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GB.275/2
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SECOND ITEM ON THE AGENDA
Appointment of Governing Body committees
and of various bodies
Appointment of Governing Body committees
1. The Governing Body adopted its current committee structure at its 256th Session (May 1993).(1) Details of the committees and the work of the Governing Body are given in the attached Guide to the reforms in the procedure and functioning of the Governing Body and its committees. Following the elections to the Governing Body at the Conference, it will be necessary at the present session for the Governing Body to appoint the members of its standing committees and of various other bodies.
2. The standing committees are the following:
- Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA);
- Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee (PFA);
- Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards (LILS);
- Committee on Employment and Social Policy (ESP);
- Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings and Related Issues (STM);
- Committee on Technical Cooperation (TC).
3. The committee structure also provides for the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards to establish a Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises. That Committee has also had a Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards since the 262nd Session of the Governing Body (March 1994).
4. While the Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises has traditionally been appointed directly by the Governing Body, the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards of the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards was appointed last time by that Committee. In order for the Working Party to continue its work as from November 1999, the Governing Body might wish to appoint this Working Party itself. In accordance with its mandate, the Working Party would continue to report to the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards.
5. The Committee on Freedom of Association has a fixed membership of three members from each group. Its Chairperson is appointed from outside the Governing Body in an individual capacity.(2) The Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises has a fixed composition of 18 members -- six from each group. The Building Subcommittee has a fixed composition of six members -- two from each group. In addition, the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards of the LILS comprises 16 Government members (four from each region), eight Employer members and eight Worker members.(3) No limitations apply to the composition of the other committees.
6. As decided by the Governing Body at its 265th Session (March 1996),(4) the Working Party on the Social Dimensions of the Liberalization of International Trade is an open-ended committee of the whole and the Governing Body is hence not required to appoint any of its members. The Working Party was established as part of the follow-up on the Conference debate of 1994. Its work has occupied a full day at each Governing Body session.
7. At its meeting in March 1999, the Working Party on the Social Dimensions of the Liberalization of International Trade recalled that its own future would be for the newly constituted Governing Body to decide.(5) The Governing Body may wish to reconvene this Working Party for a further meeting in November 1999, when it would be in a position to decide if it should meet again thereafter.(6)
8. It should also be borne in mind that in relation to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, as from 2000 it will be necessary for the Governing Body to find time to consider, at its March sessions, the reports submitted in connection with Part II of the follow-up to the Declaration (annual reports) and, at its November sessions, the conclusions to be drawn from the discussion of the global report under Part III of the follow-up to the Declaration.
Scheduling of meetings
9. The Governing Body observes a standard programme of meetings. This is intended to ensure that the time available to the Governing Body is used in the most economic manner possible. However, it should be borne in mind that, as a result, meetings of the bodies listed in group (a) below may be held at the same time as those in group (b):
(a) Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards; its Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards; its Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises; and the Committee on Employment and Social Policy;
(b) the Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings and Related Issues; and the Committee on Technical Cooperation.
10. Account should therefore be taken of the possibility of such simultaneous meetings in deciding on their membership. Once the Programme and Budget for 2000-01 has been finally approved in November 1999, the Governing Body may wish to give further consideration to its structure and functioning.
11. The Governing Body is invited --
(a) to appoint the members of the standing committees as described in paragraph 2 above for the 1999-2002 period;
(b) to reconstitute the Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises and the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards as described in paragraphs 3 and 4 above and appoint their members;
(c) to reconvene the Working Party on the Social Dimensions of the Liberalization of International Trade for a further meeting in November 1999, when it will be for the Governing Body to decide if it should meet thereafter.
Other bodies
Board of the International Institute for Labour Studies
12. At its 265th Session (March 1996) the Governing Body adopted the following provisions concerning the composition of the Board:
Article II
The Board of the Institute
1. There shall be a Board of the Institute which shall consist of --
(a) the Director-General of the International Labour Office, who shall be Chairman of the Board;
(b) twelve members to be appointed by the Governing Body from among its own members, four from each of the three groups, for terms of up to three years concurrently with their membership of the Governing Body.
2. The Board may appoint an Executive Committee from among its members and empower this Committee to transact certain business on behalf of the Board. The Executive Committee shall consist of four members, one appointed from each group and the Director-General of the International Labour Office, who shall be Chairman of the Executive Committee and convene it as required.
3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation shall be invited to appoint representatives to express their views and to participate, without vote, in the deliberations of the Board. The Conseiller d'Etat in charge of the Département de l'Instruction Publique of the Republic and Canton of Geneva shall also be invited to participate, without vote, in the deliberations of the Board.
4. The Board of the Institute shall in principle meet once a year during the autumn session of the Governing Body; it shall be convened by the Director-General of the International Labour Office.
13. The Governing Body is invited to appoint 12 of its members, four from each of the three groups, as members of the Board of the International Institute for Labour Studies for a period of three years.
Board of the International Training Centre of the ILO, Turin
14. Article III, paragraph 2 of the Statute of the International Training Centre of the ILO, Turin states --
The Board shall consist of:
[...]
(c) twenty-four members appointed by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office from amongst its own members; 12 from the Government group, including 6 from among the representatives of the 10 Members of the International Labour Organization of chief industrial importance; 6 from the Employers' group; and 6 from the Workers' group. These members shall be appointed for terms of three years unless their membership of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office ends sooner;
15. The Governing Body is invited to appoint 24 of its members -- 12 from the Government group (including six from among the representatives of the 10 Members of the International Labour Organization of chief industrial importance) and six from each of the other two groups -- as members of the Board of the International Training Centre of the ILO, Turin for a period of three years.
Geneva, 9 June 1999.
Points for decision:
Paragraph 11;
Paragraph 13;
Paragraph 15.
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE
Guide to the reforms in the procedure
and functioning of the Governing Body
Geneva, June 1999 (updated)
Procedure and functioning of the
Governing Body and its committees
The following is a summary of the reforms introduced in the operation of the Governing Body as a result of its decision at its 256th Session (May 1993), updated to include references to subsequent practice and other bodies created since then.
I. Frequency and timing of Governing Body sessions
1. The Governing Body's work is distributed between a full autumn (November) session and another in the spring (March-April). In addition, the Governing Body also holds a one-day session in June after the Conference.
2. The Committee on Freedom of Association in addition meets during the week preceding the opening of the General Conference and its report is adopted by the Governing Body during the brief session which is held in June.
3. Governing Body sessions last three-and-a-half days, and are preceded by one half-day of group meetings. The committees meet during the previous one-and-a-half weeks at ordinary sessions, and during the previous two-and-a-half weeks at the spring sessions when the programme and budget proposals are examined.
II. Governing Body committees
4. The Governing Body has six committees. Furthermore, it may establish, as and when necessary, working parties responsible for examining specific questions.
5. These committees are the following:
- the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA), which meets in private sitting at every Governing Body session and just before the Conference, is responsible for complaints submitted to the Governing Body alleging violations of freedom of association and for representations that concern such issues; its Chairperson is appointed from outside the Governing Body in an individual capacity;
- the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee (PFA), which normally meets at the spring and autumn sessions, and as required at the June session, is responsible for financial and general administrative matters and for personnel questions. All questions concerning the allocation of expenses among member States are handled by the Government members of the Committee, who meet in private sitting, and their recommendations are submitted direct to the Governing Body under the item on its agenda concerning the reports of the PFA. The PFA also has a Building Subcommittee (PFA/BS), which is responsible for matters concerning ILO premises;
- the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards (LILS), whose mandate is to consider matters relating to --
- Standing Orders (Conference, Governing Body, regional meetings, sectoral committees, etc.);
- the ILO's standard-setting work and procedures, including the approval of report forms for ILO Conventions and Recommendations and the selection of instruments for article 19 reporting;
- action relating to the protection of human rights, with particular reference to the elimination of discrimination on the basis of race and sex;
- international legal instruments and judicial decisions affecting the ILO's standard-setting work;
- legal agreements concluded by the ILO with other international organizations (except in the area of technical cooperation, which fall within the competence of the Committee on Technical Cooperation);
- the Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises (MNE), which reports direct to the Governing Body, examines the effect given to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (in particular the reviews of follow-up on the Declaration); considers requests for interpretation of the Tripartite Declaration; and monitors activities of the ILO and other organizations regarding multinational enterprises, it being understood that other aspects of the activities of multinational enterprises may if necessary be examined by other committees;
- its Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards was constituted at the Governing Body's 262nd Session (March 1994), with the following mandate:
- the Working Party would examine the questions regarding the revision of standards raised in document GB.262/LILS/3, in particular in paragraph 67, and make recommendations to the Committee on them;
- the Working Party would also examine the question of the criteria that could be applied to the revision of standards;
- in view of the mandate foreseen for the Working Party and the considerations mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Working Party should comprise 16 Government members (four from each region), eight Employer members and eight Worker members;
- the Working Party would be chaired by a Government representative;
- meetings of the Working Party would be private.
- The Committee on Employment and Social Policy (ESP), whose mandate is to consider, and advise the Governing Body on, ILO policies and activities in the fields of --
- employment;
- training;
- enterprise development and cooperatives;
- industrial relations and labour administration;
- working conditions and environment;
- social security;
- the promotion of equality between men and women in employment.
- The Committee on Technical Cooperation (TC) considers, and advises the Governing Body on, matters relating to ILO technical cooperation programmes under all sources of funding, and in particular --
- reviews ILO technical cooperation programmes and evaluates selected projects;
- recommends priorities and provides guidance for the ILO's technical cooperation activities;
- promotes the active participation of employers' and workers' organizations in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of technical cooperation programmes and projects;
- examines action to be taken on Conference decisions concerning technical cooperation matters;
- monitors ILO technical cooperation activities in the different regions, including the work of the regional multidisciplinary teams;
- considers developments in the United Nations system affecting the ILO's technical cooperation activities, and the ILO's relations with other international organizations in the technical cooperation field.
- The Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings and Related Issues (STM) considers, and advises the Governing Body on, matters relating to --
- planning, preparations (including composition, agenda and reports) and follow-up concerning the ILO's sectoral committees and meetings;
- preparations and follow-up concerning ILO technical meetings (meetings of experts, etc.) provided for in the programme and budget;
- the review of the ILO's Sectoral Activities Programme and other policy issues relating to ILO sectoral and technical meetings.
6. In addition, a general debate is foreseen once a year in the Governing Body plenary on the ILO's relations with organizations of the United Nations system. A small working party may also be called upon to examine specific aspects of those relations and to report to the Governing Body at sessions during which this plenary debate is not scheduled.
III. Procedure for the adoption of the reports of committees
7. With the exception of the reports of the Committee on Freedom of Association, the reports of committees constituted by the Governing Body to examine representations made under article 24 of the ILO Constitution and the reports of working parties, reports of Governing Body committees are adopted by the Governing Body without introduction or other discussion. The Chairperson of the Governing Body submits for adoption the points for decision which appear in the report and proposes that the Governing Body take note of the report in its entirety.
8. Nevertheless, members of the Governing Body still have the possibility --
- to make amendments to their own statements as reflected in the report;
- to submit, in accordance with the Standing Orders, proposals for amendments to the points for decision.
9. The Chairperson may permit individual interventions and allow a discussion in the following cases:
(i) where the committee concerned is unable to reach a consensus on a particular point or has to take a decision by a majority vote, in which case the point concerned may need to be further discussed by the Governing Body;
(ii) where the Officers of the Governing Body unanimously consider that an issue raised in a committee report is sufficiently important to warrant discussion by the Governing Body;
(iii) if a formal request is made by a group spokesman or by at least 14 members of the Governing Body for discussion on a particular item in the report.
IV. Adoption of the reports of regional meetings
and reports of other ILO meetings
10. The reports of ILO regional meetings are still submitted direct to the Governing Body.
11. The reports of other meetings, such as meetings of experts, tripartite meetings and Industrial Committees are submitted to the Governing Body committee responsible for their subject-matter.
V. Procedure for determining the agenda of the Conference
12. The items to be placed on the agenda of the Conference are considered at two successive sessions of the Governing Body, such that the decision is taken two years prior to the opening of the session of the Conference in question.
13. The first stage of the discussion, which takes place at the autumn session, consists in identifying the subjects from which a choice could be made. For this purpose the Governing Body bases its discussion on a portfolio of possible items that is constantly updated.
14. The second stage of the discussion, which takes place at the spring session, consists in adopting a definitive decision. The paper serving as the basis for this discussion covers any additional items proposed by the Governing Body during the first stage of the discussion.
VI. Private sittings
15. In accordance with article 7, paragraph 3 of the Standing Orders concerning the procedure for the examination of representations under articles 24 and 25 of the Constitution, the Governing Body is required to meet in private sitting to examine such representations. The only persons entitled to remain present are: members of the Governing Body, representatives of the State concerned by the representation, and ILO officials necessary for the conduct of the sitting.
VII. Effect to be given to resolutions adopted by the Conference
16. The effect to be given to Conference resolutions is a question referred initially to the Governing Body committee responsible for their subject-matter. Only resolutions not falling within the competence of any committee are submitted direct to the Governing Body.
VIII. Report of the Chairperson of the Governing Body to the Conference
17. The Chairperson, after consulting the Vice-Chairpersons, reports direct to the Conference on the work of the Governing Body over the previous year.
IX. Role of the Officers of the Governing Body
18. In addition to their traditional functions, the Governing Body has delegated to its Officers the authority --
(a) to invite non-governmental international organizations wishing to be represented at sessions of the General Conference, regional meetings and other meetings preparations for which are not the responsibility of one of the Governing Body committees and which do not have specific rules for this purpose;
(b) to invite official international organizations whose relations with the ILO are not governed by a particular agreement;
In both cases it is understood that requests for invitations presenting a particular problem will continue to be submitted to the Governing Body through its Officers.
(c) to approve the Programme of Meetings;
(d) to approve the paper on Symposia, seminars and similar meetings.
19. The decisions of the Officers of the Governing Body are communicated to the Governing Body for information.
X. Obituaries and purely formal matters
20. In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 of the Standing Orders of the Governing Body, where the Governing Body has before it a matter of a purely ceremonial nature, the Chairperson may decide to speak alone on behalf of the Governing Body or to appoint, following appropriate consultations, another member or deputy member for this purpose.
21. Where a death is announced to the Governing Body, a Livre d'Or is opened for members of the Governing Body to sign and in which they can record their condolences. The book is given to the family of the deceased after the Governing Body session.
Geneva, June 1999.
1. GB.256/13/24.
2. See first report of the Officers of the Governing Body at the present session (GB.275/8/1).
3. GB.262/9/2, para. 53.
4. GB.265/WP/SDL/D.1 and oral report by Ms. Hartwell, Chairperson of the Working Party.
5. Oral report of the Chairperson of the Working Party, 274th Session (March 1999) (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/20gb/gb274/gb-15.htm). By its March 1999 session, the Working Party had reviewed all but one of the eight country studies on the social impact of globalization, as well as an interim synthesis report, and had discussed a series of documents relating to various aspects of the social dimensions of the liberalization of trade.
6. GB.260/3/7.