The ILO: What it is. What it does.

International Labour Organization

Contents1 History and structure of the ILO 1.1 An ILO history: Labour is not a commodity1.2 The ILO tripartite structure1.3 Millennium priorities: The ILO programme

and budget1.4 Decent work – the heart of social progress

2 International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

2.1 The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

2.2 International labour standards2.3 Eliminating child labour

3 Decent employment and income opportunities

3.1 Employment strategies3.2 Skills development3.3 Job creation and enterprise development3.4 Recovery and reconstruction3.5 Gender promotion and gender equality3.6 Multinational enterprises

4 Social protection for all4.1 Enhancing the coverage and effectiveness

of social security systems4.2 Labour protection: Conditions of work and

the working environment

5 Strengthening tripartism and social dialogue5.1 Strengthening social dialogue5.2 Employers’ activities in the ILO5.3 Workers’ activities in the ILO5.4 Sectoral activities: Bringing the ILO to the

workplace, and the workplace to the ILO

6 Regional activities of the ILO 6.1 Jobs in Africa6.2 The ILO response to the financial crisis in

Asia: Strengthening the constituents’ capacity to provide decent work

6.3 The Americas: A fight for quality employment, better income distribution and social protection

6.4 The Arab States: Improving employment policies, social dialogue and social protection

6.5 Europe and Central Asia: For a better balance between economic and social development in transition countries

7 A centre of excellence for training, research and publications

7.1 ILO publications7.2 Labour statistics7.3 Library services7.4 International Institute for Labour Studies7.5 International Training Centre in Turin

8 ILO Regional Offices

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The ILO has been one of the most successful multilateral agencies in fulfilling its mandate. If there is one lesson from eight decades of ILO history, it is thatrenewal, change and adaptation have been vital to its success. Born at a fleetingmoment of hope, it has lived through the Depression and survived war.

Conceived by and for the industrial countries in 1919, the ILO moved swiftly and creatively to accommodate a massive increase in membership in the twodecades following the Second World War. In the period of the Cold War, itmaintained its universality while insisting uncompromisingly on its basic values.The end of the Cold War and the acceleration of globalization have compelledthe Organization to rethink once again its mission, programmes and methodsof work.

History and structure of the ILO

3ILO Headquarters, Geneva

4

An ILO History: Labour is not a commodity

1.1

The roots of the ILOA universal organization, the ILO has its roots in thesocial matrix of nineteenth-century Europe and NorthAmerica. It is in these regions where the IndustrialRevolution began, generating extraordinaryeconomic development, though often at the priceof intolerable human suffering and social unrest.The idea of international labour legislation aroseearly in the nineteenth century as a result of ethicaland economic concerns over the human cost of the Industrial Revolution. Outstanding industrialistssuch as Robert Owen and Daniel le Grand supportedsuch progressive social and labour legislation. Andby the latter part of the nineteenth century, organizedlabour had become a new force in the industrializedcountries demanding democratic rights and decentliving conditions for working people.

Humanitarian, political and economic motives forinternational labour standards lead to the foundationof the ILO:

The initial motivation was humanitarian. Thecondition of workers, more and more numerousand exploited with no consideration for their health,their family lives and their advancement, was lessand less acceptable. This preoccupation appearsclearly in the Preamble of the Constitution of theILO, where it is stated, “conditions of labour existinvolving...injustice, hardship and privation to largenumbers of people.”

The second motivation was political. Without an improvement in their condition, the workers,whose numbers were ever increasing as a result of industrialization, would create social unrest,even revolution. The Preamble notes that injusticeproduces “unrest so great that the peace andharmony of the world are imperilled.”

The third motivation was economic. Because of itsinevitable effect on the cost of production, anyindustry or country adopting social reform wouldfind itself at a disadvantage vis-à-vis its competitors.The Preamble states that “the failure of any nationto adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstaclein the way of other nations which desire to improvethe conditions in their own countries.”

These arguments were written into the preamble to the 1919 Constitution, which opens with theaffirmation that “universal and lasting peace canbe established only if it is based on social justice.”These ideals were further clarified in the Declarationof Philadelphia, in 1944. They remain truer thanever in today’s age of globalization, and still providethe ideological basis for the ILO.

Nearly a century of intellectual debate andinitiatives from outstanding personalities, voluntaryassociations, governments and social and politicalmovements are the prehistory of the ILO. In the lastdecades of the 19th century the call for internationalregulation of the world of work became strongerthroughout the industrialized world. A verysignificant result of this intellectual fermentationwas the creation, in 1901, in Basel of theInternational Association for the Legal Protection ofWorkers. At a national level, the social laws of theGerman government were another forerunner ofprotective labour legislation in the last two decadesof the nineteenth century.

In 1905-06 Switzerland organized technical anddiplomatic conferences in Bern, resulting in theadoption of the first two international labourConventions, one regulating night work by womenand the other eliminating the use of whitephosphorus in the match industry.

During the First World War, several internationalmeetings of trade unions took place supporting theinitiative of outstanding trade union and labourleaders to include in the future peace treaty a socialchapter providing for international minimum labourstandards and an International Labour Office. Thesacrifices made for the war effort by the workingmasses also called for compensation.

The ILO Constitution was written between Januaryand April 1919 by the Commission on InternationalLabour constituted by the Treaty of Versailles. TheCommission was composed of representativesfrom nine countries, Belgium, Cuba, Czechoslovakia,France, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdomand the United States, under the chairmanship ofSamuel Gompers, head of the American Federationof Labour (AFL). It resulted in a tripartite organization,the only one of its kind bringing togetherrepresentatives of governments, employers andworkers in its executive bodies. The ILO Constitutionbecame Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles. Theauthors of the British text – which the Commissionused at its draft – were Harold Butler and EdwardPhelan future Directors of the ILO.

From its earliest days the Organization developed a personality quite distinct from the rest of theLeague of Nations, the forerunner of the UnitedNations between the two world wars. While theLeague got up and running with considerabledifficulty, the ILO was soon in full swing, with anexceptional first Director, Albert Thomas, aSecretariat engaged in interactive dialogue withlabour ministers, and an International LabourConference overflowing with energy. In 1919-20alone, nine Conventions and tenRecommendations were adopted.

The first International LabourConference was held inWashington in October-November1919. Six conventions and sixRecommendations were adopted(including Convention No.1 onthe duration of the work day).

5

The Declaration of Philadelphia

In 1944, the International Labour Conference,meeting in Philadelphia, USA, adopted theDeclaration of Philadelphia, which redefinedthe aims and purpose of the Organization.

The Declaration embodies the followingprinciples:

• Labour is not a commodity.• Freedom of expression and of association

are essential to sustained progress.• Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to

prosperity everywhere.• All human beings, irrespective of race, creed

or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity.

The ILO up to World War IIDuring its first forty years, the ILO devoted the bulkof its energies to developing international labourstandards and ensuring their application. Duringthe twenty-year period from 1919 to 1939, 67Conventions and 66 Recommendations wereadopted.

Originally, standards focused on working conditions:the first Convention in 1919 dealt with hours ofwork, the famous eight-hour day and the forty-eighthour week.

In 1926, the International Labour Conference set up a supervisory system on the application of standards, an important innovation which stillexists today. It created a Committee of Expertscomposed of independent jurists to examinereports produced by governments on theapplication of Conventions they had ratified. The Committee presented its own report to theConference each year. Its mandate has since been broadened to cover reports on unratifiedConventions and Recommendations.

In 1932, having assured the ILO’s strong presencein the world for thirteen years, Albert Thomas died.His successor, Harold Butler, was soon faced withthe problems of mass unemployment caused bythe Great Depression. During this period, workers’and employers’ representatives confronted eachother on the subject of the reduction of workinghours, without any appreciable results. In 1934,under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, theUnited States, which did not belong to the Leagueof Nations, became a member of the ILO.

In August 1940, the situation of Switzerland, in theheart of a Europe at war, led the new Director, JohnWinant, to move the Organization temporarily toMontreal, Canada.

In 1944, delegates to the International LabourConference adopted the Declaration ofPhiladelphia which, annexed to the Constitution,still constitutes the Charter of the aims andobjectives of the ILO. The Declaration anticipatedand set a pattern for the United Nations Charterand the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

From technical cooperation to active partnershipAfter the Second World War a new era dawned forthe ILO. The election of the American David Morseas the Director-General of the ILO in 1948 coincidedwith the renewed development of the ILO’s work onlabour standards and the launch of its technicalcooperation programme.

Conventions after the Second World War focused onhuman rights (freedom of association, eliminationof forced labour and discrimination), as well as onmore technical labour issues. In 1948 the majorConvention (No.87) on freedom of association wasadopted, giving full recognition to the right ofworkers and employers to organize freely andindependently. A special tripartite Committee onFreedom of association has dealt with more than2000 cases during the last five decades to promotethe full application of this most fundamentaldemocratic right in the world of work.

Edward J. Phelan, Director of theILO, signing the Declaration ofPhiladelphia on 17 May 1944 at a special meeting with PresidentRoosevelt in the White House. He isaccompanied by Secretary of StateCordell Hull, Walter Nash, Presidentof the Philadelphia Conference,Secretary of Labor Frances Perkinsand Lindsay Rogers, AssistantDirector of the ILO.

6

Juan Somavia, Director-General

The International Labour Office is headed by a Director-General appointed by the GoverningBody. Since 1919, the ILO has been led by:

Albert Thomas of France (1919-1932)

Harold Butler of the United Kingdom (1932-1938)

John Winant of the United States (1939-1941)

Edward Phelan of Ireland (1941-1948)

David Morse of the United States (1948-1970)

Wilfred Jenks of the United Kingdom (1970-1973)

Francis Blanchard of France(1973-1989)

Michel Hansenne of Belgium(1989-1999)

and by

Juan Somavia of ChileMarch 1999 -Present

During the twenty-two year period of David Morse’sleadership, the number of member States doubled,the Organization took on its universal character,industrialized countries became a minority ofmembers compared to developing countries, thebudget grew five-fold, and the number of officialsquadrupled.

In 1969, while it commemorated its 50thanniversary, the ILO was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Presenting the prestigious award, the President of the Nobel Prize Committee statedthat “the ILO has had a lasting influence on thelegislation of all countries”, and was “one of therare institutional creations of which the human racecan be proud”. In 1970, Wilfred Jenks was electedDirector-General. He was one of the authors of theDeclaration of Philadelphia and a main architect of the special procedure for examining complaintsof violations of freedom of association.

From 1974 to 1989, Director-General FrancisBlanchard succeeded in averting major damage tothe ILO following a crisis triggered by the temporarywithdrawal of the United States from theOrganization (from 1977 to 1980). The ILO playeda major role in the emancipation of Poland fromcommunist dictatorship by giving its full support tothe legitimacy of the Solidarnosc union based onrespect for Convention No. 87 on freedom ofassociation, which Poland had ratified in 1957.

Francis Blanchard was succeeded by MichelHansenne of Belgium, the first Director-General of the post-Cold War period. He set the ILO on acourse of greater decentralization of activities andresources away from Geneva under the ActivePartnership Policy. The ILO Declaration onFundamental Principles and Rights at Work,adopted by the International Labour Conference inJune 1998, marked a universal reaffirmation of theobligation, arising from the very fact of membershipin the Organization, to respect, promote and realizeprinciples concerning fundamental rights whichare the subject of certain ILO Conventions, even ifthose Conventions have not been ratified. Theserights include freedom of association, effectiverecognition of the right to collective bargaining,elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour,effective abolition of child labour, and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment andoccupation. In turn, the Declaration contains arecognition of the responsibility of the ILO to assistits members in achieving these objectives.

In March 1999, the ILO’s new Director-General,Juan Somavia, of Chile, subscribed to theinternational consensus on the promotion of opensocieties and open economies, as long as it “putsreal benefits for ordinary people and their familiesinto the equation”. Mr. Somavia has worked to“modernize and help steer the tripartite structure to make ILO values prevail in the new globalrealities”. He is the first representative of thesouthern hemisphere to head the Organization.

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The ILO tripartite structure

The ILO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland

1.2

Employers, workers and governments at workThe ILO has always been a unique forum in whichthe governments and social partners of its 177member States can freely and openly discussexperiences and compare national policies. Itstripartite structure makes the ILO unique amongworld organizations in that employers’ and workers’organizations have an equal voice with governmentsin shaping its policies and programmes.

The ILO encourages tripartism within memberStates as well, by promoting a social dialoguewhich involves trade unions and employers in theformulation and, where appropriate, implementationof national policy on social and economic affairs,and a host of other issues. Each member countryhas the right to send four delegates to theInternational Labour Conference, two from thegovernment, and one each representing workersand employers, each of whom may speak and voteindependently.

The International Labour Conference meets inJune every year, in Geneva. Delegates areaccompanied by technical advisors. Besides thegovernment delegates, the Cabinet Ministersresponsible for labour affairs in their countries alsogenerally attend the Conference and take the floor.Employer and worker delegates can express them-selves and vote independently of their governments.They may well vote against their governmentrepresentatives, as well as against each other.

The Conference provides an international forum for discussion of world labour, social problems andinternational labour standards, and sets the broadpolicies of the Organization. Every two years, theConference adopts the ILO biennial work programmeand budget, which is financed by member States.

Between annual sessions of the Conference, thework of the ILO is guided by the Governing Body,comprising 28 government members, and 14worker and 14 employer members. This executivecouncil of the ILO meets three times a year inGeneva. It takes decisions on action to give effect to ILO policy, prepares the draft programme andbudget, which it then submits to the Conference for adoption, and elects the Director-General.

Ten of the government seats are permanently heldby states of chief industrial importance (Brazil,China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, RussianFederation, United Kingdom, United States).Representatives of other member countries areelected by the government delegates at theConference every three years, taking into accountgeographical distribution. The employers andworkers elect their own representatives in separateelectoral colleges.

The International Labour Office in Geneva is thepermanent secretariat of the International LabourOrganization, its operational headquarters,research centre and publishing house.Administration and management are decentralizedin regional, area and branch offices. Under theleadership of a Director-General, who is elected fora five-year renewable term, the Office employssome 2,500 officials and experts at its Genevaheadquarters, and in more than 40 field officesaround the world.

Regional meetings of the ILO member States areheld periodically to examine matters of specialinterest to the regions concerned. The work of theGoverning Body and of the International LabourOffice is aided by tripartite committees coveringmajor industries, and by committees of experts onsuch matters as vocational training, managementdevelopment, occupational safety and health,industrial relations, workers’ education, andspecial problems of certain categories of workers(young workers, women, the disabled, etc.).

From the outset, the ILO paid particular attention to the maritime sector, whose work is by its natureinternational in scope. Through a Joint MaritimeCommission and special Maritime Sessions of theInternational Labour Conference, it has adopted alarge number of Conventions and Recommendationsdealing with issues affecting seafarers.

For further information on the International Labour Conference and the Governing Bodyplease contact:Official Relations BranchTelephone: +4122/799-7552Fax: +4122/799-8944E-mail: reloff@ilo.org

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The ILO in social history1818The English industrialist Robert Owenrequests protective measures forworking people and the formation of a social commission, during theCongress of the Holy Alliance inAachen, Germany.

1831-34Two successive "canut" revolts at theLyon silk mills are bloodily suppressed.

1838-59The French industrialist Daniel LeGrand takes up Owen’s ideas.

1864Founding of the first Workers’International in London.

1866The first International Workers’Congress demands internationallabour legislation.

1867Publication of the first volume of KarlMarx’s Das Kapital.

1883-91Adoption in Germany of the firstsocial legislation in Europe.

1886350,000 workers go on strike inChicago demanding an eight-hourwork day – the movement is brutallyrepressed ("Haymarket Riot").

1889Founding of the Second Internationalin Paris.

1890Representatives of 14 countries meetin Berlin and formulate suggestionswhich will influence nationallegislation in matters of work.

1900The Paris Conference creates aninternational association for theprotection of workers.

1906The Bern Conference adopts twointernational Conventions reducingthe usage of toxic white phosphorusin the fabrication of matches andforbidding night work by women.

1914War breaks out in Europe, preventingthe adoption of further Conventions.

1919Birth of the ILO. The first InternationalLabour Conference adopts sixConventions, the first of which limitsworking hours to eight per day and 48per week. Albert Thomas becomes the firstDirector of the ILO.

1925Adoption of Conventions andRecommendations on social security.

1927First session of the Committee ofExperts on the Application ofConventions.

1930A new Convention aims at theprogressive abolition of forced andcompulsory labour.

1944The Declaration of Philadelphiareaffirms the fundamental objectivesof the Organization.

1946The ILO becomes the first specializedagency to be associated with theUnited Nations.

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1948Election of David Morse as Director-General of the ILO, adoption ofConvention No. 87 on freedom ofassociation, emergency manpowerprogramme for Europe, Asia andLatin America.

1950The United Nations EnlargedProgramme of Technical Assistancegives new impetus to cooperationwith developing countries.

1951Convention No. 100 provides forequality of pay for men and womenfor work of equal value. The GoverningBody, acting jointly with ECOSOC,creates a Commission and aCommittee to examine complaints ofviolations of freedom of association.

1952Convention No. 102. TheInternational Labour Conferenceadopts Social Security (minimumstandards) Convention.

1957Convention No. 105 prescribes the abolition of forced labour in all its forms.

1958Convention No. 111 provides for theelimination of discrimination inemployment and occupation.

1960The ILO creates the InternationalInstitute for Labour Studies.

1966Inauguration of the InternationalTraining Centre of the ILO in Turin.

1969The ILO receives the Nobel PeacePrize.

1974-89Large-scale development of technicalcooperation activities under ILODirector-General Francis Blanchard.

1989Representatives of the Solidarnoscunion utilize the recommendations ofan ILO Commission in theirnegotiations with the Polishgovernment. Michel Hansennebecomes Director-General of the ILO.

1991The ILO adopts a new strategy in thestruggle against child labour (ILO-IPEC programme).

1992The International Labour Conferenceapproves the new policy of activepartnership – the first multidisciplinaryteam is established in Budapest.

1998The Conference adopts the ILODeclaration on FundamentalPrinciples and Rights at Work:freedom of association, abolition ofchild labour, elimination of forcedlabour and discrimination.

1999Juan Somavia of Chile becomes thefirst ILO Director-General from thesouthern hemisphere. TheConference adopts a new Conventionconcerning the prohibition andimmediate elimination of the worstforms of child labour.

2002Convention No. 182, which calls forimmediate action to ban the worstforms of child labour, is ratified byover 100 states, the fastestratification in the history of the ILO. Launch of the World Commission onthe Social Dimension of Globalization.

The ILO receives the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969

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ILO member StatesAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBoliviaBosnia and

HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African

RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic

Republic

Costa RicaCôte d’IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic RepublicIraqIreland

IsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic

RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMacedonia, former

Yugoslav RepublicMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaliMaltaMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMoldova, RepublicMongoliaMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaragua

NigerNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint Kitts NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and

the GrenadinesSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbia and

MontengroSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSweden

SwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTajikistanTanzania, United

Republic ofThailandTimor-Leste,

Democratic Republic of

TogoTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamYemenZambiaZimbabwe

The ILO has now shifted to a strategic focus in planning its biennial budget. Four strategicobjectives guide the ILO programme and budget:

• To promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work

• To create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income

• To enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all

• To strengthen tripartism and social dialogue

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Millennium priorities: The ILO programme and budgetInFocus Programmes

Under each strategic objective, a number of international focus programmes (“InFocus”) of high priority, relevance andvisibility, concentrate and integrate activities for maximum impact and coverage.

The InFocus programmes related to the fourstrategic objectives are:

• Promoting the Declaration • Eliminating child labour• Crisis response and reconstruction• Skills, knowledge and employability• Boosting of employment through small

enterprise development• Safety and health at work and the

environment• Socio-economic security• Social dialogue, labour law and labour

administration

1.3

"The primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and mento obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security andhuman dignity." – ILO Director-General Juan Somavia

Decent work – the heart of social progress

Decent work sums up the aspirations ofpeople in their working lives. It involvesopportunities for work that is productiveand delivers a fair income, security in theworkplace and social protection forfamilies, better prospects for personaldevelopment and social integration,freedom for people to express theirconcerns, organize and participate in thedecisions that affect their lives and equalityof opportunity and treatment for all womenand men.

Decent work should be at the heart ofglobal, national and local strategies foreconomic and social progress. It is centralto efforts to reduce poverty, and a meansfor achieving equitable, inclusive andsustainable development. The ILO works topromote decent work through its work onemployment, social protection, standardsand fundamental principles and rights atwork and social dialogue.

In each of these areas, people throughoutthe world face deficits, gaps andexclusions in the form of unemploymentand underemployment, poor quality andunproductive jobs, unsafe work andinsecure income, rights which are denied,gender inequality, migrant workers who areexploited, lack of representation and voice,and inadequate protection and solidarity inthe face of disease, disability and old age.ILO programmes aim to find solutions tothese problems.

Progress towards decent work calls foraction at the global level, mobilizing theprincipal actors of the multilateral systemand the global economy around thisagenda. At the national level, integrateddecent work country programmes,developed by ILO constituents, define thepriorities and the targets within nationaldevelopment frameworks. The ILO,working in partnership with others withinand beyond the UN family, provides in-

depth expertise and key policy instrumentsfor the design and implementation of theseprogrammes, for the building of institutionsto carry them forward, and for themeasurement of progress.

Promoting decent work is a sharedresponsibility of the ILO's constituents andthe Office. In the tripartite ILO, the decentwork agenda incorporates the needs andperspectives of the governments,employer's and workers' organization thatconstitute the ILO, mobilizing their energyand resourcefulness, and providing aplatform for constructing consensus onsocial and economic policies.

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1.4

13

International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

14

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

2.1

In June 1998, the International Labour Conferenceadopted the ILO Declaration on FundamentalPrinciples and Rights at Work, reaffirming thecommitment of the Organization’s 176 memberStates to respect the principles concerning fourcategories of fundamental rights at work, and topromote and realize their universal application.

The impetus for the Declaration drew upon concernsin the international community about the processesof globalization and the social consequences oftrade liberalization. Support for the role ofinternationally recognized labour standards insocial development was expressed at the UN WorldSummit for Social Development (Copenhagen,1995). The Ministerial Conference of the WorldTrade Organization (WTO) in Singapore (1996)marked a renewed commitment to internationallyrecognized core labour standards, and identifiedthe ILO as the competent body to deal with and setsuch standards, while rejecting the use of labourstandards for protectionist purposes.

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principlesand Rights at Work, and its follow-upThe ILO Declaration marked a reaffirmation of the Organization’s member States willingness to“respect, to promote and to realize in good faith”,the principles concerning the rights to freedom ofassociation and the effective recognition of the rightto collective bargaining, the elimination of all formsof forced or compulsory labour, the effective abolitionof child labour, and the elimination of discriminationin respect of employment and occupation.

This Declaration on fundamental rights at workunderscores that all member countries have anobligation to respect the fundamental principlesinvolved, whether or not they have ratified therelevant ILO Conventions.

The Declaration also recognizes the obligation ofthe Organization “to assist its Members in responseto their established and expressed needs in orderto attain these objectives”, by making full use of itsresources, including mobilizing external resourcesand encouraging the support of other internationalorganizations.

The Declaration “stresses that labour standardsshould not be used for protectionist trade purposes,and that nothing in this Declaration and its follow-upshall be invoked or otherwise used for such purposes;in addition, the comparative advantage of anycountry should in no way be called into question by this Declaration and its follow-up”.

The International Labour Conference established afollow-up to the Declaration, contained in an Annexto the Declaration itself. The first part of the follow-up is an annual review of countries which have notratified one or more of the Conventions relating to the four categories of fundamental rights, to be carried out once a year under arrangementsestablished by the Governing Body.

The second part provides for a global report to beproduced annually on one of the four categories offundamental rights. Each area is examined in turnand covers the situation in both those countrieswhich have ratified the relevant Conventions andthose which have not. The first global report for theyear 2000 focused on freedom of association andthe effective recognition of the right to collectivebargaining. Subsequent reports cover, or plan tocover, the elimination of forced labour, the effectiveabolition of child labour, and the elimination ofdiscrimination in employment.

The follow-up to the Declaration is promotional innature and will provide a new avenue for the flow ofinformation on economic and social developmentneeds relating to these rights and principles,thereby assisting in the design, implementationand evaluation of targeted technical cooperationprogrammes.

Technical cooperation in the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles andRights at WorkTechnical cooperation is one of the primary tools for translating the fundamental principles andrights at work into practice, thus ensuring thatsocial progress accompanies economic growth. Set up in 1999, the ILO InFocus Programme onPromoting the Declaration spearheads new typesof technical cooperation projects and is involved in identifying, designing and raising funds for theprojects. This technical cooperation is fundedlargely through bilateral funds, and is run with the assistance of the relevant technical servicesprovided by the Office, both at its headquarters andin the field. Assistance ranges from advising onlegislative reform and training government officials,to strengthening the capacity of the tripartitepartners (i.e., governments, and employers’ andworkers’ organizations). Almost all projects includeconsideration of gender and development issues,and involve tripartite cooperation.

InFocus Programme

Promoting the DeclarationThis programme has a threefold purpose:

• To raise awareness of the Declaration within countries and regions, as well as at the international level

• To deepen understanding of how these fundamental principles and rights reinforce development, democracy and equity, and help empower all women and men

• To promote policies which implement these principles and rights in practice in the development conditions of each country

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International labour standards

2.2

If the representation is judged receivable by the ILOGoverning Body, it appoints a tripartite committeeto study the question. This committee subsequentlysubmits a report containing its conclusions andrecommendations to the Governing Body.

Moreover, any member country can lodge acomplaint with the International Labour Officeagainst another member State which, in its opinion,has not ensured in a satisfactory manner theimplementation of a Convention which both of them have ratified. The Governing Body has theoption to establish a Commission of Inquiry to studythe question and present a report on the subject.This process may also be set in motion by theGoverning Body itself or following a complaint by a delegate to the International Labour Conference.If necessary, the Commission of Inquiry formulatesrecommendations on measures to be taken. If governments do not accept theserecommendations, they may submit the questionto the International Court of Justice.

Freedom of association: Special supervisory mechanismsA special procedure in the field of freedom ofassociation was set up by the ILO in 1950. It isbased on complaints submitted by governments or by employers’ or workers’ organizations against a member State even if it has not ratified the relevant Conventions. This is possible because, by becoming a Member of the ILO, a State has tocomply with the principle of freedom of associationlaid down in the Constitution of the Organizationitself. The machinery set up in this field comprisestwo different bodies.

What are they?The core labour standards reflected in the ILODeclaration on Fundamental Principles and Rightsat Work represent only a part of the Organization’sstandard-setting activity. Since 1919, the ILO andits tripartite structure, encompassing governmentsof member States and employers’ and workers’organizations, have built up a system ofinternational standards in all work-related matters.

These ILO standards take the form of internationallabour Conventions and Recommendations. ILOConventions are international treaties, subject toratification by ILO member States.Recommendations are non-binding instruments –often dealing with the same subjects asConventions – which set out guidelines orientingnational policy and action. Both forms are intendedto have a concrete impact on working conditionsand practices around of the world.

By the end of June 2003, the ILO had adopted over180 Conventions and over 190 Recommendationscovering a broad range of subjects: freedom ofassociation and collective bargaining, equality oftreatment and opportunity, abolition of forced andchild labour, employment promotion andvocational training, social security, conditions ofwork, labour administration and labour inspection,prevention of work-related accidents, maternityprotection, and the protection of migrants andother categories of workers such as seafarers,nursing personnel or plantation workers. More than7,000 ratifications have been registered so far.

International labour standards play an importantrole in the elaboration of national laws, policies and judicial decisions, and in the provisions ofcollective bargaining agreements. Whether or not a country has ratified a particular Convention, thestandards provide guidance for the operation of national labour institutions and mechanisms,and good labour and employment practices. Thus,international labour standards have an impact onboth national law and national practice, which goeswell beyond simply adapting legislation to therequirements of a ratified Convention.

ILO supervisory mechanismsThe application of international labour standards is subject to constant supervision by the ILO. Eachmember State is required to present periodically areport on the measures taken, in law and practice,to apply each Convention it has ratified. At thesame time, it must send copies to employers’ andworkers’ organizations which also have a right tosubmit information. The Governments’ reports arefirst examined by the Committee of Experts on theApplication of Conventions and Recommendations,a body of twenty eminent figures in the legal andsocial fields who are independent of governmentsand appointed in their personal capacity. TheCommittee submits an annual report to theInternational Labour Conference, where it is closelyexamined by the Conference Committee on theApplication of Conventions and Recommendations,a tripartite committee of government, employer andworker members.

In parallel with these regular supervisory mechanisms,employers’ and workers’ organizations can initiatecontentious proceedings, called “representations”,against a member State for its alleged non-compliance with a Convention it has ratified.

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ILO fundamental Conventions

No. 29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930Requires the suppression of forced or compulsory labour in all its forms. Certain exceptions arepermitted, such as military service, convict labour properly supervised, emergencies such as wars,fires, earthquakes.

No. 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948Establishes the right of all workers and employers to form and join organizations of their own choosingwithout prior authorization, and lays down a series of guarantees for the free functioning oforganizations without interference by the public authorities.

No. 98 Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949Provides for protection against anti-union discrimination, for protection of workers’ and employers’organizations against acts of interference by each other, and for measures to promote collectivebargaining.

No. 100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 Calls for equal pay and benefits for men and women for work of equal value.

No. 105 Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957Prohibits the use of any form of forced or compulsory labour as a means of political coercion oreducation, punishment for the expression of political or ideological views, workforce mobilization,labour discipline, punishment for participation in strikes, or discrimination.

No. 111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 Calls for a national policy to eliminate discrimination in access to employment, training and workingconditions, on grounds of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or socialorigin, and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment.

No. 138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973Aims at the abolition of child labour, stipulating that the minimum age for admission to employmentshall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling.

No. 182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999Calls for immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worstforms of child labour, which include slavery and similar practices, forced recruitment for use in armedconflict, use in prostitution and pornography, and any illicit activity, as well as work which is likely toharm the health, safety and morals of children.

Indigenous rights

The ILO Indigenous and Tribal PeoplesConvention, 1989 (No. 169), and the earlierConvention No. 107 of 1957, are the only twointernational Conventions covering thistraditionally disadvantaged and vulnerablecategory of people. The objective of ILO actionin this area is the adoption by member States of policies and programmes to reduce povertyamong indigenous peoples, increase theiraccess to development, improve their terms ofemployment, and strengthen their bargainingand organizational capabilities.

For further information please contact: Equality and Employment BranchTelephone: +4122/799-7115Fax: +4122/799-6344E-mail: egalite@ilo.org

One is the Fact-finding and ConciliationCommission, which requires the consent of thegovernment concerned. The Commission’sprocedure is comparable to that of a Commissionof Inquiry and its reports are published. Six suchcommissions have been established.

The second of these bodies is the Committee onFreedom of Association. This tripartite Committeeis appointed by the Governing Body from amongits own members. Since it was first established,the Committee on Freedom of Association hasdealt with more than 2,150 cases covering a widerange of aspects of freedom of association: arrestand disappearance of trade unionists, interventionin trade union activities, legislation not inconformity with freedom of association principles,and so on. The Committee meets yearly in March,May and November.

For further information on international labourstandards and the ILO Declaration please contact:International Labour Standards DepartmentTelephone: +4122/799-7155 Fax: +4122/799-6771E-mail: normes@ilo.orgOn the Declaration Fax: +4122/799-6561E-mail: declaration@ilo.org

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Eliminating child labour

2.3

Today, throughout the world, nearly 250 millionchildren work, many full-time. They do not go toschool and have little or no time to play. Many donot receive proper nutrition or care. They aredenied the chance to be children. For most ofthem, tomorrow will be much the same, as well asthe day after tomorrow, and the day after that.

Tens of millions of these children are victims of theworst forms of child labour.

• Work in hazardous environments, where they are exposed to toxic chemicals, dangerous machinery, or extreme heat.

• Use in illicit activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution, or the production of pornography.

• Trafficking or being forced into slavery or slave-like conditions.

• Being forced to take part in armed conflicts.

Child labour is the most widespread abuse ofchildren in the world. In this first decade of a newcentury, combating child labour must be amonghumanity’s highest priorities.

There is a solid foundation for action to build upon,from experiences accumulated by a growing numberof countries in the 1990s. During that decade, theworld awoke to child labour, primarily because ofrising public support for children’s rights, and anexpanding concern about fair labour standards and decent work for adults in the global economy.

The ILO-IPEC ProgrammeThe ILO InFocus Programme on Child Labour(IPEC) has grown together with the politicalmovement against child labour. From one donorgovernment and six programme countries in 1992,IPEC today works on the ground in 80 countries,drawing support from some 30 donors and workingon interventions of increasing size.

IPEC’s aim is the elimination of child labour world-wide, emphasizing the eradication of the worstforms as rapidly as possible. It works to achieve thisin several ways: through country-based programmeswhich promote policy reform and put in placeconcrete measures to end child labour, and throughinternational and national campaigning intended tochange social attitudes and promote ratification andeffective implementation of ILO child labourConventions. Complementing these efforts are in-depth research, legal expertise, data analysis, policyanalysis and programme evaluation carried out inthe field, and at the regional and international levels.

Just a decade ago, research on the causes andeffects of child labour was thin. Field project workon child labour was hard to find, and the reform of national policies and laws on child labour wasproceeding slowly. Many countries with serious childlabour problems were denying its very existence.

Broad international support for ILO child labour ConventionsSince then, there has been a sea change inattitudes toward child labour, especially its worstforms. This has been most evident in theoutpouring of international political support for the eradication of abusive child labour, bestdemonstrated by the rate of ratification of ILOConvention No.182, which calls for immediateaction to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

More than 130 countries, a clear majority of ILOmember States, have ratified the ILO Convention,by far the fastest pace of ratification in the history ofthe ILO. The growing support for the Minimum AgeConvention,1973 (No.138), now ratified by morethan 120 countries, provides further confirmationof increased worldwide awareness of the childlabour issue. Together, the ratifications of theseConventions are clear and quantifiable indicators of the rapidly expanding global will to place childlabour high on the international action agenda.

The ILO has a strong technical cooperationprogramme to back up the member States’political will.

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IPEC participating countries(countries which have signed a Memorandumof Understanding):

Since 1992: Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya,Thailand, Turkey

Since 1994: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan,Philippines, Tanzania

Since 1996: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala,Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Sri Lanka,Venezuela

Since 1997: Benin, Cambodia, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Honduras, Senegal, South Africa

Since 1998: Madagascar, Mali, Uganda,Paraguay

Since 1999: Albania, Burkina Faso, Mongolia,Haiti

Since 2000: Ghana, Jamaica, Jordan, Laos,Lebanon, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Romania,Togo, Yemen, Zambia

Since 2002: Colombia, Ukraine

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IPEC Donors

Since 1991: Germany

Since 1992: Belgium

Since 1995: Australia, France, Norway, Spain,United States

Since 1996: Canada, Denmark, Italy,Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Since 1997: European Commission, Italian Social Partners Initiative, Switzerland

Since 1998: Austria, Finland, Japan, JapaneseTrade Union Confederation (RENGO), Poland

Since 1999: Sweden, Comunidad Autónomade Madrid

Since 2000: Hungary, Ayuntamiento de Alcaláde Henares

Since 2001: New Zealand

Since 2002: Republic of Korea, Cocoa GlobalIssues Group (CGIG), Eliminating Child Labourin Tobacco Foundation (ECLT), FédérationInternationale de Football Association (FIFA)

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For IPEC, it is not enough merely to remove children from the workplace. The ILO and its partnerorganizations are working to provide a growingnumber of ex-child labourers with the opportunityfor education, rehabilitation and proper health careand nutrition. IPEC is also working to prevent at-riskchildren from becoming victims of child labour, aswell as to provide their families with alternatives forearning an income or finding a job.

IPEC’s approach to the problem is firmly based onpartnerships among all relevant sectors of society.Right now, IPEC is working actively with thousandsof partners throughout the world, from nationalgovernments to local agencies, from multinationalcorporations and employers associations to smallbusinesses, from international trade unionfederations to local unions, and from internationalorganizations, especially UNICEF and the WorldBank, to rural charities. All of them are committedto the struggle against child labour.

The most promising trend for the coming decade is the expressed desire by a number of countries tocompletely eliminate, over a defined period of time,all incidences of the worst forms of child labour.This has prompted the ILO to develop “time-boundprogrammes” to eradicate the worst forms in aperiod of ten years or less.

This is an ambitious effort based on a strongpolitical commitment by the governmentsinvolved.The initiative is closely linked to povertyalleviation and universal basic education. It relieson the establishment of innovative partnershipswith employers, workers and civil society. Itinvolves rapid response measures for prevention,withdrawal and rehabilitation of victims of theworst forms of child labour. And it provides viablealternatives for family income.

These developments give reason for hope. But the challenge of child labour in the world today is enormous and the continuing abuses remainintolerable. Therefore, the ILO child labourprogramme is campaigning for universalratification of Convention Nos. 182 and 138, and, for those countries which have ratified them,strong integration of their principles into nationallaws, policies and priorities.

For further information on child labour please contact:InFocus Programme on Child Labour (IPEC)Telephone: +4122/799-8181Fax: +4122/799-8771E-mail: ipec@ilo.org

IPEC Associated countries(Countries associated with IPEC through theirparticipation in various national, regional orinter-regional activities.)

Africa: Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Côted’Ivoire, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe

Arab States: Syria, West Bank and Gaza

Asia: China, Vietnam

Europe: Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, RussianFederation

Latin America and the Caribbean: Bahamas,Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Guyana, Jsurinam,Mexico, Trinidad and Tabago, Uruguay

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Decent employment and income opportunities

The number of unemployed and underemployed workers around the world has never been higher. The number is increasing, as growth in all of the world’smajor economies has slowed in the new millennium, and a further increase injoblessness cannot be excluded. In 2002, some one billion workers – one thirdof the third world’s labour force – remained unemployed or underemployed. Ofthis total, some 180 million workers were actually seeking or available for work.

The ILO has a distinctive role to play in mitigating the adverse social effects of theglobal economic crisis. Employment creation is already the first political priorityworldwide; it must also become the first economic priority. Without productiveemployment, the goals of decent living standards, social and economicdevelopment and personal fulfilment remain illusory.

Apart from its direct responses and activities, the ILO, as the lead agency in the field ofemployment, is playing its part in various jointactivities with international financial institutionsand other UN agencies.

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Employment strategies

Poverty and Investment Strategies

The employment potential of infrastructuredevelopment is vast, but is often not realized.An equipment-intensive approach, frequentlyused by foreign contractors, may be necessaryfor airports, motorways or heavy bridges, butfor local infrastructure employment-intensivealternatives are available, which have showntheir efficiency, and offer major advantages.

The Employment-Intensive InvestmentProgramme (EIIP) has helped more than 40ILO member States develop sustainableemployment through infrastructure projectsand large-scale programmes. The operationalstrategy aims at improving access of labour-based contractors to public tenders.Simultaneously, it combines job creation withdecent working conditions.

EIIP's approach involves technology thatmakes optimal use of labour, while ensuringcost-effectiveness and safeguarding quality.Through local-level organisational,participatory planning and contractingsystems, it provides people with work as well asa voice. What's more, it can fight poverty in thelonger term through investments that providejobs and basic services such as roads, waterand sanitation systems, drains, housing,schools and health centres.

For more information, please contact:ILO EMP/INVESTTelephone: +4122/799-6546Fax: +4122/799-8422E-mail: eiip@ilo.orgWeb-site: www.ilo.org/eiip

3.1

Employment promotion is a high priority for theILO. It carries out research and contributes to theglobal dialogue on effective employment strategies,while ILO advisory services and technicalcooperation activities are an important means ofsupporting quality employment generation at thenational level.

Citing the urgent need to deal with a growingworldwide jobs crisis, the Global EmploymentForum, held at the ILO in November 2001,launched a ten-point plan aimed at reversingmounting unemployment and poverty due to thedual impacts of global recession and the terroristattacks of September11. The Global Agenda forEmployment, adopted by some 700 world politicaland economic leaders meeting at the Forum, seeksto mitigate a stunning reversal in the global economywhich threatens to plunge some 24 million peopleinto joblessness, and millions more into poverty.

Aimed at creating jobs and alleviating poverty, theGlobal Agenda for Employment seeks to placeemployment at the heart of economic and socialpolicies through promoting the major forces fordynamic growth, such as trade, technology, andentrepreneurship, and managing these forces well through macroeconomics and labour marketpolicies. The agenda will provide a framework forthe ILO to build partnerships within the multilateralsystem, and to work at the regional and nationallevels with governments and social partners to promote productive employment.

The World Employment Report (WER) is the ILO’sflagship publication in the employment field. The2001 WER found that, despite the communicationsrevolution taking place in the world, increasingnumbers of workers are unable to find jobs. Manyhave difficulty gaining access to the emergingtechnological resources needed to ensureproductivity in an increasingly digitalized globaleconomy. The report also found that, given itsdifferent speed of diffusion in wealthy and poorcountries, the information and communicationstechnology (ICT) revolution is resulting in a wideningglobal “digital divide”. The report says that unlessthis is addressed urgently, the employmentaspirations and productivity potential of millions ofworkers in scores of developing countries cannotbe realized.

Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM),another wide-ranging reference tool, explains andanalyses data on the world’s labour markets.Harvesting vast amounts of information frominternational data repositories, and regional andnational statistical sources, KILM examines 18 keylabour market indicators, allowing researchers tocompare and contrast between countries and withinregions across time.

For further information please contact:Employment Strategy DepartmentTelephone: +4122/799-6434 Fax: +4122/799-7678E-mail: empstrat@ilo.org

Skills developmentInFocus Programme

Investing in Knowledge, Skills and EmployabilityIn most countries, both private and publicsector investment in human resourcedevelopment remains inadequate. The InFocusProgramme on Investing in Knowledge, Skillsand Employability deals with the ways in whichincreased investment in human resourcedevelopment can help support employmentgrowth. It pays particular attention to thetraining needs of vulnerable groups of workers,including those in the informal sector.

3.2

InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledge and EmployabilityEducation and training are crucial to ensuresustainable economic and social development.Investment in the skills and employability ofworkers contributes to the improvement ofproductivity and competitiveness, and the socialgoals of equity and inclusion.

The ILO InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledgeand Employability (IFP/SKILLS) seeks to promotegreater investment in skills and training so thatmen and women have enhanced and equal accessto productive and decent work.

Through advocacy, knowledge development andservices to ILO constituents, the Programmepromotes the improvement of training policies andprogrammes worldwide, with a special emphasison training strategies which support the integrationof groups which may be disadvantaged in thelabour market.

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Key areas of work of IFP/SKILLS• Identifying new approaches to human resource

training and development (draft revision of the Human Resources Development Recommendation, 1975 (No. 150)).

• Promoting youth employment and training policies (contributions to the UN/ILO/World Bank Youth Employment Network).

• Promoting enhanced training policies and programmes in the informal sector (preparation for the General Discussion at the 90th Session of the International Labour Conference, on employment and human resource development in the informal sector).

• Developing strategies for the integration of people with disabilities in the labour market (development of a Code of Practice for managing disability in the workplace).

• Providing technical advisory services for the improvement of training policies and programmes.

• Strengthening the role of public and private employment services in job counselling and placement.

• Improving skills development policies for older workers (contributions to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, April 2002).

For further information please contact:InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledge and Employability (IFP/SKILLS)Telephone: +4122/799-7512 Fax: +4122/799-6310E-mail: ifpskills@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/employment/skills

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Job creation and enterprise development

3.3

Sustained enterprise growth is essential toemployment creation. The ILO works towards thecreation of sustainable, decent jobs in all types ofenterprises, with a particular focus on small andgroup-based enterprises, and the upgrading ofmicroenterprises in the informal sector, an areawhich generates most new jobs worldwide.

Management and Corporate CitizenshipThe ILO helps build the support systems andmanagerial competencies which enableenterprises to boost productivity andcompetitiveness, and to promote good corporatecitizenship. This includes assisting the socialpartners and enterprises in pursuing the “highroad” to productivity and competitiveness, anapproach involving action at a tripartite, multi-sectoral and enterprise level. Socially sensitiveenterprise restructuring is also encouraged.

In light of societies’ increasing expectations ofbusiness, activities are undertaken to helpenterprises pursue “Total ResponsibilityManagement” (TRM), a holistic managementframework for meeting many economic,environmental and social concerns.

Enterprises are encouraged to view internationallabour standards as good managerial practice.TheILO also provides managerial training and technicalassistance in order to enhance an enterprise’shuman and social capital.

The ILO is one of the core agencies supporting the Global Compact. The Compact is a platform for advocacy and learning, with participatingbusinesses encouraged to adopt and implementvarious “universal principles” into their strategicvision and daily practices, and to share theirexperiences with others. Four of the nine universalprinciples of the Global Compact are based on theILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles andRights at Work.

CooperativesWithin the UN system, the ILO is responsible forthe largest and most diversified programme for thepromotion of cooperatives. Viable and self-reliantcooperatives formed by producers, consumers,workers and business people worldwide havedemonstrated their enormous potential for creatingand consolidating employment opportunities,empowering people, providing protection andalleviating poverty.

The ILO technical assistance programme forcooperative development focuses on policy andlegal advice, capacity-building through humanresource development, poverty alleviation throughself-help, alternative delivery mechanisms forsocial services, and a special regional programmefor indigenous and tribal peoples.

A new Recommendation on the Promotion of Cooperatives (discussed at the June 2002International Labour Conference) is designedto form the conceptual basis for ILO technicalcooperation activities in this field.

InFocus Programme

Small enterprise developmentILO activities to support small enterprises areimplemented through the InFocus Programmeon Boosting Employment through SmallEnterprise Development. The programme aimsat expanding job opportunities in small andmicroenterprises by supporting programmes to increase access to cost-effective supportservices, and to create a favourable legal andregulatory environment. It also pays specialattention to improving the quality of jobs insmall enterprises and to ensuring that genderconcerns in small enterprise development aremainstreamed. In addition, the Programmepromotes the networking and representation of small enterprises to ensure that they caninfluence the political and economic decisionprocesses which affect them.

The InFocus Programme helps member States implement the provisions of theRecommendation on job creation in smalland medium-sized enterprises, adopted by the International Labour Conference in 1998. It makes available the ILO’s experience in thedesign and implementation of small enterprisedevelopment programmes in such areas asentrepreneurship training through the “Startand Improve Your Business” methodology.

For further information please contact:InFocus Programme on Boosting Employmentthrough Small Enterprise DevelopmentTelephone: +4122/799-6862Fax: +4122/799-7978E-mail: ifp-seed@ilo.org

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Local Economic DevelopmentLocal economic development (LED) is aparticipatory process which encourages socialdialogue and public-private partnerships in adefined geographical area. LED enables localstakeholders to jointly design and implement adevelopment strategy which fully exploits localresources and capacities, and makes best use of the area’s comparative advantages.

The LED Programme in the Cooperative Branchimplements technical assistance projects in severalregions of the world. This includes the establishmentof local economic development agencies, whichprovide local communities with a variety of supportservices, including finance. The LED approach hasbeen particularly successful in post-crisis situations.

Financial instruments and institutions help createjobs and reduce the vulnerability of the workingpoor. They complement policies that target thelabour market. Decent work recognizes the role ofthe financial sector for social justice. It advocatesalliances with financial institutions, particularlythose that combine social and financial goals.

A good illustration of this is microfinance, a strategythat provides savings, insurance and loans to helpthe working poor and their families gain financialsecurity and cope with risk.

The Social Finance Programme provides servicesto ILO constituents in the following four areas:

1. Integrating financial and social policies, through:• Building partnerships with central banks.• Initiating debt swaps for microfinance.• An analysis of the social costs and benefits

of financial sector policies.

2. Creating a conducive environment forinvestment and employment, through:• Improving the performance of guarantee

funds and other risk-sharing mechanisms between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and banks.

• Improving property-rights documentation, registry management and judicial procedures in firm insolvency.

• Building capacity in mutual guarantee associations (MGAs) to reach out to more artisans.

3. Reducing the vulnerability of the poor, through:• Linking migrant worker remittances to micro-

finance and productive investments.• Combating debt bondage with alternative

sources for emergency loans.• Crediting child allocations and other transfer

payment to savings accounts held in a countrywide network of local banks.

4. Strengthening the capacity of the social partners to inform, advise and help theirconstituents, through:• Salary deduction schemes for consumer

and housing loans.• Protection against worker indebtedness,• Worker banks.• stock-ownership.• Wage guarantee funds.• Pension funds ands socially responsible

investment.

For further information please contact:Social Finance ProgrammeTelephone: +4122/799-6070Fax: +4122/799-6896E-mail: SFP@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/socialfinance

Social Finance for Decent Work

Recovery and reconstruction

3.4

Crises produce devastating effects on societies,particularly in poor, vulnerable countries. Armedconflicts, natural disasters, financial and economicdownturn and difficult political and socialtransitions destroy socioeconomic infrastructure,the very means of production, natural and humanresources, and vast numbers of jobs. Themagnitude, pervasiveness and alarming upwardtrend of such human tragedies demands a specialILO focus.

The InFocus Programme on Crisis Response andReconstruction (IFP/Crisis) is the ILO response tothe above trend. It tackles the challenges posed toDecent Work by crises, operating through acombination of knowledge development, technicaland policy guidelines, advocacy, capacity buildingand rapid-response interventions in the field. Itaims to facilitate the revival of livelihoods and thesocioeconomic reintegration of diverse crises-affected groups, promote the reconstruction anddevelopment of their countries and reduce theoccurence and adverse impact of future crises.

For further information please contact:Recovery and Reconstruction DepartmentTelephone: +4122/799-6892Fax: +4122/799-6489E-mail: emprecon@ilo.org

The unique approach of IFP/Crisis is based onspeed, flexibility of response, and integrated/multidisciplinary work, which matches the specialcontext of emergencies. The Programme operatesin close strategic partnership with other relevantinternational, regional and national agencies andinstitutions within and outside the UN system, aswell as with the media. It also relies on a network of focal points in ILO technical departments andexternal specialists, allowing swift, closely adaptedresponses to crises.

InFocus Programme

Crisis Response and ReconstructionThis programme concentrates on thesituations which emerge in the wake of naturalor man-made crises such as war, crop failure,macroeconomic fluctuations or climaticdisaster. Maintaining income levels underthese circumstances generally requires acombination of programmes adapted to theneeds of different target population groups. To assure reconstruction and incomesustainability, such interventions, often short-term in nature, need to be linked to longer-term investment in production capacity – an area in which the ILO has built up a solidtechnical capacity.

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Gender promotion and gender equality

3.5

Gender equalityGender equality is a key element of the ILO agendaof Decent Work for All Women and Men, and alongwith development, is one of the two cross-cuttingissues of the four strategic objectives of DecentWork. Gender Equality is also a shared policyobjective of the ILO Programme and Budget 2004-05. The ILO approach to gender equality is tomainstream gender concerns in all its policies andprogrammes. This includes gender-specificinterventions based on gender analysis, whichmay target only women or only men, or women and men together.

The mandate of the Bureau for Gender Equality,which reports directly to the Director-General of theILO, is to promote equality for all women and menin the World of Work. The Bureau acts as advisor,catalyst, advocate and communicator formainstreaming a gender perspective in all ILOpolicies, programmes and activities. This includescoordinating the implementation of the ILO ActionPlan on Gender Equality and Mainstreaming.

Current activities of the Bureau include monitoringand reporting on the implementation of the sharedpolicy objective on gender equality, overseeing theOffice-wide Gender Audit, supporting the ILOgender network and managing the ILO GenderEquality Tool website for information sharing andenhancing knowledge.

The Bureau’s role and responsibilities includefacilitating the establishment of institutionalmechanisms for incorporating a genderperspective throughout ILO’s sectors, departments,programmes and field offices as they plan,implement, monitor and evaluate their work. TheBureau advises on sensitization and capacity-building programmes for ILO staff. It promotesefforts to develop gender-sensitive guidelines,indicators and tools for gender analysis andplanning. It also advises constituents on genderequality and gender mainstreaming.

For further information please contact:Bureau for Gender EqualityTelephone: +4122/799-6730Fax: +4122/799-6388E-mail: gender@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/gender

More and better jobs for women

The International Programme for More andBetter Jobs for Women forms part of the ILOstrategy for achieving gender equality, povertyeradication and sustainable development. Theobjective of the Programme is to expandemployment opportunities for women, whileenhancing their conditions of employment andeliminating gender discrimination at work. TheProgramme focuses especially on the needs ofpoor and vulnerable women, and aims todemonstrate that women’s economicempowerment also benefits their families,communities and societies.

Operating at both international and nationallevels, the Programme promotes an integratedapproach based on capacity-building, policyanalysis, awareness-raising and targetedpractical interventions, which addresses themany inter-related problems faced by womenwithin and beyond the workplace. It also aimsto raise awareness on issues of familyresponsibilities, maternity protection and sexualharassment. Another critical area of concern is women’s participation in decision-makingand management including the promotion ofwomen entrepreneurship, where perhaps themost intractable inequalities persist. Mostwomen continue to be subject to occupationalsegregation, and few break through the “glassceiling” separating them from top-levelmanagement and professional positions.

For further information please contact:Gender Promotion DepartmentTelephone: +4122/799-6090 Fax: +4122/799-7657E-mail: genprom@ilo.org

Multinational enterprises

3.6

It is increasingly recognized that foreign directinvestment by multinational enterprises can makea significant contribution to development throughthe transfer of technology and modernmanagement practices and by strengthening thecapacity of developing and transition countries toproduce goods and services that meet globalstandards. Today, some 50,000 multinationalenterprises and their 450,000 affiliates employover 200 million people throughout the world. Their impact is felt in virtually every facet ofindustry, trade, services and business activities.How multinational enterprises manage theiroperations thus has repercussions on the world of work worldwide.

In 1977 the ILO’s Governing Body adopted theTripartite Declaration of Principles concerningMultinational Enterprises and Social Policy to guideand inspire the conduct of multinationalenterprises and how they relate to hostgovernments and employers’ and workers’organizations. The principles of the Declarationreflect good policy and practice in such areas asemployment, training, conditions of work, safetyand health, and industrial relations. As part of itsfollow-up activities, the ILO undertakes periodicsurveys to obtain information from ILO memberStates on how the Declaration principles are beingimplemented. The Declaration is also regularlyrevised to ensure its continued relevance.

For further information please contact:Multinational Enterprises ProgrammeTelephone: +4122/799-7458Fax: +4122/799-6354E-mail: multi@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/multi

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Social protection for all

Access to an adequate level of social protection is recognized in the ILODeclaration of Philadelphia (1944) and in a number of international labourstandards as a basic right of all individuals. Yet, in many countries, reality falls farshort of the ideals of the Declaration. The ILO does all it can to enable countriesto extend social protection to all groups in society and to improve workingconditions and safety at work.

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30

Continuing the trend of the past few years, asubstantial proportion of the economically activepopulation will be working in informal activities in which they will need fall-back systems of socialprotection. And a growing number of people willhave flexible working lives, change work statusmore often, develop more skills from time-to-time,and move in and out of the labour force at varioustimes of their lives. The challenge for policy-makers,and employers’ and workers’ organizations, is toensure that national policies integrate flexibility andsocial security.

Reforming and developing social security systemsThe ILO has designed three related actionprogrammes to develop social security systemsworldwide:

• Reforming and developing social security systems

• Improving the governance, management and operation of social security schemes

• Creating safety nets through social assistance, poverty prevention and the extension of social protection

The ILO has developed a framework for the designof sustainable social security schemes, includingtheir reform and extension. ILO activities aim athelping member States to improve and expand theprotection they provide to all members of thecommunity across the full range of contingencies:basic income security, health care, sickness, oldage and invalidity, unemployment, employmentinjury, maternity, family responsibilities and death.

For further information please contact:Social Security Policy and Development BranchTelephone: +4122/799-6635Fax: +4122/799-7962E-mail: socpol@ilo.org

Enhancing the coverage and effectiveness of social security systems

InFocus Programme

Economic and Social Security in the Twenty-first CenturyA keyword over the last decade was“insecurity”. In developing countries, the vastmajority of people have long faced chronicinsecurity, but even in industrialized countriesmany people feel anxious and uncertain of theirentitlements in society and in work. The ILOseeks to identify the factors which underminesecurity and the policy options which can fortifyit, paying particular attention to schemes in low-income countries and communities, and to thespecific needs of women.

4.1

More than half of the world’s population isexcluded from any type of formal social securityprotection. In many countries conventional formsof social protection do not work as they should.Such insecurity breeds fear, impoverishment andsocially irresponsible behaviour, while preventingpeople from realizing their potential as workers andmembers of society.

Economic and social security in the twenty-first centuryThe ILO Programme on Economic and SocialSecurity in the Twenty-first Century recognizes that,while excessive security can induce passivity,adequate economic and social security is essentialfor productive work and human dignity in the globaleconomy of the future. The Programme addressesfive questions:

1. Why do individuals and social groups lack decent social security?

2. How can innovative social security schemes launched in member countries complement or replace traditional and well-established systems?

3. How can the governance and coverage of social protection programmes be improved?

4. What are the constitutive elements of social security?

5. How can we reconcile the flexibility needs of the labour market with adequate social protection?

InFocus Programme

Safety and Health at Work and theEnvironmentThe SafeWork Programme aims to createworldwide awareness of the dimensions andconsequences of work-related accidents,injuries and diseases. It promotes the goal ofbasic protection for all workers in conformitywith international labour standards, andenhances the capacity of member States andindustry to design and implement effectivepreventive and protective policies andprogrammes. The primary focus is onhazardous occupations.

Labour protection: Conditions of work and the working environment

4.2

Security and productivity through safety andhealth at workWork-related accidents and diseases continue to be a serious problem in both developed anddeveloping countries. The ILO estimates thatworkers suffer 270 million accidents every year.There are at least 335,000 fatal injuries caused by accidents at work. Further avoidable suffering is caused by 160 million cases of occupationaldisease. Taking accidents and diseases together,the global estimate of work-related deaths amountsto 2 million per year, and this is probably anunderestimate.

International concern and awareness of theimportance of the problem remains surprisinglymodest. Action, especially in developing and“transition” countries, is hampered by inadequateknowledge and information.

ILO action in the field of occupational safety andhealth pursues a two-pronged approach. It createsalliances and partnerships by launching pilotactivities which can be used by governments, thesocial partners and other groups in advocacycampaigns. Secondly, the ILO programmesupports action at the national level through directtechnical assistance, with the primary focus onhazardous occupations. This includes thedevelopment of management tools, monitoring and information services designed to preventoccupational accidents and diseases, and toprotect the health and welfare of workers and the environment.

The International Occupational Safety andHealth Information CentreThe International Occupational Safety and HealthInformation Centre (CIS) is a worldwide servicededicated to the collection and dissemination of information on the prevention of occupationalaccidents and diseases. The Centre is assisted in its work by more than 120 national institutionsaround the world.

CIS also publishes the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Safety and Health. With over 1,000articles in the 4th edition (1998), theEncyclopaedia is the worldwide authoritativesource of information on all aspects of safety and health at work.

Conditions of workAdequate working conditions are central to theachievement of long-term sustainable growth, good living standards and social harmony. MajorILO activities in this area include:

Maternity protection: Many women suffer from unequal treatment inemployment, as women, or specifically in relationto their reproductive role. Maternity protection atwork is a crucial element in the struggle to achieveequality between men and women workers, as wellas an essential element in the basic protection ofwomen and children. The ILO was a pioneer in thisarea, and in the first year of its existence in 1919,adopted Convention No. 3 on maternity protection.By placing maternity protection on the agenda ofthe 1999 International Labour Conference, theGoverning Body expressed confidence that thetime was ripe for new international standards onthis subject. Taking account of developments overthe last 50 years, the Conference adopted a new,modernized standard on maternity protection withConvention No. 183 in 2000.

Violence at work:The ILO has conducted studies on violence at workas a global problem and the use of personal work-related data collected about workers. The ILO Codeof Practice on the Protection of Workers’ PersonalData as well as the Workers with FamilyResponsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156),and Recommendation, 1981 (No. 165), provideimportant guidelines in these areas. Adequateworking conditions which safeguard workers’dignity and equality are central to the achievementof long-term sustainable growth, good livingstandards and social harmony.

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Protection of migrant workers

Some 90 million people work and live outsidetheir country of nationality, and their numbersare growing rapidly in some regions because of worsening imbalances in incomes andemployment opportunities. Arrangements formanaging migration which have proveneffective in the past, such as the conclusion ofbilateral agreements, no longer cover much ofthe current migration situation. A large share ofcontemporary migration is organized by profit-oriented commercial agents and takes placeunder clandestine conditions.

The objective of the ILO in this area is to protectthe fundamental employment rights andfreedoms of migrants. Of particular concern arewomen migrants, who are often in low-skilledoccupations in sectors not effectively coveredby national labour standards, and vulnerable to various forms of exploitation. ILO activities inthis area include the promotion of Conventionson migrants, policy advice to countries of originand countries of employment on migration,assessment of the impact of globalization onnew forms of migration, technical cooperationin support of reducing emigration pressuresand channelling migrants’ savings forinvestments and employment. In April 1997,the Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Future ILOActivities in the Field of Migration recommendedguidelines for appropriate national legislationand to protect migrant workers recruited byprivate agents.

For further information please contact: International Migration BranchTelephone: +4122/799-6667Fax: +4122/799-8836E-mail: migrant@ilo.org

Labour inspectionIn the labour inspection field, the ILO helps toestablish efficient and effective labour inspectionsystems in member States to ensure compliancewith labour protection laws. The ILO also helps toinvolve employers and workers in the efforts oflabour inspection services, and to strengthenexisting links between labour inspectorates and thecompetent bodies concerned with the preventionof occupational accidents and diseases. The aim is to combat illegal employment and prevent labourlaw violations in areas such as industrial relations,general conditions of work, the fight against childlabour, occupational safety and health, etc.

For further information please contact:InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (Safework)Telephone: +4122/799-6715Fax: +4122/799-6878E-mail: safework@ilo.org

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Changes in work:The ILO has carried out research on changes inworking time arrangements, the organization ofwork, employment and working patterns (includingthe effects of globalization), the informalization ofwork and technological change, and whether thesechanges have the potential to contribute toimprovements in working conditions or threatenfairness and dignity at work, job and incomesecurity, equal treatment, and safety and health.

Work improvements in small enterprises:Many countries, in their programmes for economicand social development assign an important role tothe small-scale industrial enterprises. These haveconsiderable potential for creating employment,developing a pool of skilled workers to meet therequirements of future industrial expansion, andpromoting industry in rural areas. One neglectedcharacteristic of the small-scale industrial sector is that it is often in such enterprises that the work is most difficult, accident rates are highest andconditions of work least favourable. ILO experiencehas shown that simple, effective, low-cost actioncan be taken to raise productivity while improvingworking conditions. Manuals for entrepreneurs andfor trainers have been developed based on thetraining methodology, “Higher Productivity and aBetter Place to Work” (commonly referred to asWISE, for Work Improvements in Small Enterprises).

For further information please contact:Conditions of Work BranchTelephone: +4122/799-6754Fax: +4122/799-8451E-mail: condit@ilo.org

Fighting substance abuse

Currently, there are well over 50 million drug-dependent persons in the world, and between12 and 15 per cent of adults drink at levelshazardous to themselves and others. In theworkplace, the abuse of drugs and alcoholcontributes to accidents, absenteeism, theft,lower productivity and job loss. The Code ofPractice on the Management of Alcohol andDrug-related Issues in the Workplace (1995),is the cornerstone of the ILO’s substance abuseprogramme, and several of its key conceptshave been integrated into the Declaration of theGuiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction,unanimously endorsed in June 1998 by theTwentieth Special Session of the GeneralAssembly of the United Nations. The ILO’semphasis on primary prevention in recentyears has increased the role and involvementof the ILO’s constituents in supportingenterprise-based activities, and has coincidedwith the growing recognition that workplaceprogrammes are valuable not only for workersand enterprises but also for addressing drugand alcohol problems at the community andnational levels.

For further information please contact:InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (Safework)Telephone: +4122/799-6715Fax: +4122/799-6878E-mail: safework@ilo.org

The ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of WorkAt least 23 million workers aged 15 to 49 areinfected with HIV. AIDS threatens fundamentalrights at work and undermines efforts to providewomen and men with decent and productive work.It is cutting the labour force and reducing theviability of enterprises. The epidemic also strikesthe most vulnerable groups in society, includingwomen and children, exacerbating existingproblems of inadequate social protection, genderinequalities and child labour.

The ILO response to HIV/AIDSThe ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work (ILO/AIDS), was established in November2000. It builds on the ILO’s strengths and existingstructures, and collaborates with its tripartiteconstituents to promote workplace prevention, tocombat discrimination, and to mitigate the socialand economic impact of the disease. Its main areasof action are advocacy and awareness-raising,policy guidance and standard-setting, andstrengthening the capacity of the social partnersthrough technical cooperation.

The ILO has adopted a pioneering Code of Practiceon HIV/AIDS and the World of Work. Thisestablishes the principles of workplace practice,provides guidelines for developing policies atenterprise, community and national levels, andsuggests concrete responses to HIV/AIDS at theworkplace. It is a consensus document, adaptableto a range of situations, and provides the basis forsocial dialogue on a difficult and sensitive issue.

The Programme’s objectives are being integratedinto the work plans of all relevant sectors of the ILO,from social security, and safety and health, togender equality and child labour. Activities includethe development of training manuals andcommunication materials to guide the applicationof the Code, and assistance with the reform ofemployment laws to address HIV/AIDS in a numberof countries. A technical cooperation programme hasbeen launched, and projects developed for countriesin Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

The ILO is one of eight cosponsors of theJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS).

For further information please contact:ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of WorkTelephone: +4122/799-6486Fax: +4122/799-6349E-mail: iloaids@ilo.org Web site: www.ilo.org/aids

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“AIDS and HIV affect people at all levels of society,” says Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General, “but they have a profound impact on workers and their families, enterprises,employers and national economies.” Mr. Somavia presents the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

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Strengthening tripartism and social dialogue

Fair terms of employment, decent working conditions, and economic and socialdevelopment for the benefit of all, can only be achieved with a broad-basedeffort and the consent of workers, employers and governments.

“Strengthening Tripartism and Social Dialogue”, is one of the ILO’s four StrategicObjectives. It aims to concentrate and reinforce the Organization’s support forthe role and activities of the ILO tripartite constituents, and especially theircapacity to engage in, and to promote, the use of social dialogue.

The ILO helps governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to establishsound labour relations, adapt labour laws to meet changing economic and socialneeds, and improve labour administration.

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For further information please contact:InFocus Programme on Social Dialogue, Labour Law and Labour AdministrationTelephone: +4122/799-7035Fax: +4122/799-8749E-mail: ifpdialogue@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/ifpdial

Strengthening social dialogue

5.1

The programme also promotes efficient labouradministration, capable of responding to changingeconomic and social conditions, and making a vitalcontribution to national development and improvedworking conditions.

The ILO helps countries to formulate and develop their labour legislation and administration.

The InFocus Programme on Social Dialogue,Labour Law and Labour Administration provides aunique concentration of services so that labourministries and other relevant government agenciescan better facilitate and participate in socialdialogue. The programme provides wide rangingsupport for labour ministries and related units ofgovernment in order to influence economic andsocial policy.

Attention is also given to the process of labour lawreform as a central component of the promotion oftripartism and social dialogue.

The InFocus Programme on Social Dialogue,Labour Law and Labour Administration(IFP/DIALOGUE) is designed to promote thebenefits of social dialogue, both as an end in itself,and as a means of action essential for the successof all of the ILO’s Strategic Objectives. It encouragesthe use of social dialogue at all levels by ILOtripartite constituents.

The objective of the programme is to strengthenand use legal frameworks, institutions, machineryand processes for social dialogue and itsinstitutions in ILO members States.

Particular emphasis is given to identifying factorsand good practices which improve the image andeffectiveness of tripartite constituents, and helpmake them more representative. The Programmepromotes the use of social dialogue through anadvocacy campaign, and provides practicaldemonstrations of social dialogue in action.

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The ILO helps governments,employers’ and workers’organizations to establishsound relations, adapt labourlaws to meet changing economicand social needs, and improvelabour administration.

turn strengthens the organizations in their efforts tofoster a business environment conducive toenterprise growth.

As one of the three constituents of the ILO,employers’ organizations have a specialrelationship with the organization. The ILO’sBureau of Employers’ Activities is responsible forthe nurturing and development of that relationship.The Bureau maintains close contacts withemployers’ organizations in all member States of the ILO and provides support to them in theirrelations with the ILO.

For further information please contact: Bureau for Employers’ ActivitiesTelephone: +4122/799-7748Fax: +4122/799-8948E-mail: actemp@ilo.org

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Employers’ activities in the ILO

5.2

Successful enterprises are at the heart of anystrategy to create employment and improve livingstandards. Employers’ organizations are crucial forshaping an environment conducive to competitiveand sustainable enterprises that can contribute toeconomic and social development, and by providingservices that improve and guide individualperformance of enterprises. Employers’ organizationsare a critical component of any social dialogueprocess, which can help to ensure that nationalsocial and economic objectives are properly andeffectively formulated and enjoy wide support amongthe business community which they represent.

At the same time, employers’ organizations atnational and international levels are the most cost-effective means for enterprises to access informationon a wide range of economic, labour and socialissues. Their information and representationalskills can help an enterprise to understand andinfluence its business environment, and to seizethe opportunities offered by expanding trade,investment possibilities and competition, in anincreasingly globalized world.

The Bureau of Employers’ Activities of the ILOworks with employers’ organizations so that theycan effectively support their members. The Bureauruns a programme of assistance to employers’organizations in developing countries, countries intransition to a market economy and countriesemerging from a situation of conflict, by stressingstrategic planning and in-depth dialogue which willenable identification of their priorities. Theprogramme helps employers’ organizationsdevelop services of benefit to enterprises. This canalso help increase membership levels, which in

Workers’ activities in the ILO

5.3

Free trade unions are democratic, self-organizinginstitutions of working people wishing to advancetheir rights as workers and citizens. Despite thedenial of the right to organize in many countries theinternational trade union movement is the world’slargest and most representative organization basedon voluntary membership.Trade unions are keycivil society institutions in most democratic countries.

In a rapidly globalizing world the challenge ofsecuring decent work, safe conditions of work,living wages, basic social security, gender equalityand fair income distribution call for better globalgovernance and universal application andenforcement of international labour standards.

Since its creation, trade unions have regarded theILO as an essential institution for promoting theprotection of workers through global social dialogueand standard setting.

The Bureau of Workers’ Activities supports the linkbetween the ILO and one of its three mainstakeholders: the trade union movement. It enablestrade unions to make full use of the potential of theOffice.The Bureau cooperates with workers’organizations on a national and international level,assisting them in being an effective voice of workingpeople and their families. Different programmesare supporting trade unions:

• defending fundamental rights at work;• improving education and training capacity;• organizing unprotected workers;• developing social and employment policies

for social justice and sustainable growth and• promoting international labour standards.

Within the International Labour Office the Bureauof Workers’ Activities sees itself also as a serviceinstitution that helps and encourages otherdepartments to engage in fruitful cooperation withthe trade union movement.

For further information please contact:Bureau for Workers’ ActivitiesTelephone: +4122/799-7021Fax: +4122/799-6570E-mail: actrav@ilo.org

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Sectoral activities: Bringing the ILO to the workplace, and the workplace to the ILO

5.4

Wherever a person earns his or her livelihood, in aclassroom or factory, on a building site or in a bank,in a mine or on a farm, each works in a sector of theeconomy which has its own technical, economicand social characteristics. Many labour issues havea specifically sectoral character, and general issuessuch as globalization, sustainable development,HIV/AIDS and gender, may take different formsdepending on the sectoral context.

Sectoral activities of the ILO aim to improve thecapacity of those working in specific sectors to dealequitably and effectively with labour issues.Regular international tripartite sectoral meetingshave long provided an important forum for socialdialogue on sector-specific labour and socialissues. This dialogue paved the way for practicalactivities to address them at the national level.Henceforth, a more targeted approach with greateremphasis on such constituent-driven activities, inconjunction with other ILO units at headquartersand the field, will strengthen and accelerate themeans to achieve decent work at the workplace.Meetings too will be more focused with practicaloutcomes, such as guidelines or codes of practice.

A mix of sectoral meetings and sectoral actionprogrammes will enable greater cooperation, moreflexibility and provide more impact in addressingthe sectoral dimension of the Decent Work Agenda.

All recent sectoral meeting reports and manysectoral working papers are available on the ILOWeb site.

Maritime activitiesThe overall objective of ILO maritime activities isthe promotion of social and economic progress inshipping, fishing, ports and inland water transport,especially as regards the working and livingconditions of workers in these industries.

The 29th Session of the Joint Maritime Commission(January 2001), considered the changes which hadtaken place in the shipping industry. It announced anew agreement, the Geneva Accord, designed toimprove safety and working conditions in themaritime industry. The agreement calls for theconsolidation of existing ILO maritime instrumentsinto a new, single “framework” Convention. Thisproposed new Convention would provide an ILO“social pillar” for the shipping sector to complementthe existing maritime safety and environmental pillarsof the International Maritime Organization (IMO).TheGoverning Body has called for a maritime session ofthe International Labour Conference, to be held in2005, to finalize the Convention. Ratification andapplication of existing relevant standards; inparticular, the Merchant Shipping (MinimumStandards) Convention, 1976 (No.147) and itsProtocol of 1996, will place member States in a betterposition to ratify the proposed new Convention.

The ILO adopted in June 2003, the Seafarers’Identity Documents Convention, 2003 (No. 185)and the Governing Body in March 2004, adoptedthe minutiae-based biometric standard to enablecountries to implement the Convention. ConventionNo. 185 serves to protect seafarers’ rights, facilitateinternational trade and provide countries with thesecurity they need.

In ports, increased automation of cargo handling,structural adjustment and privatization have posedmajor new challenges and have resulted inreductions in the workforce. The ILO continues toprovide guidance on the social dimensions of portprivatization, and has developed the PortworkerDevelopment Programme (PDP) which, through its implementation in ports in both the developedand developing world, improves the skills, workingconditions and status of portworkers, as well as the efficiency and productivity of ports.

In March 2004, the ILO Governing Body approvedtwo new Codes of Practice: one on Safety andHealth in Ports and another on Security in Ports.

Industrial activitiesRegular tripartite meetings in the ten extractive,rural, manufacturing and construction sectorsaddressed globalization, sustainable development,industrial relations, lifelong learning, employment,training, working arrangements and safety andhealth. Some meetings led to the development ofcodes of practice or guidelines on occupationalsafety and health and labour inspection in differentsectors. Others resulted in regional and nationalworkshops, technical advisory services, anewsletter, and working papers on topics such asindustrial relations, working time, labourinspection, employment and poverty, home workand gender, in different economic sectors. Actionprogrammes in agriculture, construction, andtextiles and clothing will provide a specific nationalinput to improving conditions in these sectors.

For further information please contact: Sectoral Activities DepartmentTelephone: +4122/799-7513Fax: +4122/799-7296E-mail: sector@ilo.orgWeb site: www.ilo.org/sector

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Services sectors

The services sectors have become thedominant source of employment in manycountries. Much recent employment growthhas been in knowledge-intensive work. A majorchallenge throughout the world is the provisionof more and better public services (includingeducation) and the transformation of somesectors from exclusively public, to “mixed”, with both public and private components,particularly as borders have blurred betweenpublic and private services. Health, transport,utilities, and postal and telecommunicationsservices are notable examples.

Private services in areas such as commerce,financial and professional services, hotels,catering and tourism, the media, culture andthe graphical sector, are conditioned by theincreasingly fierce competition of globalizedmarkets, deregulation, liberalization, mergersand acquisitions, and rapid technologicaladvances such as digitalization. Thesechanges have intensified the need for socialdialogue in these sectors.

Recent sectoral meetings covering servicesaddressed: violence in services; theemployment impact of mergers andacquisitions; the impact of crises on the hoteland tourism sector; and challenges facingmunicipal services, public utilities and publicemergency services. Several new actionprogrammes are focusing on these issues.

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Regional activities of the ILO

ILO activities in the field bring together regular budget and extra-budgetaryactivities, in full consultation with the tripartite constituents at the regional, sub-regional and country levels, to provide services in the areas of standards and fundamental principles and rights at work, employment, social protectionand social dialogue.

The network of field offices and technical specialists underpins the ILO’s work in promoting the Decent Work Agenda as an integral part of nationaldevelopment policies.

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Jobs in Africa

6.1

Years of crisis have left a legacy of high levels ofunemployment, combined with low wages andsocial conflict. Nearly half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa live under the poverty threshold.With the continuation of economic reforms and the settlement of conflicts in Africa, a favourablecontext for recovery is gradually emerging. A recentILO/UNDP report (Jobs for Africa) insists thatmany countries in the region could break with thelegacy of poverty, and that the nascent recoveryshould be seen as a “launching pad for takeoff ifthe right policies are introduced and pursued”.

However, the poverty problem in Africa is closelyrelated to incoherent policies and uncoordinatedstrategies and programmes, with unclear policyoutcomes on adequate employment opportunitiesand social protection. Present and past policieshave been unable to provide an environment for,let alone having been able to stimulate the creationof, productive employment which could provideadequate incomes for individuals and households,and their social economic security. Therefore, thecreation of productive employment must constitutea key output of macroeconomic policies and theoverall development agenda.

As the ILO flagship Programme in Africa addressingthe growing unemployment, underemploymentand poverty challenge, Jobs in Africa aims atenhancing the capacity of our constituents andother actors to influence economic policy and thedeployment of public and private sector investmentso that it is more effectively directed towards thepromotion of productive employment and thereduction of poverty.

This has been pursued by advocating theimplementation of policies favouring the poorwithin an environment which fosters productivityand efficiency, thus enhancing the growth andcompetitiveness of the economy and facilitatinglabour force mobility and skills development.Theseefforts have also led to the mainstreaming of gender-sensitive employment, poverty strategies andprogrammes for the creation of more and betterjobs, the promotion of entrepreneurship and thedevelopment and protection (against HIV/AIDS) of human resources in several African countries.

For further information please contact: ILO Regional Office for Africa in AbidjanTelephone: +225/2031-8900Fax: +225/2021-2880E-mail: abidjan@ilo.org

The ILO response to the financial crisis in Asia: Strengthening the constituents’ capacity to provide decent work

6.2

The pain inflicted on Asian societies by thefinancial crisis, especially in east and south-eastAsia, remains widespread. South Asian countrieswith less open economies, though less affected bythe crisis, continue to face the daunting challengeof combating poverty and unemployment. Thetransition countries still face serious labour marketreform problems, and need to give high priority to assisting displaced workers. At the same time,there is a tendency for workers and employers to accept poorer and more hazardous workingconditions for survival. Victims of occupationalaccidents and their families could fall into poverty.The small island states in the Pacific face aproblem of economies of scale, and hence theoverriding need to develop their human resourcesand diversify their economic base.

While there are now encouraging signs thatcurrency and financial markets have stabilized,complacency must be avoided. The crisis hasforged a recognition that deficiencies in the pre-crisis economic and social systems need to beremedied.

The ILO response to the crisis and to otherdevelopments in Asia, which accounts for almosttwo-thirds of the world’s poor, was forged at the13th Asian Regional Meeting, in 2001. With theconclusions of that meeting to guide it, the ILO willwork with constituents to put the Decent WorkAgenda into practice at the national level – strivingto make sure that decent work is an integral part of country priorities and programmes for povertyalleviation. The ILO’s main focus will be onadvocating economic policies which generateproductive employment, extending social securitycoverage to the presently excluded majority ofworkers in the informal/unorganized economy, and on strengthening tripartism and socialdialogue. It will also aim to step up its activities inthe field, notably on behalf of vulnerable groups,and in support of labour-based public worksprogrammes and decent working conditions.

A common new vision for reform is emerging whichrecognizes the importance of democracy as aguarantor of basic human rights (includingfundamental principles and rights at work) and thevalue of social dialogue. At this stage, high priorityshould be given to strengthening systems of socialprotection. Possible measures include introducingsocial protection programmes for the unemployed,such as unemployment insurance whereappropriate, expanding social assistance schemesto reach out to people in extreme poverty, focusingparticularly on basic needs such as health care,introducing a basic infrastructure and legalframework for social security in countries where it does not exist, and taking practical steps toimprove safety, health and working conditions to prevent occupational accidents and diseases.

Besides traditional collaboration within the UNsystem, the ILO has been active in entering intopartnerships with bilateral donors, as well as theWorld Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the latter having specifically highlighted itscollaboration with the ILO recently through jointtechnical programmes, strategies and aMemorandum of Understanding (May 2002).

For further information please contact:ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in BangkokTelephone: +662/288-1234Fax: +662/288-3062E-mail: bangkok@ilobkk.or.th

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The Americas: A fight for quality employment, better income distribution and social protection

6.3

In 2003, unemployment is likely to decreaseslightly in Latin America, according to an ILOregional report (Panorama Laboral). The ILOestimates that unemployment on the continent willreach 10.5% compared to 10.9% in 2002. Thistrend was fuelled by a positive, if modest rate ofgrowth in the economy.

Subregional integration efforts have continuedtowards the consolidation of NAFTA, MERCOSURand CARICOM, as well as other integrationinitiatives. In this increasingly open economicenvironment, it is all the more important for ILOprogrammes to ensure that economic developmentis accompanied by social progress.

The ILO cooperates with member countries whichhave programmes designed not only to combatunemployment, but also to enhance the quality ofemployment. Member States are encouraged todevelop legal and institutional frameworks whichfacilitate the inclusion of informal workers in themodern economy. Progress needs to be made alsoin the involvement of representative employers’and workers’ organizations in the economicreforms and policy decisions related to regionalintegration and globalization.

The region is currently going through a secondgeneration of labour reforms, in which efforts arebeing made to avoid the undesirable results andshortcomings of pioneer countries and to enhancetheir achievements.

The ILO acts to ensure that these reformsincorporate policy changes to promote basic labourrights, employment and social protection for all,and reinforce social dialogue.

For further information please contact:ILO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in LimaTelephone: +511/215-0300Fax: +511/421-5292E-mail: oit@oit.org.pe

The Arab States: Improving employment policies, social dialogue and social protection

6.4

ILO technical cooperation in the Arab States hasincreased considerably since the reopening of theILO Regional Office for the Arab States in Beirut(Lebanon) in May 1995 – after an absence of morethan 12 years. In all the countries of the region,there is an urgent need to promote employmentpolicies, tripartism and social dialogue, and toimprove labour administration so that they canaddress more effectively the issues of job creation,labour legislation and the protection of workers,including migrant workers.

Special efforts are devoted to providing technicalassistance to the Palestine Authority and its socialpartners in setting up much-needed labour marketinstitutions.

For further information please contact:ILO Regional Office for Arab States in BeirutTelephone: +9611/752-400Fax: +9611/752-405Email: beirut@ilo.org

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The low-income Arab States suffer from high ratesof unemployment and underemployment, povertyand low levels of social protection, accentuated byrapid population growth and the slowdown of theireconomies. Higher-income countries have beenable to maintain high standards of living, mainlythrough revenues from the export of oil and othernatural resources. However, the dwindling price of oil and dwindling financial reserves have putunprecedented pressure on the economies of theGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, whichare confronted with increasing domesticunemployment, especially among the young.

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All European countries are confronted with the new challenges arising out of globalization. Theirresponses must focus on improving economicefficiency and social cohesion. For the transitioncountries in Central and Eastern Europe, theestablishment of a social market economy and thedevelopment of greater macroeconomic stability,including the privatization of state assets, remainkey priorities.

Most Central European countries are seeking tobecome members of the European Union, whichemphasizes social justice and social progress in its enlargement process. An ILO priority is to helpthese countries bring their national law andpractice into conformity with ILO principles,ensuring that standards adhere to the social policyrequirements of members of the European Unionand the Council of Europe. In south-easternEurope, the ILO is promoting a social cohesioninitiative for the Stability Pact countries.

In the countries of the former Soviet Union, thesuccess achieved in strengthening their democracieswill be crucial for the consolidation of political,economic and social transition in the subregion. In Western Europe, the ILO places emphasis onpromoting awareness and support for theOrganization’s work, and maintaining policy dialogueand cooperation on labour issues in Europe.

For further information please contact:ILO Regional Office for EuropeTelephone: +4122/799-6666Fax: +4122/799-6061E-mail: europe@ilo.org

Europe and Central Asia: For a better balance betweeneconomic and social development in transition countries

6.5

Priorities for ILO activities in transitioncountries in Europe and Central Asia

• The restructuring of local labour markets and the development of small enterprises

• The reform of labour legislation on the basis of international labour standards

• The reform and development of social security systems

• The setting up and strengthening of labour administrations

• The promotion and strengthening of independent employers’ and workers’ organizations

• The development of tripartism• The protection of workers’ safety and health

A centre of excellence for training, research andpublications

The ILO is the world’s major resource centre for information, analysis andguidance on the world of work. Research accompanies and reinforces all of theOrganization’s practical activities, and the ILO is universally regarded as anauthoritative source of statistical information.

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ILO publications

7.1

The International Labour Office publishes theresults of research related to the changing natureof work and employment which is of importance topolicy makers and others. Technical guides, Codesof Practice and training manuals are also produced.Topics covered include enterprise development,social security, gender issues, internationalmigration, industrial relations, labour law, childlabour, occupational safety and health, and workers’rights. Employment in the globalized economy andin the information society is a primary focus. Theproblems confronting workers and employers indeveloping, transition and industrialized economiesare addressed, the objective being to contribute tothe ILO goal of “decent work” for all.

The ILO’s high-profile World Employment Reportprovides up-to-date information and analysis onmajor trends in the world of work. The four-volume4th edition of the ILO Encyclopaedia ofOccupational Health and Safety (also on CD-ROM) reflects the latest developments in this area and provides comprehensive coverage.

The ILO also publishes statistical, legal andbibliographic materials in both printed andinteractive electronic form. The Yearbook ofLabour Statistics contains data from around theworld and is one of the key sources of statisticalinformation on employment issues (see 7.2,“Labour Statistics” for more details). KeyIndicators of the Labour Market (KILM) providesanalyses from the Yearbook and other internationalreferences, and is available online, in print version,and on CD-ROM.

The International Labour Review – the ILOflagship journal published quarterly in English,French and Spanish – features current policyanalysis on employment and labour issues. TheILO also publishes the quarterly Labour Educationin English, French and Spanish, and the magazineWorld of Work in 14 languages, aimed at ILOconstituents and all those who follow developmentsin the field.

For further information visit our Web site:www.ilo.org/publns

or write to:Publications BureauInternational Labour Office4, route des MorillonsCH-1211 Geneva 22SwitzerlandFax: +4122/799-6938E-mail: pubvente@ilo.org

Labour statistics

7.2

Within the UN system, the ILO Bureau of Statisticsis the focal point for labour statistics. The activitiesof the Bureau fall within three related areas:

• Collection and dissemination of labour statistics• Development of guidelines for the effective

collection of valid, reliable and comparable labour statistics

• The provision of technical assistance to national authorities responsible for labour statistics

The Yearbook of Labour Statistics, a comprehensivesurvey of annual data from all parts of the world,covers the economically active population,employment and unemployment, hours of workand consumer prices, occupational injuries, strikesand lockouts. Each issue of the Yearbook isaccompanied by a volume in the series Sourcesand Methods: Labour Statistics (a technical guideto series published in the Yearbook and the Bulletinof Labour Statistics). The Yearbook also exists inthe form of a database (LABORSTA). Other ILOdatabases refer to estimates and projections of theeconomically active population, wages and hoursof work, household income and trade unionmembership.

The Bulletin of Labour Statistics, publishedquarterly with updated supplements for interveningmonths, contains monthly and quarterly data onemployment, unemployment, hours of work, wagesand consumer prices. A special annual supplement,entitled Statistics on occupational wages and hoursof work and on food prices, presents the results ofthe yearly "ILO October Inquiry".

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All requests for statistical information from thesedatabases should be addressed to:ILO Bureau of StatisticsCH-1211 Geneva 22Fax: +4122/799-6957E-mail: stat@ilo.org Web site: http://www.ilo.org/stat

The database may be consulted athttp://laborsta.ilo.org

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International Institute for Labour Studies

7.4

The ILO International Institute for Labour Studies in Genevapromotes policy research and public discussion on emergingissues of concern to the ILO and its consituents – labour, businessand government.

The organizing theme of the Institute’s programmes is the notion of“decent work”. The Institute’s programmes seek to contribute tothe development of the analytical and empirical foundations ofdecent work and a broader understanding of the policyinstruments necessary to implement it in practice.

The Institute provides three major facilities:

• A global forum on social policy, enabling governments, business and labour to interact informally with the academic community and other opinion-makers

• International research programmes and networks linking academics with business, labour and governments practitioners, to explore emerging policy issues of potential relevance for the ILO and contribute to policy formulation.

• Educational programmes to assist trade unions, employers’ organizations and labour administration in developing their institutional capacities for research, analysis and policy formulation in the economic and social fields.

The Institute’s means of action include: research, social policyforums, public lectures, courses and seminars, internshipprogrammes, a visting scholar programme, the Phelan Fellowshipprogramme and publications. It also organizes the Social PolicyLectures, endowed by the ILO’s Nobel Peace Prize and held, byrotation, in major universitities of the world.

For further information please contact:International Institute for Labour StudiesTelephone: +4122/799-6128Fax: +4122/799-8542E-mail: institut@ilo.org

Library services

7.3

The ILO Library offers a range of information services andproducts to facilitate research into the world of work. It providesand preserves an extensive, multilingual collection of print andelectronic information sources including books, reports journals,national legislation texts and statistical publications. It has over40,000 ILO publications.

The Library publishes Labordoc, a unique database available on the Internet, providing worldwide coverage of publications,including journal articles, on all aspects of work and sustainablelivelihoods, and the work-related aspects of economic and socialdevelopment and human rights. It provides an ever-increasingnumber of links to online publications. Labordoc is theauthoritative source for ILO publications.

The Library is the focal point of a network of information centresat ILO Headquarters and in the field. In addition, the Library offersan information consultancy service, publishes the ILO Thesaurusand Taxonomy and develops projects and training courses inlabour information.

Requests for library services should be addressed to:ILO LibraryTelephone: +4122/799-8682Fax: +4122/799-6515E-mail: informs@ilo.org

Library web site: www.ilo.org/inform

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7.5

As skilled human resources are central to thepursuit of decent work, in 1965, the ILOestablished its training arm in Turin, Italy, to assist countries in their social and economicdevelopment through training.

Working in close partnership with regional andnational training institutions, the Centre contributesto disseminating the ILO’s principles and policies,and to strengthening the capacity of nationalinstitutions to implement relevant programmes, in line with its strategic objectives. It seeks toassemble, package and deliver the best thinking,practice and experience – from the ILO andelsewhere – concerning fundamental principlesand rights at work; employment and incomeopportunities for women and men; socialprotection for all, tripartism and social dialogue;and management of the development process.

Its large residential facility offers a wide range of training and learning opportunities throughstandard courses, customized learning events,comprehensive training projects, advisory servicesand training material design and production. Itsrange of services is highly diversified. It may beentrusted with the overall design and execution of a multi-year project that has several components,with the implementation of one project componentor with the organization of a single training activity.

Participants are representatives of the ILO’stripartite constituency and their partnerinstitutions. They are typically decision-makers,senior and mid-level managers in private andpublic enterprises, directors of vocational traininginstitutions and systems, leaders of workers’ andemployers’ organizations, government officials and national counterparts responsible for socialpolicy, women in development and management of human resources.

To date, one hundred thousand women and men from 170 countries have benefited from theCentre’s services. The annual number of activitiesexceeds 300 programmes and projects. Theannual number of participants exceeds 8000.Around half the activities take place on campusand half in the field. It is steadily gaining furtheroutreach through distance learning programmesvia the internet.

The Centre’s training portfolio is customized to the specific needs of developing and transitioncountries in Africa, the Americas, Arab States, Asiaand the Pacific and Europe. Courses are deliveredin the language of the participant (Arabic, Chinese,English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.)These tailor-made training activities are integratedinto nationally-executed programmes or projectsand therefore contribute to the overall developmentefforts of the recipient country.

For further information please contact:International Training Centre in TurinTelephone: +390116936111Fax: +390116638842E-mail: pubinfo@itcilo.it

CINTERFORThe Inter-American Research and DocumentationCentre on Vocational training (CINTERFOR) inMontvideo, uruguay, is the central node of anetwork of vocational training institutions coveringLatin america, the Caribbean and Spain.

For further information please contact:CINTERFOR/OITTelephone: +5982/902-0557Fax: +5982/902-1305E-mail: dimvd@cinterfor.org.uy

International Training Centre in Turin

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55

ILO Regional Offices

ILO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Lima (AMERICA)

Telephone+511/215-0300+511/221-2565

Fax+511/421-5292+511/442-2531: Regional Director+511/421-5286: MDT

E-mailoit@oit.org.pe

ILO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asiain Geneva (EUROPE)

Telephone+4122/799-6650: Regional Director+4122/799-6111: Switchboard+4122/799-6666

Fax+4122/799-6061+4122/798-8685

E-maileurope@ilo.org

ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan(AFRICA)

Telephone+22520/31-8900: Switchboard+22520/31-8902: Regional Director

Fax+22520/21-2880+22520/21-2240: Regional Director+22520/21-7149: DRD/REG.PROG+22520/21-7151: PERS

E-mailabidjan@ilo.org

ILO Regional Office for Asia & the Pacific in Bangkok (ASIA)

Telephone +662/288-1710: Regional Director+662/288-1785: Deputy Regional Director+662/288-1234: ESCAP Operator

Fax+662/288-3062 +662/288-3056

E-mailbangkok@ilobkk.or.th

ILO Regional Office for Arab States in Beirut (ARAB STATES)

Telephone+9611/75-2400+9611/75-2404

Fax+9611/75-2405+9611/75-2404

E-mailbeirut@ilo.org

ILO4, route des Morillons CH-1211 Geneva 22 Switzerland

Telephone+4122/799-6111

Fax +4122/798-8685

Web sitewww.ilo.org

International Labour Office

Department of Communication

4, route des Morillons

CH-1211 Geneva 22

Switzerland

Telephone: +4122/799-7912

Fax: +4122/799-8577

E-mail: communication@ilo.org

www.ilo.org/communication

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