In keeping with the provisions of its constitution, the ILO Governing Body (GB) held its March Session from 15 to 27 March 2021. The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Organization that meets three times a year to take decisions on a number of ILO policy and governance issues. Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, the 341st Session was virtual as was the case for the 340th Session held in November 2020.
Despite challenges associated with convening virtual meetings, the Session proceeded smoothly with the active participation of the GB members in all the sessions. Also of note was the large numbers of observers who logged in to follow the deliberations of the GB online. Overall, the 341st GB Session was very successful with some of its most notable outcomes being:
Agreement of the agenda and arrangements for the 109th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC).
Endorsement of the Director-General's proposals for the Programme and Budget 2022-23 to be presented to the International Labour Conference for adoption at its forthcoming meeting in June 2021.
Adoption of a decision for further ILO actions to ensure compliance by the Government of Venezuela on the recommendations of Commission of Inquiry. Prompting this decision by the GB was the Government of Venezuela’s earlier position of non-compliance with the recommendations of the Commission.
Other agenda items considered during the 341st Session included:
Review of progress made by the Government of Bangladesh in the development of the time-bound road map of actions relating to the complaint on non-observance of Convention 81 on Labour Inspection and Conventions 87 and 98 on Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining.
COVID-19 and the World of Work: The GB provided guidance on the “building blocks” for a potential outcome document on a global response for a human-centred recovery.
The determination and agreement on a calendar for the election of the next ILO Director-General given that the second and final term of the current Director-General Mr. Guy Ryder ends in 2022.
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder applauded the commitment exhibited by the GB members in contributing to the success of the 341st Session. He expressed his gratitude to the members for a productive and successful meeting and looked forward to their continued support in the first virtual International Labour Conference scheduled for May 2021.
