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International Labour Conference

Provisional Record

1

Eighty-eighth Session, Geneva, 2000

Resolutions

CONTENTS

Resolutions

Resolutions submitted in accordance with article 17 of the Standing Orders of the Conference

Resolution concerning international labour standards, submitted by the following Employers’ delegates: Mr. Barde (Switzerland); Mr. Botha (South Africa); Mr. Glélé (Benin); Mr. Huntjens (Netherlands); Mr. Lambert (United Kingdom); Mr. Moorhead (United States); Mr. Owuor (Kenya)[1]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Considering that, whilst the adoption of international labour standards is one of the means by which the ILO can achieve its objectives, the low level of ratification of many Conventions prevents it from realizing its objectives and thus damages its credibility,

Considering that international labour standards should be high impact standards which seek to address fundamental workplace issues on which a broad tripartite consensus is possible,

Considering that international labour standards need to be easily adaptable to rapid changes in the international social technological environment and therefore that more realistic methods of revision should be explored,

Considering that Conventions are instruments which should be resorted to when binding legal regulations at international level are considered necessary by the tripartite constituents and that, when such is the case, they should lay down essential general principles, leaving the formulation and selection of means of application to national law and practice,

Considering that where supporting Recommendations are judged appropriate they should be complementary to the Convention and provide guidance on implementation,

Considering that revitalized Recommendations – which are more flexible – deserve more use and that more emphasis should be given to them and their possible adoption as autonomous instruments,

Considering that other instruments which are not international labour standards such as conclusions, declarations and codes of practice are also legitimate instruments to achieve the ILO’s objectives,

Considering that there is a need to review the procedures and means by which the Conference agenda is set, the technical documents are prepared and the negotiation of instruments is carried out so that there is greater consensus in their effective implementation,

Considering that a standard-setting discussion by the International Labour Conference can be efficient and productive only if it follows in-depth debates of the issues concerned both by the Governing Body and the Conference;

1. Requests the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to:

  1. confirm its willingness to move ahead with a comprehensive review of the ILO’s standards-related activities with a view to strengthening their effectiveness in addressing the new realities and the strategic objectives of the ILO;
  2. include in such a review an examination of:
    • a more rational method for setting the agenda of the Conference;
    • better ways of selecting and preparing items for standard setting;
    • means other than formal legal instruments to promote the constitutional objectives of the ILO;
    • ways of improving the working methods of the Conference committees;
    • possible amendments to the Constitution of the ILO with a view to revising the conditions governing the coming into force of Conventions as well as of their denunciation;
    • ways of improving the efficiency and coherence of the ILO supervisory machinery;
    • the development of criteria and procedures for the evaluation of the usefulness of standards and other instruments.

2. Requests the Director-General to:

  1. allocate the necessary financial and human resources to carry out this task;
  2. report back to the 89th Session of the International Labour Conference (2001) on progress made.

Resolution concerning HIV/AIDS and the worldof work, submitted by the following Employers’ delegates: Mr. Botha (South Africa);Mr. Glélé (Benin); Mr. Huntjens (Netherlands);Mr. Owuor (Kenya); Mr. Thüsing (Germany)

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling that HIV/AIDS is at present a universal pandemic that threatens all people, regardless of their socio-economic condition, gender or any other consideration,

Considering that HIV/AIDS is no longer just a health problem, but that it is a developmental crisis with potentially ominous consequences for the social and economic progress of many countries,

Recognizing the effects of HIV/AIDS on the world of work: discrimination in employment, social exclusion of persons living with HIV/AIDS, additional distortion of gender inequalities, increased number of AIDS orphans and increased incidence of child labour,

Noting that HIV/AIDS has also disrupted the performance of the informal sector and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and that other manifestations are low productivity, depleted human capital, challenged social security systems and threatened occupational safety and health, especially among certain groups at risk such as migrant workers and their communities and workers in the medical and transport sectors,

Recognizing that the spread of AIDS can be prevented and that it is possible, by a multidimensional response, to prevent its spread and protect those who live with it and its consequences;

1. Calls upon the governments of member States and, where applicable, employers’ and workers’ organizations to:

  1. raise national awareness, particularly of the world of work, with a view to eliminating the stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS, as well as to fight the culture of denial;
  2. strengthen the capacity of the social partners to address the pandemic;
  3. strengthen occupational safety and health systems to protect groups at risk;
  4. formulate and implement social and labour policies and programmes that mitigate the effects of AIDS;
  5. effectively mobilize resources.

2. Requests the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. continue and intensify, where appropriate, research on action to be taken and behaviours to be adopted in dealing with HIV/AIDS at the workplace;
  2. present, within the framework of the discussion of the Programme and Budget for 2002-03, a proposal regarding a meeting of experts which will develop international guidelines on action to be taken and behaviour to adopt on HIV/AIDS at the workplace;
  3. collaborate with concerned international organizations in order to avoid duplication of efforts;
  4. expand its capacity to deal with HIV/AIDS at the workplace, especially in its multidisciplinary teams;
  5. undertake research and surveys to determine the implications of HIV/AIDS for the world of work;
  6. document and disseminate all useful information on national experiences including examples of good practices on HIV/AIDS at the workplace;
  7. engage in advocacy and training on HIV/AIDS and the world of work;
  8. strengthen the capacity of the social partners to formulate and effectively implement policies, programmes and activities at the national and enterprise levels.

Resolution concerning the worst forms of child labour, submitted by the Government delegations of the Netherlands and Canada

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the unanimous adoption by the International Labour Conference on 17 June 1999 of ILO Convention No. 182 and ILO Recommendation No. 190 concerning the prohibition of and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour,

Noting the Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989 and the commitment shown by an unprecedented number of States that have become signatories and parties to it,

Recalling the ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 146),

Considering that the exploitation of children is a gross violation of their human rights and is against the principles of social justice,

Recalling that the effective abolition of child labour is among the ILO’s priority objectives,

Welcoming and supporting the campaign of the Director-General of the ILO for the universal ratification of the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182);

1. Calls on all ILO member States to ratify and fully implement the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), at the earliest possible date.

2. Invites all ILO Members and other concerned groups as appropriate to:

  1. actively work towards the full implementation of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), as well as other relevant international instruments on child labour;
  2. continue to participate actively in the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

3. Invites the Governing Body of the ILO to instruct the Director-General to continue to put the highest priority on the effective abolition of child labour and to use the ILO’s different means of action to work towards this goal.

Resolution concerning information and communications technologies, submitted by the following Workers’ delegates: Mr. Abou-Rizk (Lebanon); Mr. Agyei (Ghana); Ms. Anderson (Mexico); Mr. Attigbe (Benin); Mr. Basnet (Nepal);Mr. Blondel (France); Lord Brett (United Kingdom); Mr. Cedrone (Italy); Mr. Edström (Sweden); Ms. Engelen-Kefer (Germany); Mr. Etty (Netherlands); Mr. Ito (Japan); Mr. Matheson (Australia); Mr. Murangira (Rwanda); Mr. Parrot (Canada); Mr. Patel (South Africa); Mr. Sahbani (Tunisia); Mr. Wistisen (Denmark); Mr. Wojcik (Poland); Mr. Zellhoefer (United States); Mr. Zindoga (Zimbabwe)[2]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Noting the pivotal role that information and communications technologies (ICTs) are playing in the globalization process as they permeate more and more areas of economic and commercial activity and impact directly on employment, work organization, the quality of jobs and the broader economic and social development,

Recognizing the enormous potential of these technologies to alleviate poverty, promote equality and economic and employment growth, improve living and working conditions and close the gap between developing and developed countries,

Concerned also at the inherent potential of these technologies to create and/or deepen disparity in opportunities, and to marginalize further less developed countries and disadvantaged social groups,

Stressing the importance of achieving a balance between economic, social and societal aims so that differences in access to and use of these technologies do not lead to a widening of income, gender, regional and global inequalities,

Considering the four strategic objectives of the ILO and the renewed emphasis on the quality as well as the quantity of jobs encompassed in the concept of "decent work",

Welcoming the thematic focus on decent work and information and communications technologies in the forthcoming ILO World Employment Report (2001);

1. Calls upon the governments of ILO member States to:

  1. promote investment in affordable and inclusive ICTs infrastructure and services which will combine the goals of promoting economic growth and competitiveness, social inclusion, wide participation and access, and of reducing inequalities at international, national, regional and community level;
  2. adopt policies and programmes – based on agreements between workers’ and employers’ organizations – to help enterprises, particularly SMEs and micro-enterprises, to take advantage of the opportunities which are presented by e-business and other new forms of business organization;
  3. adapt education, training and labour market institutions and systems to meet the challenges and opportunities created by ICTs and in particular to provide equal access to education and training opportunities related to ICTs so as to maximize the impact on employment and lifelong learning opportunities;
  4. take the necessary legislative and other measures to guarantee that workers in the rapidly expanding new areas of employment associated with ICTs, such as call-centres and offshore teleworking, enjoy the right to freedom of association, collective bargaining, freedom from discrimination and a safe and healthy work environment;
  5. maximize the potential of ICTs to make education, training and employment more accessible to disadvantaged communities and to those excluded from the labour market such as people with disabilities, rural communities, long-term unemployed people and older workers;
  6. promote through the international financial institutions investment policies and strategies which will enable developing countries to put in place the necessary telecommunications and other basic infrastructure so that they can participate fully and share in the economic and social benefits of these technologies.

2. Calls upon employers’ and workers’ organizations to:

  1. promote, on a partnership basis, the development of a lifelong learning environment in the workplace;
  2. negotiate at enterprise, sectoral and/or national level, as appropriate, initiatives to provide opportunities for those with inadequate educational levels or skills to access quality learning opportunities, including adult basic ICT skills programmes, as well as specific initiatives to upgrade skills of workers in low-paid sectors and those facing the challenge of industry restructuring and rapid technological change;
  3. use the increased opportunities presented by ICTs for more flexibility in the organization of work to develop family-friendly work arrangements which enhance the quality of working life and better reconcile the needs of the enterprise and the employees;
  4. promote gender equality through enhanced access to training, the development of new skills and flexible and appropriate learning opportunities for women workers.

3. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to request the Director-General to:

  1. strengthen the ILO’s promotional activities in relation to those Conventions and Recommendations of particular importance to the needs of the workforce in the "new economy" including the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), the Older Workers Recommendation, 1980 (No. 162), the Part-Time Work Convention, 1994 (No. 175), the Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140), the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), and the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177);
  2. step up research activities to assist in developing policies and activities which optimize the positive impact of ICTs on employment, quality of working life, social protection, gender equality and the social dialogue;
  3. exchange information and experience of good practice in sectors, industries and workplaces affected by ICTs;
  4. examine the need for standard setting in relation to the protection of personal data and the right to privacy;
  5. work closely with the international financial institutions to develop and promote joint policies and strategies to ensure that developing countries have access to the basic infrastructure which is necessary to maximize the employment and other opportunities created by ICTs;
  6. facilitate and promote the greater use of ICTs by employers’ and workers’ organizations with the aim of enhancing their capacity to engage in collective bargaining and the social dialogue at enterprise, sectoral, national, regional and international level, as appropriate.

Resolution concerning gender equality at work, submitted by the following Workers’ delegates:Mr. Abou-Rizk (Lebanon); Mr. Agyei (Ghana);Ms. Anderson (Mexico); Mr. Attigbe (Benin);Mr. Basnet (Nepal); Mr. Blondel (France); Lord Brett (United Kingdom); Mr. Cedrone (Italy); Mr. Edström (Sweden); Ms. Engelen-Kefer (Germany); Mr. Etty (Netherlands); Mr. Ito (Japan); Mr. Matheson (Australia); Mr. Murangira (Rwanda); Mr. Parrot (Canada); Mr. Patel (South Africa); Mr. Sahbani (Tunisia); Mr. Wistisen (Denmark); Mr. Wojcik (Poland); Mr. Zellhoefer (United States); Mr. Zindoga (Zimbabwe)[3]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Noting the increased role of the ILO in supporting the field of gender equality at work, especially through the development of the concept of "decent work" for women and men and the recognition of gender as a cross-cutting issue for both policy guidelines and activities of the Organization,

Recognizing the unique opportunity to focus on an international equality agenda offered by the two Special Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, both held in this month of June 2000, on "Women 2000: Gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" and on "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: Achieving social development for all in a globalizing world",

Stressing that while women make up to 45 per cent of the world’s workforce, women account for the majority of the world’s population living in poverty and, while the process of globalization is experienced by many women and men as heightened insecurity and marginalization, the global gap between economic growth and social development is also fundamentally a gender gap,

Recalling the adoption by the International Labour Conference since the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) of the following instruments of direct relevance to women and girls:

Welcoming the approval in December 1999 of the ILO Action Plan on Gender Equality and Mainstreaming with the aim of strengthening both policy formulation and capacity building for ILO staff and constituents,

Emphasizing the need to ensure that a gender perspective is systematically integrated in the Office strategic plan with allocation of regular budget and of extra-budgetary resources;

1. Appeals to governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to:

  1. adopt a comprehensive strategy to end discrimination and achieve equality and justice for women, promoting equal participation and equal remuneration of women in employment, recognition of care work and the reconciliation of work and family life;
  2. recognize the link between the ILO mandate and the Beijing Platform, especially in the field of human rights, reduction of poverty, access to education and training and participation in the decision-making process;
  3. identify the six economic strategic objectives of the Beijing Platform as crucial for the empowerment of women; namely: promote women’s economic rights and independence, including access to employment, appropriate working conditions and control over economic resources (which includes the right to join a trade union); facilitate women’s equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade; provide business services, training and access to markets, information and technology, particularly to low-income women; strengthen women’s economic capacity and commercial networks; eliminate occupational segregation and all forms of employment discrimination; promote harmonization of work and family responsibilities for women and men;
  4. adopt and implement without delay strategies and measures to ensure gender parity in their delegations to the International Labour Conference, the ILO sectoral and regional meetings and as members of the Governing Body;
  5. use the key instruments of labour statistics more effectively to promote gender equality.

2. Calls upon the governments of the ILO member States to:

  1. ensure that trade liberalization policies will encompass a "gender dimension", recognizing their full implications for women’s employment, economic and social status;
  2. place gender issues at the centre of macroeconomic and labour market policies and programmes, covering both the formal and informal sectors;
  3. promote legislative changes and positive action programmes on a tripartite basis to achieve workplace equality and full implementation of the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111);
  4. implement programmes to ensure universal access to education for girls, consistent with the United Nations target of closing the gender gap in school education rates by the year 2005 and with the ILO campaign against child labour based on the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182);
  5. ratify and implement the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), the Rural Workers’ Organisations Convention, 1975 (No. 141), the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143), the Part-Time Work Convention, 1994 (No. 175), and the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177), as critical to the empowerment of women in the formal and informal sectors, as well as to women employed in the industrial home work and export processing zones.

3. Calls upon employers’ and workers’ organizations to:

  1. incorporate gender perspectives into the work of both trade unions and employers’ associations, developing projects and programmes targeted at the empowerment of women and their full participation in the world of work and society as a whole;
  2. recognize the double disadvantage that many women are facing on the grounds of race, ethnicity, age, disability or sexual orientation and work in order to fight discrimination at the workplace and beyond;
  3. negotiate new ways to allow women and men to improve their ability as employees to combine paid work and family and community responsibility;
  4. encourage full and effective participation of women in all their activities and promote gender equality in leadership positions.

4. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization to request the Director-General to:

  1. develop a promotional campaign for the ratification and implementation of a package of gender-relevant Conventions, with appropriate publicity, technical cooperation and support. The first step in this direction will require clustering together the relevant Conventions on issues that critically address the area of women at work, inter alia: workers with family responsibilities, maternity protection, part-time work and home work, human resource development, employment policies, labour inspection and health and safety;
  2. design a statistical index based on quantifiable and comparable outcomes in gender development: the instrument would be a composite index of gender and work, covering inter alia: labour force participation rates and the gender wages gap. Annual publication of country performance on this index would become a benchmark for measuring progress and help government and workers’ and employers’ organizations to set up appropriate policy responses;
  3. consider additional work on the gender impact of macroeconomic policies, covering for example: changes in fiscal policies, trade liberalization and deregulation programmes, structural adjustment programmes, industrial policy frameworks, national debt profiles and consequences and different monetary policy regimes. In addition, undertake work on the role of trade unions in the improvement of working conditions, wages and benefits for women. These studies would show the impact on women, on their access to work, on their job security, job quality and incomes and would lead to a solid ILO contribution in the debates on the new global social architecture;
  4. deepen the work on quantifying the value of work outside the formal sector, covering the informal sector and the care sector, and publish these statistics to complement the available statistics on the formal economy;
  5. assist, through appropriate resource allocations, programmes and projects for women workers, in order to give them an effective voice in society, in the trade union movement and in business associations;
  6. promote gender-development policies as an integral part of crisis response and reconstruction programmes, especially in the areas of training and technical assistance, so that post-conflict reconstruction does not reproduce and/or reinforce the status quo ante.

Resolution concerning achieving sustainability and decent work in export processing zones, submitted by the following Workers’ delegates:Mr. Abou-Rizk (Lebanon); Mr. Agyei (Ghana);Ms. Anderson (Mexico); Mr. Attigbe (Benin);Mr. Basnet (Nepal); Mr. Blondel (France); Lord Brett (United Kingdom); Mr. Cedrone (Italy); Mr. Edström (Sweden); Ms. Engelen-Kefer (Germany); Mr. Etty (Netherlands); Mr. Ito (Japan); Mr. Matheson (Australia); Mr. Murangira (Rwanda); Mr. Parrot (Canada); Mr. Patel (South Africa); Mr. Sahbani (Tunisia); Mr. Wistisen (Denmark); Mr. Wojcik (Poland); Mr. Zellhoefer (United States); Mr. Zindoga (Zimbabwe)[4]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recognizing that export processing zones have become an important part of the labour market in many countries as well as a component of their strategy for economic development,

Endorsing the Conclusions of the Tripartite Meeting of Export Processing Zones-Operating Countries (Geneva, 1998) on priorities and guidelines for improving social and labour conditions in the export processing zones,

Acknowledging that for many countries the anticipated economic growth and development from export processing zones has failed to materialize owing, inter alia, to the failure to create sufficient economic linkages,

Further acknowledging that investment incentive schemes, such as tax holidays, may not contribute to economic development commensurate with their cost in terms of lost revenue especially where the only contribution to development consists of low-wage, low-skill jobs,

Recognizing that employment is often the only economic benefit from export processing zones realizable to developing countries and that increasing the quality of work should be a central concern,

Affirming that the quality of work in export processing zones is often undermined by inadequate social infrastructures including poor accommodation, health care and transportation,

Further bearing in mind that workers in export processing zones often lack the protection of labour and social security legislation and regulation and that many export processing zones encourage precarious and unprotected work and atypical employment relationships as an alternative to decent work,

Bearing in mind that women make up the overwhelming bulk of the zone labour force worldwide, and that the distinct needs and concerns of these women are frequently overlooked and are not being met,

Recalling the principle contained in the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, that governments of home and host countries should not include any limitation of the workers’ freedom of association or the right to organize and bargain collectively;

1. Calls on governments and, where appropriate, workers’ and employers’ organizations to:

  1. (a)ensure that where export processing zones are introduced they are well planned and are sufficiently linked to the rest of the economy;
  2. (b)ensure that the rights of all zone workers are respected, in particular the rights enshrined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, especially freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining;
  3. (c)make sure that workers’ representatives are included in the planning process and in the decision-making structures of any export processing zone authorities that may be established;
  4. (d)ensure that all workers in export processing zones are protected by the same labour and social security legislation and regulations as apply in the rest of the country and ensure that no worker is forced to undertake excessive overtime and unreasonable quotas of work;
  5. (e)further ensure that such legislation and regulations are effectively applied in export processing zones by taking measures such as strengthening the labour inspectorate;
  6. (f)ensure that export processing zones promote decent work instead of precarious or unprotected work and atypical employment;
  7. (g)take measures to ensure that workers in export processing zones are provided medical, accident and unemployment insurance and retirement benefits, by establishing special funds where necessary;
  8. (h)link incentives to investors with observance of specified benchmarks on good employment practices including industrial relations, education and training and the observance of occupational safety and health standards;
  9. (i)promote good industrial relations by providing, where necessary, capacity building for both labour and management;
  10. (j)ensure close coordination between developers of export processing zones, relevant government agencies, social and community organizations and trade unions in order to provide adequate social infrastructures and services, including affordable and adequate housing and transportation;
  11. (k)encourage, where appropriate, the formation and operation of cooperatives and other associations to provide housing and transportation as well as childcare and other social services;
  12. (l)provide advisory and counselling services to women workers in export processing zones as well as other programmes to address their particular needs;
  13. (m)adopt measures to prevent discrimination against women, such as their stereotyping in certain job categories and to counter sexual harassment, abolish forced pregnancy tests and forced contraception;
  14. (n)provide educational opportunities and training to improve the career potential of women workers and to enhance their income-generating potential should they leave their jobs in export processing zones;
  15. (o)furnish vocational and life skills training to all workers employed in export processing zones through such measures as establishing skills development funds, based on payroll levies, and establishing skills development centres linked to export processing zones.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. develop and support advisory services and technical assistance projects that assist governments in protecting the rights and interests of workers in export processing zones;
  2. work with inter-governmental organizations such as the IMF, World Bank, WTO and UNCTAD to ensure that investment promotion policies and programmes do not contribute to the violation of workers’ rights but promote the protection of workers in export processing zones;
  3. expand its research activities on export processing zones and include the collection of data relevant to export processing zones in the KILM list of economic indicators;
  4. incorporate the protection of workers and their rights in export processing zones in all relevant sectoral activities.

Resolution concerning the role of the International Labour Organization in the twenty-first century, submitted by the following Workers’ delegates:Mr. Abou-Rizk (Lebanon); Mr. Agyei (Ghana);Ms. Anderson (Mexico); Mr. Attigbe (Benin);Mr. Basnet (Nepal); Mr. Blondel (France); Lord Brett (United Kingdom); Mr. Cedrone (Italy); Mr. Edström (Sweden); Ms. Engelen-Kefer (Germany); Mr. Etty (Netherlands); Mr. Ito (Japan); Mr. Matheson (Australia); Mr. Murangira (Rwanda); Mr. Parrot (Canada); Mr. Patel (South Africa); Mr. Sahbani (Tunisia); Mr. Wistisen (Denmark); Mr. Wojcik (Poland); Mr. Zellhoefer (United States); Mr. Zindoga (Zimbabwe)[5]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Underlining the exceptional richness of the ILO’s mandate, as expressed in the Declaration of Philadelphia, i.e. to create the conditions "of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity" in which "all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex can pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development",

Aware that development policies must increase their focus on the world of work as a central determinant of policies aimed at poverty eradication, respect for fundamental workers’ rights, and the elimination of gender discrimination,

Acknowledging the ILO’s comparative advantages, particularly its knowledge base and its unique tripartite structure, in the examination of the socio-economic aspects of the globalization process and for the formulation of international standards on principles and rights at work, employment, occupational health and safety and social protection,

Reaffirming the importance of the forthcoming Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Geneva 2000) as a timely platform to put social development policies on an equal footing with finance and trade policies in the elaboration of a new architecture for international cooperation and competition,

Supporting the promotion of cooperation on economic and social policies between the ILO and the Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO, especially regarding macroeconomic issues and with a view to ensuring the full application of the principles and rights enshrined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up throughout the international multilateral system and the development of a new social architecture with "decent work" and the respect for fundamental workers’ rights at its core;

1. Invites the governments and, where appropriate, employers’ organizations and trade unions to:

  1. reaffirm their commitment to the aims and objectives of the ILO and to join effort and action for their realization, through the development and implementation of strategies and policies for full employment and social inclusion – with the creation of quality jobs with full respect of workers’ rights – and through the enhancement of the positive role of the public sector in employment policy and job creation;
  2. devise procedures for trade and investment to serve social development and help lead to the improvement, not the denial, of working peoples’ fundamental human rights, by taking developmental, social and environmental perspectives fully into account in international economic relations and trade rules;
  3. ratify and fully implement the core Conventions enshrined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, as enabling rights fostering democracy, good governance and social and economic development;
  4. commit themselves to improving ILO standard-setting activities, including the strengthening of the ILO’s supervisory bodies, and to ratifying and fully implementing international labour standards at national level.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. strengthen the capacity of the Office to address macroeconomic policies at national and international level in order to secure the development of more and better jobs and effective social protection for all women and men;
  2. provide technical assistance and support to employers’ organizations and trade unions in order for them to respond to the challenges of globalization, including the adoption of new strategies to promote collective bargaining and social dialogue;
  3. undertake research and promote dialogue on innovations to industrial relations practices, institutions and legislation to reflect the needs of workers in a globalized economy;
  4. continue the work under way to reinvigorate labour standards and to develop high-impact standards on new issues emerging from the world of work and in sectors such as social protection, occupational health and safety, environmental protection and sustainable development;
  5. intensify the ILO’s research into the social dimensions of globalization as a key input into developing a new social architecture in the global economy;
  6. undertake joint activities within the United Nations system to promote the ILO Declaration on Fundamental rinciples and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, including mobilization of resources, operational projects and research programmes;
  7. strengthen the contribution of the ILO in international economic and social policy-making bodies, particularly through improved cooperation with the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO with a view to ensuring that labour standards – particularly core labour standards – are fully respected in all countries;
  8. promote social dialogue at national, regional and international level, between governments, trade unions and employers’ organizations.
  9. demonstrate the ILO’s pivotal role for an effective follow-up to the Social Summit, in particular by establishing programmes and research in respect of workers’ rights, poverty eradication, social integration and gender equality;
  10. strengthen the ILO’s work and structures in the field and the communication between field and head office, in order to monitor regional trends, formulate policies and respond to national and regional challenges;
  11. fulfil the ILO’s mandate to mainstream gender and development perspectives in all its operational activities and programmes of work.

Resolution concerning the promotion of gender equality, submitted by the Government delegations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), and the principles enshrined in other relevant Conventions such as those pertaining to maternity protection and workers with family responsibilities,

Reaffirming the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, 1998,

Taking into consideration the convening by the United Nations General Assembly of "Women 2000: Gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century" (Beijing+5) and the "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: Achieving social development for all in a globalizing world" (Copenhagen+5) and the ILO’s contribution in this regard,

Recognizing that although progress in this field has been made, major gaps still exist,

Deeply concerned that women workers disproportionally are faced with unemployment and income insecurity,

Alarmed that poverty and social exclusion have increasingly and disproportionately afflicted girls and women,

Concerned that gender gaps in earning persist despite the fact that more countries have adopted equal pay legislation,

Recognizing that the primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men so that they might obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity,

Recognizing the observance of the principles contained in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up and the importance of workers’ rights, and through the ratification and implementation of the ILO’s core Conventions, i.e. those covering the prohibition of forced and child labour, freedom of association, the right to organize and bargain collectively and the principle of non-discrimination and the principles of equal pay,

Welcoming the ILO’s four strategic objectives to promote fundamental principles and rights at work, create greater employment and income opportunities for women and men, enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection and strengthening social dialogue and that gender is a cross-cutting issue in all four objectives,

Welcoming the ILO’s mainstreaming strategy;

1. Calls on all governments and, where appropriate, workers’ and employers’ organizations to:

  1. eliminate gender discrimination on the labour market;
  2. promote the ratification and implementation of the ILO’s core Conventions and give special attention to the promotion of principles enshrined in other relevant ILO Conventions, such as those pertaining to maternity protection and workers with family responsibilities;
  3. develop gender-sensitive national employment policies which guarantee full and equal access of women and men to employment and training;
  4. develop gender-oriented schemes for productive micro and small enterprises, including those in the informal sector;
  5. develop gender-sensitive social security schemes for the protection of women and men;
  6. take measures to raise women’s productivity, in particular in the agricultural and informal sectors, by fostering women’s control over the resources they manage;
  7. promote a gender-sensitive social dialogue;
  8. eliminate pay differences based on sex;
  9. promote equal opportunities for participation for both women and men;
  10. promote the reconciliation between working life and family life for both men and women;
  11. ensure a gender dimension in standard-setting activities.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. ensure sufficient allocations for gender activities within the regular budget;
  2. identify appropriate funding for technical cooperation to ensure the widest possible impact of gender-sensitive projects and programmes in member States;
  3. take fully into account the need for the ILO to play a proactive role in the follow-up to Beijing+5 and Copenhagen+5;
  4. explore innovative approaches in gender mainstreaming, specific interventions and research with its constituents;
  5. establish monitoring and benchmark systems and to introduce accountability to ensure systematic integration of gender-sensitive considerations into all ILO policies and programmes;
  6. report back to the Governing Body on the implementation of this resolution.

Resolution concerning the consolidation of efforts by the social partners in Palestine and the other occupied Arab territories, submitted by the Government delegations of Jordan and Yemen and Mr. Assfor, Employer delegate of Jordan[6]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the provisions of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization which confirm that "universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice" and recalling also the provision of the Declaration of Philadelphia whereby "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",

Recalling the obligations of member States to respect the aims and principles of International Labour Organization, international labour standards, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, as well as international humanitarian rules, particularly in territories subject to special situations such as military occupation and colonization,

Welcoming the efforts made by the Director-General of the International Labour Office to monitor the situation of Arab workers in Palestine and the other occupied Arab territories, in keeping with the resolutions of the International Labour Conference, as well as the implementation of technical assistance programmes for the social partners in those regions, which have helped to alleviate the suffering of the partners caused by the negative economic and social repercussions of the occupation and colonization,

Expressing its concern that the conclusions of the missions sent by the Director-General have emphasized the insufficient evolution of the situation of Arab workers in these territories, and given the continuing deterioration in the situation of the most vulnerable social groups owing to the abusive procedures and measures of the Israeli authorities despite the peace process,

Expressing its concern at the increase in poverty, at the mounting rate of unemployment of young Palestinians, as well as at the ongoing incidence of work by children and young people, at the humiliating treatment of Palestinian workers crossing checkpoints despite all their documents being in order and at the discriminatory policy directed towards them with respect to their working conditions and social benefits;

1. Requests Israel, as the occupying power, to respect international labour standards, international humanitarian rules and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up in its relations with Arab workers and employers in Palestine and in the other occupied Arab territories, and to put an end to its policies and practices for the expropriation of Arab lands and water resources and the expansion of settlements in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan. Such policies and practices have had devastating implications for the economic and social situation in these territories;

2. Requests the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to design an integrated plan of technical assistance to respond to the economic and social needs of citizens in these territories to be financed by the regular budget and extra-budgetary resources in order to underpin the efforts of the social partners in the areas of infrastructure rebuilding, the reestablishment of social institutions, the reintegration of prisoners and disabled persons and the creation of new jobs for young people in Palestine and the other occupied Arab territories;

3. Requests the Director-General of the ILO to include in his annual reports the measures taken to implement this resolution.

Resolution concerning standard-setting policy, submitted by the Government delegations of France, Germany, Japan, Portugal and Switzerland

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the goals of the ILO Constitution and the Declaration of Philadelphia,

Recalling the longstanding and successful tradition, and the influence on national legislation, of the ILO’s standard-setting policy and its supervisory mechanisms as a prime instrument to work towards these goals,

Recalling the concept of "decent work" and the four strategic objectives of the ILO,

Recalling the ILO’s recent standard-setting successes, in particular the adoption of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182),

Recalling the internationally agreed competence of the ILO to set and deal with labour standards,

Noting that the far-reaching economic, social and political changes due to globalization and technological change have a profound impact on the world of work which enhances the importance of tripartism and necessitates adequate and flexible ILO instruments and more efficient supervisory mechanisms,

Building on the proposals outlined by the Director-General’s Reports to the General Conference in 1994 and 1997 (Part II),

Building the substantive reform proposals by the Working Party on the Revision of Standards embodied by the Governing Body’s decisions since its 267th Session,

Building on the comprehensive proposals of the Director-General, unanimously endorsed at the General Conference in 1999, to review and strengthen the body and standard-setting policy of the ILO in order to assure the role of ILO standards and instruments in the broader world context,

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive and confidence-building discussion on reforming the standard-setting policy of the ILO based on consensus,

Emphasizing the need for shared commitments on the goals of standard-setting policy as the bases of such a discussion,

Agreeing that these shared commitments include: an understanding that ILO’s standard-setting activities play a fundamental role in translating the Organization’s constitutional objectives into reality; a recognition that international labour Conventions are an irreplaceable source of binding obligations subject to various types of supervisory procedures; an understanding that the reform effort consequently does not aim at undermining the standard-setting policy of the ILO but enhancing its effectiveness, efficiency and visibility towards measurable results,

Welcoming the consultations and other efforts of the Office in this matter;

1. Invites the Director-General to lead the discussion on standard-setting reform by continuing consultations with constituents, and by preparing for the 279th Session of the Governing Body concrete proposals including a blueprint and a timetable for reform to:

  1. enhance effectiveness and efficiency in elaborating and revising standards based on a deeper analysis of the interplay among existing standards and their impact on various groups;
  2. increase efficiency and impact of the supervisory machinery;
  3. improve links among technical cooperation, advice and the promotion of standards;
  4. consider other forms of standard-setting instruments which take into account the changing nature of employment and work.

2. Invites the Governing Body at its 279th Session to consider the possibility of including a general discussion on the review of standard-setting policy in the agenda of the International Labour Conference in June 2002.

Resolution concerning export processing zones, submitted by the following Workers’ delegate:Mr. Cortebeeck (Belgium)[7]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Considering that within the context of globalization, there is a rapid proliferation of export processing zones throughout the world, and that with over 850 zones employing more than 27 million workers, these zones have become an important source of employment,

Considering that the overwhelming majority of workers in export processing zones are women in low-paid and low-skilled jobs,

Recalling that export processing zones were perceived by the Bretton Woods institutions as a means of opening up national economies to the world economy, increasing foreign direct investment and liberalizing trade, and realizing that their socio-economic benefits have been limited,

Noting that many governments publicize the comparative advantages of their export processing zones and the economic concessions being granted to investors, but that some go further and openly advertise practices that are in violation of international labour standards,

Considering that in many countries, export processing zones are excluded from coverage of national labour legislation, normal procedures of industrial relations and ratified ILO Conventions, including the ILO Declaration on

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up,

Noting that workers in these export processing zones are often subjected to poor working conditions and violations of workers’ rights such as the right to organize and collective bargaining, equality of opportunity and treatment and occupational safety and health, have inadequate protection against illegal dismissals and are also subjected to sexual harassment, and practices of forced sterilization and pregnancy tests,

Noting that when workers in many export processing zones seek to exercise their rights, they often suffer persecution and punishment which may include physical abuse, moral harassment, intimidation and arbitrary dismissals,

Considering that female workers make up the overwhelming majority of those affected by these violations and therefore specific attention has to be paid to the gender dimension of export processing zones,

Considering that multinational companies are key players in export processing zones and are therefore also responsible for the working conditions in these zones;

1. Calls upon governments and, where appropriate, employers’ organizations to:

  1. (a)bring to an end all restrictions on trade union rights in export processing zones and ensure that labour and social conditions in these zones are covered by national labour laws and ratified ILO Conventions, in both law and practice;
  2. (b)establish effective industrial relations structures to secure the application of all ratified ILO Conventions, an upgrading of skills and an improvement in working conditions in these zones;
  3. (c)give full access to labour inspectors to these export processing zones and to reinforce their operations within them;
  4. (d)develop procedures to ensure that national investment policies are consistent with commitments made in the ILO and that an end is put to advertising that presents practices in contradiction with international labour standards as an incentive to foreign investors;
  5. (e)make sure that multinational enterprises as well as local companies investing in these zones are not only made fully aware of their social responsibilities, but that they are also made to comply with national labour legislation and ratified ILO Conventions;
  6. (f)ensure that women working in these zones enjoy full maternity protection and that their family responsibilities are addressed through the provision of social infrastructure such as childcare centres and secure transportation;
  7. (g)provide adequate training in order to upgrade skills and ensure that women workers are not confined to low-paid and low-skilled jobs;
  8. (h)secure an immediate end to inhuman aspects of work in export processing zones such as physical abuse, pregnancy tests, forced sterilization, and intimidation;
  9. (i)engage in tripartite dialogue with workers’ organizations to ensure that export processing zones are operated in a healthy manner and contribute to the provision of full and productive employment.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to:

  1. develop specific technical assistance programmes orientated towards export processing zones in line with the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up;
  2. provide urgent technical assistance to those countries sincerely seeking to engage in tripartite dialogue with a goal of improving social and working conditions in these export processing zones;
  3. reinforce research into policies and practices of multinational companies in export processing zones and develop guidelines of best practices which can be promoted;
  4. develop a proactive approach to private voluntary initiatives regarding the social responsibility of enterprises;
  5. engage in an active dialogue with the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization in order to highlight the limitations of foreign direct investment, particularly in export processing zones, and to encourage them to help orient foreign investment as an instrument for the promotion of social development and decent work.

Resolution concerning the 50th anniversary of the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), submitted by the following Workers’ delegate:Mr. Cortebeeck (Belgium)[8]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100),

Recalling that Convention No. 100 was designated by the ILO as one of the fundamental Conventions referred to in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up,

Recalling that the efforts of the ILO to implement the Beijing Programme of Action, both through its standard-setting activities (Convention No. 177 and Recommendation No. 184 of 1996 concerning home work; the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, 1998; and Convention No. 182 and Recommendation No. 190 of 1999 concerning the worst forms of child labour) and through its many activities in the area of technical cooperation, as well as its information and promotion policies on issues of equality and non-discrimination,

Recalling the social polarities engendered by economic globalization and the unequal growth in the world, of which women are often the first victims, a fact reflected disturbingly in the feminization of poverty and the growth of informal sector work among women,

Recalling that in practice, the position of women in the labour market remains a matter of concern owing to the many examples of exclusion and discrimination of which they are victims and the many cases in which the principle of equal treatment for men and women within the meaning of the Convention is violated directly or indirectly by traditions and practices,

Noting that, despite the very positive results achieved by the Office’s ratification campaign and the ratifications that have been registered following the activities to pro

mote the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, 29 countries have still not ratified the Convention,

Recalling that the Committee on the Application of Standards of the International Labour Conference has noted on several occasions, in particular during the course of last year’s discussions, that while national laws requiring the payment of equal wages to men and women for work of equal value increasingly conform to the terms of the Convention and that a greater awareness is emerging among governments and the social partners, there remain serious problems in terms of application, as well as regrettable deficiencies from the point of view of assessment, resulting from poverty and the disparities in the information and statistical data provided to the ILO by governments that have ratified the Convention,

Recalling, as the Committee on the Application of Standards and the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations did in their reports to the Conference in 1999, that the implementation and effective application of measures guaranteeing equal remuneration for male workers and women workers for work of equal value must involve the ratification and effective application of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) and the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160),

Recalling the fundamental principle of tripartism and the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), as well as the Tripartite Consultation (Activities of the International Labour Organization) Recommendation, 1976 (No. 152), with a view to ensuring the active involvement of workers’ and employers’ organizations in the implementation of policies concerning equal remuneration for men and women;

1. Invites the governments and, where appropriate, the organizations of employers and workers to:

  1. evaluate the progress made in the area of equal pay for men and women for equal work;
  2. mark this anniversary by ratifying the Convention, if they have not already done so;
  3. examine all the issues relating to pay, including entitlements arising from the employment relationship, that is to say, wages and salaries, pensions, allowances and other types of remuneration arising from work;
  4. ratify and apply the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) and the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160), as indispensible instruments in the evaluation and measurement of the concrete impact of measures taken to enforce the principle of equal pay for women and men;
  5. submit the required reports to the ILO in good time concerning the application of the Convention and to ensure that the information given facilitates a better assessment of the gender-based wage differentials that exist between men and women, both between different economic sectors and within individual sectors;
  6. develop programmes of education and information with a view to disseminating the text of the Convention and ensuring better comprehension of the instrument to ensure more effective application.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. continue the efforts made, both as part of the ratification campaign and in order to promote the Declaration, to bring about ratification of the Convention by all the member States;
  2. urge the governments to ensure that measures are taken, assisting them where necessary through technical cooperation activities, to improve the information and reports submitted concerning the application of the Convention;
  3. spare no effort to promote ratification and application of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) and the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160);
  4. give greater visibility, as part of the follow-up to the Declaration, to the effects of the application of this Convention and to the ILO’s work in the area of equal treatment;
  5. strive to ensure that greater attention is paid to the principles of equality embodied in the Convention in policies implemented by the ILO itself, and follow the same course in its relations with other international organizations, with a view to ensuring that the principles of the Conventions are duly taken into account by the whole of the international community.

Resolution concerning labour courts and similar mechanisms, submitted by the following Workers’ delegate: Mr. Cortebeeck (Belgium)[9]

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the campaign conducted by the International Labour Office to promote the effective application of international labour Conventions and more particularly those concerned with the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,

Recalling the commitments of governments at the World Summit for Social Development held in March 1995 in Copenhagen to safeguard and promote respect for workers’ fundamental rights,

Considering that economic globalization, the increased liberalization of labour legislation, the transition to a market economy in many countries, the growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises, the growth of the service economy, the existence of disguised or hidden employment relationships, the increase in informal forms of work and the ongoing changes in labour statutes, require the establishment of systems both efficient and easily accessible to workers to ensure respect for the rights ensuing from the employment relationship,

Noting that existing instruments such as the Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92) and the Examination of Grievances Recommendation, 1967 (No. 130) only provide partial solutions to the problem,

Noting that the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) – one of the Conventions whose ratification and application should be promoted – highlights the significance of the effective application of labour standards,

Noting that mechanisms to ensure the operation of labour inspection should be supplemented to guarantee their efficiency by bodies authorized to take binding decisions,

Considering that many countries, in collaboration with workers’ and employers’ organizations, have established specific systems adapted to national conditions that are eas

ily accessible and that are trusted by workers and employers, such as labour courts, arbitration procedures, etc.,

Reaffirming that the application of basic ILO values and principles, such as social justice, non-discrimination, tripartism and respect for concluded agreements requires the introduction of mechanisms that constitute the ultimate guarantor of workers’ rights;

1. Calls upon all the constituents to:

  1. introduce, where they do not already exist, efficient mechanisms that are easily accessible, to ensure the effective implementation of workers’ rights;
  2. guarantee the participation of workers’ and employers’ organizations in the design, introduction and running of these mechanisms and procedures and ensure they have the indispensable trust of workers and employers.

2. Invites the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. ensure that the competent services at the Office give particular attention to the introduction and functioning of efficient procedures to ensure respect for the rights ensuing from the employment relationship;
  2. have a full study carried out on the modes of operation of labour courts and similar mechanisms;
  3. have in-depth studies conducted on the matter with a view to placing this subject on the agenda of a forthcoming session of the International Labour Conference in view of the adoption of an international labour Convention.

Resolution concerning the support of efforts by the social partners in Palestine and the occupied Arab territories, including the occupied Lebanese territories, submitted by the Government delegationof Lebanon

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the provisions of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization which confirm that universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice, and recalling also the provision of the Declaration of Philadelphia whereby "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",

Recalling the obligations of the member States to respect the aims and principles of the International Labour Organization, international labour standards, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, particularly in territories subject to special situations such as military occupation and colonization,

Welcoming the efforts made by the Director-General of the International Labour Office to monitor the situation of Arab workers in Palestine and the other occupied Arab territories, in keeping with the resolutions of the International Labour Conference in this area, as well as the implementation of technical cooperation programmes for the social partners in those regions, which have helped to alleviate the suffering of the partners caused by the disastrous economic and social repercussions of the occupation and colonization,

Expressing its concern vis-à-vis the reports of ILO missions that refer to insufficient progress seen in the situation of Arab workers in these territories, and also to the continuing deterioration in the situation of the most vulnerable social categories owing to the arbitrary procedures and measures used by the Israeli authorities despite the peace process,

Expressing its concern at the increase in poverty and the level of unemployment of young Palestinians as well as at the employment of children and young people, the humiliating treatment of Palestinian workers crossing checkpoints despite all their documents being in order, and at the discriminatory policy directed towards them with respect to their working conditions and social benefits,

Expressing its regret about the damage caused to infrastructure and property in Lebanon as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks, particularly in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa, which has caused considerable damage to the national economy and to employers’ and workers’ interests;

Decides:

  1. to request Israel, as the occupying power, to respect international labour standards as well as international humanitarian rules and the provisions of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up in its relations with Arab workers and employers in Palestine and in the other occupied Arab territories, and to put an end to its policy and practices concerning the confiscation of land and water resources and the expansion of its settlements in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan, in view of the devastating impact on the economic and social situation;
  2. to request the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to design an integrated plan for a technical assistance project responding to the economic and social needs of the citizens of these territories, to be financed by regular budget and extra-budgetary resources, in order to underpin the efforts of the social partners to rebuild the infrastructure of the social institutions, to reintegrate prisoners and disabled persons and to create new jobs for young people in Palestine and the other occupied Arab territories;
  3. to request the Governing Body of the International Labour Office to send an urgent mission to Lebanon to study economic and social needs following the Israeli attacks and to prepare technical cooperation projects to respond to the needs of regions in southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa that have suffered damage, with the aim of supporting the efforts of the Lebanese Government and the social partners to reconstruct and develop the country;
  4. to request the Director-General of the ILO to include in his annual reports the measures taken to implement this resolution.

Resolution concerning the ILO’s role in social development, submitted by the Government delegations of Canada, Chile, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Reaffirming the fundamental principles and values enshrined in the ILO Constitution and the Declaration of Philadelphia to promote social justice,

Acknowledging the continued challenge of attaining social justice in the context of the new global economy,

Welcoming the Special Session of the General Assembly entitled "World Summit for Social Development and beyond: Achieving social development for all in a globalizing world", which will seek renewed commitment by governments and other relevant actors to undertake further actions to implement the goals of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen to place people at the centre of development, eradicate poverty, promote full and productive employment, and foster social integration to achieve stable, safe and just societies for all,

Noting the synergy between the goals of the World Summit and the ILO’s concept of decent work to create opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of equality, security and human dignity,

Recognizing the unique characteristics of the ILO in its constitutional mandate to promote social justice, its tripartite structure, its standard-setting activities, its global empirical database and research capacity on a wide range of labour, employment, social security issues,

Recognizing the need for constant adaptation and reinforcement of ILO’s means of action to adjust to a rapidly changing political, social and economic world,

Recognizing that international cooperation on social issues requires complementarity and coherence among multilateral economic, social and financial institutions,

Welcoming the recognition of the international community of the ILO as the international institution best placed to lead on social aspects of globalization and social dialogue at the global level;

1. Invites governments and, where appropriate, workers’ and employers’ organizations to:

  1. take appropriate actions to respect and realize the principle of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up;
  2. promote tripartite involvement to ratify and implement ILO Conventions and Recommendations;
  3. support initiatives to improve international, regional, subregional and country cooperation for advancing the ILO’s principles and values and its four strategic objectives.

2. Requests the Governing Body to instruct the Director-General to:

  1. accelerate and enhance promotion of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up with international organizations, all constituents and staff;
  2. promote the concept of decent work as the integrating social and economic framework for social development;
  3. promote the role and authority of the ILO on international social policy questions, including increased collaboration and partnerships with other multilateral institutions in areas such as joint research, information exchange, advocacy and policy influence and programme activities;
  4. take all necessary actions to proceed on a priority basis with the comprehensive review of standard-setting activities with a view to strengthening these by adapting them to the changing needs of the globalized economy in order to improve their visibility, effectiveness and relevance;
  5. take appropriate action to ensure that the ILO maintains its leadership role on establishing best practices on employment and sustainable livelihoods;
  6. provide appropriate assistance to member States to achieve progress in attaining the four strategic objectives of the ILO contained in the Director-General’s report Decent Work.

Resolution concerning international employment strategy, submitted by the Government delegations of Canada, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Recalling the Employment Policy Convention (No. 122) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 122) and the principles enshrined in other relevant instruments such as the Employment Policy (Supplementary Provisions) Recommendation, 1984 (No. 169),

Recognizing that levels of unemployment remain unacceptably high in most countries,

Recognizing that sustainable employment is the best route out of poverty and social exclusion,

Considering that the knowledge-based economy creates new employment opportunities but also requires new approaches to education and training so that obsolescence of skills does not cause unemployment and does not become a new source of social exclusion, particularly for those who cannot gain access to ICT skills,

Taking account of good practice and knowledge in this area;

Calls upon the Director-General of the ILO to develop and submit to the 89th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2001, a coherent international strategy on employment with the aim of increasing opportunities for people to achieve sustainable livelihoods and to increase participation in employment worldwide through active measures developed in partnership with employers and workers which will:

  1. increase employment rates for people of all ages and all levels of skill and educational attainment;
  2. maximize participation in employment by promoting equality of opportunity and tackling all forms of discrimination – including age;
  3. help the long-term unemployed and those who have become detached from the labour market to return to employment;
  4. help those who are at a disadvantage in the labour market because of lack of basic skills or disability;
  5. create dynamic labour markets which combine adaptability and flexibility with decent standards of employment;
  6. promote a culture of lifelong learning which will enable all workers to improve and update their skills and develop their careers.

1. The following Employers’ delegates: Mr. Anand (India); Mr. Arbesser-Rastburg (Austria); Mr. Hoff (Norway) and Mr. Rial (Argentina) were also among the authors of the resolution. Their credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

2. The following Workers’ delegates: Mr. Ahmed (Pakistan); Ms.Buverud Pedersen (Norway); Mr. Kara (Israel); Ms. O’Donovan (Ireland); Mr. Ramirez León (Venezuela); Mr.Rampak (Malaysia); Ms. Rozas Velasquez (Chile); Mr. Trotman (Barbados) and Ms. Yacob (Singapore) were also among the authors of the resolution. Their credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

3. The following Workers’ delegates: Mr. Ahmed (Pakistan); Ms.Buverud Pedersen (Norway); Mr. Kara (Israel); Ms. O’Donovan (Ireland); Mr. Ramirez León (Venezuela); Mr.Rampak (Malaysia); Ms. Rozas Velasquez (Chile); Mr. Trotman (Barbados) and Ms. Yacob (Singapore) were also among the authors of the resolution. Their credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

4. The following Workers’ delegates: Mr. Ahmed (Pakistan); Ms.Buverud Pedersen (Norway); Mr. Kara (Israel); Ms. O’Donovan (Ireland); Mr. Ramirez León (Venezuela); Mr.Rampak (Malaysia); Ms. Rozas Velasquez (Chile); Mr. Trotman (Barbados) and Ms. Yacob (Singapore) were also among the authors of the resolution. Their credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

5. The following Workers’ delegates: Mr. Ahmed (Pakistan); Ms.Buverud Pedersen (Norway); Mr. Kara (Israel); Mr. Ramirez León (Venezuela); Mr.Rampak (Malaysia); Ms. Rozas Velasquez (Chile); Mr. Trotman (Barbados) and Ms. Yacob (Singapore) were also among the authors of the resolution. Their credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

6. The Worker delegate of Yemen, Mr. Kahlani, was also among the authors of the resolution. His credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

7. The Workers’ delegate of Morocco, Mr. Afilal, was also an author of the resolution. His credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

8. The Workers’ delegate of Morocco, Mr. Afilal, was also an author of the resolution. His credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

9. The Workers’ delegate of Morocco, Mr. Afilal, was also an author of the resolution. His credentials had not reached the Office at the date of publication of the resolution.

No. 1 – Wednesday, 17 May 2000

Updated by HK. Approved by RH. Last update: 7 June 2000.

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