, they can collect their badges in Room A641.

For all other correspondents

To obtain accreditation for the Conference, correspondents should complete an Accreditation Form, to be sent by email (communication@ilo.org), fax (+4122/799-7397) or by post (addressed to ILO, Department of Communication and Public Information, 4 route des Morillons, 1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland).

Journalists should collect their badges upon their arrival at the Accreditation Pavillion located at the entrance to the main building of the ILO, 4 route des Morillons (NOT at the Palais des Nations) on presentation of a valid identity card or passport (with photo), a valid professional press card and a letter of assignment from the Editor-in-Chief of the media concerned.. The badges also give access to a specific shuttle bus for visitors and media running between the ILO building (R3 South) and the Palais des Nations where the Conference takes place.

For more information on media accreditation, please contact: communication@ilo.org

Media Centre

During the Conference, a Media centre with free wireless internet access and a welcome desk will be available at the Palais des Nations (Building A, entrance 13 or 15).

Radio/television coverage and facilities

Radio: Correspondents accredited to the ILC have access to ILO radio facilities in the Palais des Nations for editing and transmission of radio reports related to the International Labour Conference. These facilities can be reserved by contacting the ILO Radio and Television unit (Palais Office A561) or the radio technician's office No. E-10 (iloradio@afro-blue.org). An ISDN line is also available for correspondents' use in the ILC Media Centre. Please see the Media centre secretariat for details about booking this line.

TV: Video editing, studio and transmission facilities are available at ILO headquarters (4 Route des Morillons) free of charge and can be arranged through the same office. As certain ILC meetings may require special credentials, all requests to record ILC sessions should be coordinated through the ILO's Radio and Television Unit. Television correspondents wishing to conduct interviews with ILO officials or to obtain live or taped coverage of the conference proceedings can make arrangements through the ILO Radio and Television Unit (Karen Naets-Sekiguchi, naets-sekiguchi@ilo.org, Tel: +4179/593-1363).

For more information, please contact:

ILO Department of Communication and Public Information

Tel: +4122/799-7912

E-mail: communication@ilo.org