YANGON (ILO News) – At its March 2018 session, the ILO Governing Body welcomed agreement on the first ever Decent Work Country Program (DWCP) for Myanmar which will run for four years from 2018-2021. The DWCP is a tool to advance decent work and sustainable development in the country and it is expected to be signed and launched by the Myanmar Government and social partners shortly.

It will focus in three priority areas:

• job creation, including safe migration and skills development;
• fundamental rights and principles at work, including continued action on forced labour and child labour;
• and social protection, including occupational safety and health.

The ILO Governing Body, of which Myanmar is currently a member, also welcomed the renewal of the Supplementary Understanding and a new Action Plan on forced labour until 31 December 2018. The Governing Body considered and reviewed the ILO Myanmar Liaison Office’s latest report on action to eliminate forced labour and to promote freedom of association through labour law reforms.

In its decision, the Governing Body agreed to end the additional reporting requirements it had set for Myanmar, but the ILO will continue to report at the March 2019 session of its Governing Body in accordance with the earlier resolution of the International Labour Conference in 2013.