87th Session
1-17 June 1999
Reply
by the Secretary-General to the discussion of his Report |
1. Introduction
I wish to congratulate the Conference on the richness of the debate on my Report, Decent work.
It has given rise to a great many ideas, suggestions and comments which broaden its perspective and will help the Office to implement its general guidelines step by step. Many thanks.
First, the Conference has inspired confidence. In reviewing the programme of reform and modernization contained in my Report, you have indicated that it reflects your own thinking in the matter. I am very happy that this is so, as the Report was based on extensive discussions and consultations that I had with many of you on various occasions within the Organization. We have realized that we can -- far more than we ever imagined a few years ago -- shape our future through the power of the values embodied in this Organization. Our confidence is based on clear objectives, a practical strategy, and a common will to make things happen.
Second, the Conference has shown that this Organization is of importance and interest to the world at large. We have been honoured by the visits of three Heads of State: President Ruth Dreifuss of Switzerland, President Henri Konan Bédié of the Côte d'Ivoire and on a historic occasion yesterday, Mr. Bill Clinton, President of the United States. Each of them brought a message of support and friendship. Their presence enlarged our horizons and strengthened our sense of purpose. The Conference played host to the world of ideas as well as to the world of action. Professor Amartya Sen reminded us of the importance of knowledge for an organization like the ILO. I very much appreciate their encouraging comments on my report.
Third, we can conclude with a sense of having achieved important immediate goals. This Conference has taken the ILO forward, in three major ways. It has adopted a historic Convention and Recommendation on child labour. It has renewed the ILO's commitment to technical cooperation. And it has prepared the ground for a Convention on maternity protection.
2. Child labour
The Committee on Child Labour, inspired by the moving demonstration by the children in the Global March, has succeeded in building a solid consensus among our constituents for immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. The new Convention and the accompanying Recommendation furnish governments with a sturdy tool to combat this intolerable practice.
What next? The eyes of the world are on us, and the global community is expecting us to move quickly. Our aim, to use President Clinton's words, is to "wipe from the earth the most vicious forms of abusive child labour". So the Office will immediately commence a special campaign for the early and universal ratification of this new Convention. For my part, I shall take up the question of ratification in all my meetings with government leaders in the months to come. We will provide assistance to member States that wish to examine ratification possibilities. We will also prepare a user-friendly guide to the new Convention and Recommendation. The recent agreement between the ILO and the Inter-Parliamentary Union should spur early ratification of the new Convention, besides helping deal with general problems of submission of all ILO instruments.
Ratification has to be followed by effective action. So these instruments give direction and support to the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). This programme is already operational in 35 countries, and it continues to expand rapidly, supported by many governments, employers' and workers' organizations and intergovernmental and voluntary organizations. The ILO will seek out still more support from its member States.
We also need to know whether we are succeeding in eliminating child labour. We shall accordingly intensify our efforts to obtain accurate and systematic information on the extent of child labour, so that we can see what progress we are making. And we will support other initiatives, such as the declaration signed by the four Ministers of Labour of the MERCOSUR countries during this Conference, which aims to build action against child labour into the process of regional integration.
The elimination of child labour must be a truly global effort, but one that is firmly rooted in the situation on the ground. If we work together, we have a real possibility of changing the lives, the opportunities and the destinies of millions of children, and of demonstrating to the world at large that the fundamental principles and rights that we defend are not mere abstractions but help to construct strong foundations of egalitarian societies.
As a general framework for these initial activities, the Office will launch a global campaign for the Convention's implementation, with the participation of all those throughout the world who are committed to the values of the ILO and to the elimination of child labour.
3. Technical cooperation
The Conference has undertaken a major review of the ILO's technical cooperation programme. This review has a special significance, as it is the first to be undertaken since the adoption by the Governing Body of the four strategic objectives of the Organization. The resolution and conclusions concerning the role of the ILO in technical cooperation provide the Office with the essential framework to give greater focus and coherence to our technical cooperation activities. It is a fine document. The debate in the Committee provided valuable indications to guide the Office in the implementation of its technical cooperation policy. Above all, it pointed to the importance of taking into account the concerns of each of the tripartite constituents, without detracting from the overall unity and coherence of the ILO's action. It reaffirmed the interdependence, in operational terms, of the four strategic objectives and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, as the clear framework for future technical cooperation. The debate in Committee also emphasized the importance of supporting and developing the institutional capacity of the ILO's constituents, especially in terms of expertise and knowledge, and of enriching the contribution of tripartism to all aspects of technical cooperation. It also underlined the need to integrate technical cooperation into all ILO programmes, and the importance of an effective management structure for that purpose.
It is my intention to take these conclusions into account when we prepare the Programme and Budget for the 2000-01 biennium that the Governing Body will discuss in November next. In this connection, I intend to pay special attention to monitoring and evaluation based on verifiable targets, which will include indicators of progress towards gender equality. I shall submit a timetable to the November session of the Governing Body for implementing these conclusions, taking into account the overall review of ILO structures in the field which will begin early next year.
4. Economic and financial crisis: ILO action
The Informal Tripartite Meeting at the Ministerial Level on Economic and Financial Crises and ILO Action was extremely well attended.
I would like to just highlight a few of the many points which were raised.
First, it was widely agreed that it is as important to work on prevention as on cure. That means building up democratic institutions, and reinforcing social dialogue before crisis strikes.
Second, employment-creation policy is likely to take centre stage in the recovery from crisis. I will return to that in a moment.
Third, there was a great deal of support for my efforts to build up an ILO rapid-response capability. Recent events in the Balkan region have underlined how important this is.
Fourth, there was much discussion of our relationship and coordination with the Bretton Woods institutions. This was also raised in the plenary debate by many speakers, so let me comment on it now.
Ever since my election, I have been maintaining regular contact with the World Bank and the IMF. As a result of this dialogue, there was high-level participation from both the Bank and the Fund in our Governing Body debates last March on ILO action in response to crisis situations. We now have observer status in both the IMF Interim Committee and in the IMF/World Bank Development Committee.
I believe that the Asian crisis in particular has made it clear that financial solutions are not enough to avoid or recover from financial and economic crises. We need to develop an integrated approach in which the ground rules for the global economy are based on an understanding of how the economy is embedded in society. This will take time, and extends beyond short-term shocks and crises to the longer-term transformations of production and exchange associated with globalization. It also requires a reinforcement of technical capabilities within the ILO. But I believe that it is possible, and I plan to pursue a strategy of partnership with the Bretton Woods institutions and other actors of the United Nations system, so that the ILO's values and strategic objectives, and the ILO's constituents, can play a central role in the emerging framework of governance for the global economy. President Clinton's words yesterday lent powerful support to this purpose.
5. The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories
This year, once again, the Conference devoted a special sitting to the situation of the workers of the occupied Arab territories, an issue that has for years given rise to intense argument and debate. Even the holding of a special session is controversial.
Yet this time I sensed a change in the tone of the debate. Many were the speakers who expressed the firm hope that the peace process would soon start up again. This is where I want the ILO to make its contribution, within the framework of its mandate, by responding to requests for technical cooperation so as to facilitate the peace process. Reacting to the report of the special mission that visited the territories, Mr. Jordan (Secretary-General of the ICFTU) and Mr. Ringkamp (who spoke on behalf of the Member States of the European Union), for example, noted that there were signs that the Palestinian economy was recovering and that there was an improvement in the administrative formalities that Palestinian workers seeking employment in Israel have to observe. That said, there are still a number of problems, as the report made clear.
Mr. Thüsing, Employers' delegate of Germany, also pointed out that there is in any case still a great deal to be done before the Palestinian economy can hope to absorb the high level of unemployment in the territories. Hence the urgent need for technical cooperation, so that these territories can begin to enjoy the social and economic stability that is essential for their development.
6. Gender equality
This year, at my request, a tripartite debate at ministerial level was held to reflect the ILO's renewed commitment to equality between men and women at work. Gender issues cut across the four strategic objectives of the ILO and need to be integrated in each sector. But the road is long, and we must lead by example. That means inside the secretariat, where gender mainstreaming, in both technical and organizational terms, will be one of the yardsticks by which we measure success. It also means in the Organization as a whole, for instance in the participation of women in the Conference. Though it is true that the proportion of delegates who are women is rising, it is still only a little over 20 per cent. And less than 10 per cent of speakers in the plenary were women. I appeal to all delegations to improve these results next year.
7. Committee on Maternity Protection
Maternity protection at work has been a crucial element in the struggle to achieve equality between men and women workers. I think that we can all take pride in the wisdom and vision of those who came before us in this institution, who in the very first year of the ILO's existence, in 1919, already recognized the crucial importance of this issue when they adopted the Maternity Protection Convention (No. 3).
By placing this subject on the agenda of the Conference, the Governing Body made it possible to take account of developments since the Maternity Protection Convention (Revised), 1952 (No. 103), was adopted nearly 50 years ago. As a result of the work of the Committee, I believe we have now a very sound basis for the development and adoption, in the year 2000, of new international labour standards on this subject.
I would not like to leave this subject without drawing your attention to something that is unique in the history of the ILO. For the first time in 80 years we have had a Conference Committee all of whose Officers were women. I hope that this will be repeated, and even become commonplace.
8. Committee on the Application of Standards
Once again, the Committee on the Application of Standards reaffirmed the principles of independence, objectivity and impartiality in its discussion of individual cases. Some involved very serious infringements of workers' rights, particularly relating to forced labour and freedom of association. But there was a general willingness to find solutions on these and other issues.
There were many instances of progress having been made. As a Government representative of Portugal noted, this illustrates how the supervisory system is based on dialogue. A number of delegates have urged the ILO to give greater publicity to instances of progress in the labour situation. I agree.
I hope also to intensify dialogue with member States to promote more timely reporting.
The ILO's interaction with other international organizations responsible for human rights treaties, which I intend to reinforce, came in for considerable praise.
Many speakers, too, praised the success of the ratification campaign for the fundamental Conventions. The ratification by Indonesia of the remaining fundamental Conventions held special significance, as that country became the first in its region to have ratified all seven. It was gratifying to know that the ILO had been providing timely technical assistance to support the implementation of these instruments.
Promotion of the fundamental Conventions should not, in many speakers' view, be to the detriment of other ILO Conventions. Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of receiving the instruments of ratification of 11 ILO Conventions on a wide range of subjects.
In both the Committee on the Application of Standards and in the plenary, considerable support was voiced for the suggestions made in my Report for streamlining and enhancing the impact of standards activities. While progress on weeding out obsolete instruments was hailed, there were many calls to accelerate the pace of revision. As Mr. Hygum, Minister of Labour of Denmark, put it: "The ILO should focus on important issues such as preparations prior to the drawing up of new instruments, new forms of revision of obsolete Conventions, the implementation of ratified Conventions, including possible ways of assisting countries which have problems with ... implementation, and the whole supervisory system".
I plan to explore new approaches to updating the ILO's body of standards, in consultation with the tripartite constituents. As suggested in my Report, a thorough gender analysis of ILO instruments is overdue.
The General Survey on the ILO's Conventions and Recommendations on migrant workers was very well received and led to agreement in the Committee that a general discussion on the subject should take place in the near future. This would also explore the possibility of a revision of those standards down the road.
Later today, the Conference will have before it an urgent resolution on the widespread use of forced labour in Myanmar, referred to the plenary by the Selection Committee. It refers to the finding in my Report of 21 May to the Governing Body that there was no indication that the Government had yet followed up the three recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry established in relation to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). The Government's Memorandum on the 21 May Report has been made available to all delegates.
9. Plenary discussion
As I mentioned earlier, the plenary discussion this year was distinguished by the high quality of the debate. In addition to endorsing the broad thrust of the Report to the Conference, the participants in their great majority enriched it and opened up new avenues for action.
I was also struck by the degree of convergence between the four strategic objectives set out in the Report, on the one hand, and the needs, aspirations and policies voiced by the representatives of governments, employers and workers during the discussion, on the other. The goal of decent work is clearly embedded in the day-to-day activity of the ILO's constituents.
Declaration
I was impressed by the virtually unanimous support of the ILO's constituents for the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work as a promotional instrument. It is of utmost importance that this support is now reflected in action for its follow-up. There was agreement both in the Committee on the Application of Standards and in the plenary that the follow-up to the Declaration was distinct from and complementary to the regular standard-setting and supervisory procedures. This means that appropriate methods need to be devised to promote the Declaration, and to assist constituents in making the follow-up mechanism work.
Where one or more of the fundamental Conventions have not been ratified, one urgent question for those governments, in consultation with employers' and workers' organizations, will be to provide the first annual reports required under the follow-up. The Office stands ready to provide assistance to facilitate the preparation of the reports, which may also serve as a basis for identifying technical cooperation needs in relation to the Declaration.
Employment
Irrespective of the country, level of industrialization or ILO constituency they represented, delegates were unanimous in their conviction that the ILO needs to make a major effort in the field of employment. And I welcome the proposal from the G15 that the ILO should develop a comprehensive employment strategy, which is very much in line with the orientation of my Report and the mandate of the Social Summit.
Let me share with you some of the steps we are taking. First, as you will have seen from the programme and budget for the next biennium, employment includes three of the eight InFocus programmes -- on training, on reconstruction and on small and informal enterprises, where in practice most jobs are created. These programmes will be combined with macro-level analysis, with work on more and better jobs for women, and with other projects to generate the core elements of comprehensive employment strategies.
We are also taking regional initiatives. The Jobs for Africa programme, for instance, is an important effort in constructing a comprehensive strategy for attacking Africa's intractable employment problems. President Konan Bédié posed the challenge; we must respond. And here again: more and better jobs for women.
But, as ever, the ILO should not and cannot act alone. Partnerships are essential, with other international agencies, with donor countries and with our national tripartite constituents.
I would not like to leave the subject of employment without coming back to decent work. A number of voices suggested in the plenary that we should first worry about creating the jobs, and only worry about their quality afterwards.
Mr. Cho of the Korean Employers used an interesting metaphor when he said: "The promotion of employment and the promotion of workers' rights have to be parallel, just like the two wheels of a cart. If one wheel goes faster than the other, the vehicle cannot maintain a straight path". Fair enough! At the same time, though, we must remember that in some cases the social situation is so far behind that more rapid progress is needed, precisely to keep the cart going in the right direction.
Many speakers mentioned the importance for the ILO to reach out to the informal sector, to those who are outside the workforce, to those whose work is unpaid and unacknowledged. This is also a central message of my Report. The ILO must respond to the needs of all workers, without exception. Social protection must not be restricted to a few. Decent work cannot be confined to a minority of workers, but must be an objective for society as a whole.
Social dialogue
There was widespread agreement among speakers in the plenary that social dialogue is indeed a strategic objective of the ILO and an essential feature of tripartism. But they also supported my conviction that social dialogue is a powerful instrument for reconciling the economic and social dimensions of the new global environment. The realization is gaining ground that institutions for social dialogue continue to be key ingredients in any formula for creating sustainable growth and ensuring that it leads to social progress. We shall take all their proposals on board in pursuing our InFocus programme for strengthening the social partners.
Our constituents from Ireland gave a powerful illustration of this when they explained how social dialogue and social partnership have played a major part in the country's unprecedented and sustained economic growth in recent years. Their experience shows that creating and sustaining a successful, competitive economy in the global market can be achieved without sacrificing workers' rights and social progress. It is an important lesson. And it is not an isolated case. There are success stories on every continent.
"Strong social dialogue needs strong social partners." These words, taken from my Report, were quoted by several speakers in the past few days. And many of them suggested areas for specific interventions to strengthen the contribution of the social partners to achieving the goal of decent work. There was some hesitation about outreach to other organizations of civil society. We need to think very carefully how the ILO can best avoid becoming isolated on its social platform while at the same time remaining a source of strength for our constituents.
Labour standards and international trade
Various quarters expressed sometimes contradictory concerns about the relationship between international labour standards and trade. Such concerns have been present throughout the history of the ILO. The legitimate desire for generally agreed social norms is a natural reflection of the perennial tensions that have arisen at the national level between markets and society. These tensions are intensified by the social dislocations resulting from globalization. They will therefore surface in all organizations concerned with global governance, and the ILO, as a centre for normative policy in the world of work, is inevitably exposed to this reality.
When the Conference adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work last year, it managed to form a consensus around a major tenet: that the Declaration should not be used for protectionist purposes. That tenet has been reiterated this year by industrialized and developing countries alike. Ms. Dreifuss put it very clearly: "Applying protectionist measures in the name of respect for labour standards would be a self-defeating strategy". The Declaration is a promotional instrument, and there can be no conditionality attached to it.
The critical issue here is the link between labour standards and the functioning of the global economy as a whole -- not just trade. History shows us that these standards can play a critical role in increasing productivity, enhancing social stability and thus contributing to the creation of comparative advantages.
Allan Larsson, speaking for the European Union, talked of social policy as a productive factor. He is right. I believe that the way forward lies not in restricting trade but in making labour standards powerful instruments for achieving competitiveness on a socially sound foundation. We must seek out new ways of strengthening the mutual reinforcement of social standards on the one hand, and effective and dynamic participation in global markets on the other. That means integrating social justice and economic growth into global governance.
All these themes entail a capacity for integrated analysis within the multilateral system. The part that each component is called upon to play must be the fruit of the broadest cooperation between the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions. In this context activities involving institutional cooperation between the WTO and the ILO may develop.
The ILO has a unique role and constitutional mandate in the area of labour standards. The long-established tradition of the ILO is to base its normative activities on a system of voluntary obligations, which once accepted are subject to supervision. It is essentially promotional rather than coercive or punitive. It is based on international consensus. It is this tradition which the ILO needs to recall in the coming period of global transition. But if this approach is to be sustained, it must be effective. The integrity and authority of the ILO's supervisory machinery is the best guarantee of the global credibility of the ILO's standard-setting activities.
10. Towards a paradigm for decent work
Behind my Report to this Conference lies a set of ideas which remains to be fully developed. We need to reflect carefully about the concept of "decent work", which links together the four strategic objectives, and which can provide a conceptual and operational guide for policy-making. Its elements include the relation between the economic and the social domains; between macroeconomics and employment creation; between security and growth; between rights and livelihoods; between work and society -- and above all the impact of technology on the world of work and on the society of knowledge. I will initiate action to encourage such reflection within the ILO, in partnership with others, as a central element in strengthening the knowledge and capabilities of the Office. It is a task which will facilitate our dialogue with the Bretton Woods institutions and develop the economic and financial rationale for social and normative policies.
The ILO's strategic objectives are not merely our goals, but the indispensable underpinnings of economic and social development. In a changing global environment -- political, economic, social -- they provide reference points for policy- and institution-building which go beyond our immediate horizons. Martine Aubry called on the ILO to "reflect on the new social problems which confront us today", and especially on "what should be the place of work in the society we are trying to build". In his stimulating address, Professor Sen opened up new perspectives for us. I will take up this challenge.
11. Implementation
I have noted with great satisfaction the very wide support in the Conference for my Report and, in particular, for the idea of "decent work" as the primary goal of the ILO, to be pursued through the four strategic objectives of the Organization. We must now proceed to implementation. In this connection, it should be remembered that my Report to the Conference is a programme for modernization and reform over the medium term. It is a programme which can only be implemented in its entirety over time, through successive budgetary periods.
I intend to persist in encouraging attitudinal and organizational changes in our institution, bearing in mind that there are not necessarily any quick or easy solutions. The limitations in terms of resources and installed capacity will necessarily constrain the pace of our programmes. In the circumstances, we must avoid the temptation to sacrifice quality and sustainability of action to unrealistic expectations, in the search for immediate but superficial results. It is my intention that we should proceed systematically, step by step, taking such measures as are of priority interest for our constituents.
The adoption of the Programme and Budget for 2000-01 by the Conference requires the Office to concentrate on the priorities within each strategic objective defined by the InFocus programmes. The Office has already begun to generate technical programmes around these objectives. A more detailed budget document, based on what the Conference has approved, will be submitted to the Governing Body in November.
12. Method of work
Finally, I wish to repeat that I intend to continue working through dialogue and consultation with the ILO's constituents. As I have already had many occasions to say, I firmly believe that the informal exchange of ideas, the sharing of one's thoughts and the ability to listen are essential to improving the quality of the final product.
Updated by HK. Approved by RH. Last update: 26 January 2000.