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Governing Body Set to Debate Standards; Increased Supervisory Powers Sought

ILO/97/6

Press release | 06 March 1997

ILO/97/6

GENEVA (ILO News) - Meeting in Geneva from 6 to 27 March, the Governing Body of the ILO will examine proposals designed to promote the effective enforcement of fundamental labour rights and discuss, among other items, budget proposals for ILO activities around the world in 1998-99.

The international community in recent years - most recently at the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, in Singapore - has repeatedly underlined the importance of the ILO's work with respect to the fundamental human rights within its mandate. In response, a growing awareness has emerged among ILO constituents of the urgent need to strengthen the ILO's supervisory system relating to such rights, including freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, protection against discriminatory practices in the workplace and the total prohibition of slave labour.

Participants will debate various proposals, some advocating the development of mechanisms to supervise respect for the fundamental principles of the ILO Constitution, even in countries which have not ratified the relevant Conventions, some aiming at a wider use of existing possibilities to press for ratification of these Conventions and to monitor their implementation - and others combining elements of both.

Valued at the 1996-97 budget rate of exchange of 1.16 Swiss franc to the US dollar, the proposed 1998-99 budget amounts to some US$ 569 million, representing a decrease in real terms of 3.75 per cent. In March 1997, however, the exchange rate had reached 1.48 Swiss franc to the dollar. Should this exchange rate prevail when the budget is formally submitted to the International Labour Conference next June, the budget's nominal value would amount to some US$ 486 million - a decrease of 16 percent compared with the previous exercise.

The Programme and Budget proposals nevertheless foresee a strengthening of ILO technical cooperation programmes, including the launching of new global programmes relating to small scale enterprise development, occupational safety and health, more and better jobs for women as well as a continuing rise in activities against child labour.

The International Programme on More and Better Jobs for Women is part of the ILO's follow-up to the UN's Fourth Conference on Women (in Beijing 1995) and the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen 1995) and reflects a sharpened global concern for gender and human-rights issues in the workplace.

The proposed budget also envisages increasing ILO's active partnership policy through the creation of new multidisciplinary teams in Africa (Yaoundé) and Europe (Moscow). These teams work with tripartite representatives within regions to identify constituent needs, establish country objectives and design advisory and technical cooperation programmes.

Another novel proposal concerns the convening of an ILO Social Forum during the 1998-99 biennium with the goal of promoting increased observance of international labour standards and respect for fundamental human rights. In addition to representatives of governments, employers' and workers' organisations, this Forum would include representatives of non-governmental organisations and parliamentarians engaged in work relating to the promotion of human rights and social justice.

The Governing Body - composed of 28 government members ( Endnote), 14 employer members and 14 worker members convenes three times annually. It serves as the executive council of the ILO and takes decisions on ILO policy. Ten of the government seats are permanently held by major industrialized countries. The remaining seats are filled on a rotating basis, taking account of geographical distribution, for three year terms. The employers and workers elect their own representatives.

The Chairman of the Governing Body is Mr. Jorge Arrate Mac Niven, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Chile; Mr. Jean-Jacques Oechslin (France) is the employer Vice-Chairman and Mr. William Brett (United Kingdom) is the worker Vice-Chairman.

Endnote:

Bangladesh, Brazil*, Canada, Chile, China*, Colombia, Congo, Egypt, France*, Germany*, Guinea, Hungary, India*, Italy*, Japan*, Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Russian Federation*, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom*, United States*.
(* = Members holding non-elective seats as States of chief industrial importance).