2003

1. Working out of poverty: Making jobs the objective

   01 September 2003

   Work is the best route out of poverty," ILO Director-General Juan Somavia told this June's International Labour Conference. He renewed the ILO pledge to bring decent work to all parts of the globe.

2. In Nepal, micro-insurance helps the poor cope with health needs

   01 September 2003

   In Nepal, the ILO's "STEP" programme (Strategies and Tools against Social Exclusion and Poverty) is working with local partners to develop health micro-insurance schemes and improve access to health care for workers in the informal economy.

3. For millions of migrants, a new Convention

   01 September 2003

   The UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families entered into force on 1 July 2003. More than 10 years in the making, the new Convention represents a major step in efforts to improve the lives of the world's vast mobile workforce. ILO senior migration specialist Patrick Taran, who instigated the global campaign for ratification, tells World of Work what the Convention does, who it concerns and how it will make a difference in peoples' lives.

4. New ILO study highlights labour trends worldwide: US productivity up, Europe improves ability to create jobs

   01 September 2003

   As US and global productivity accelerate, does this mean the global economic slowdown in jobs creation is over? The new third edition of Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM) ( see note 1), finds that a rise in productivity and employment may be the only way to reduce poverty.

5. ILC91 Annual ILO Conference tackles new social agenda

   01 September 2003

   Fighting poverty, providing seafarers with new identity documents, and a variety of measures aimed at improving the world of work were among the highlights of the 91st International Labour Conference in June. Delegates held an impassioned debate over working conditions, and adopted radical new measures designed to improve workplace security and safety.

6. ILO Recommendation 193 one year after: The revival of the cooperative idea

   01 September 2003

   This June marked the first anniversary of the ILO's initiative to encourage the idea of cooperative business. ILO Recommendation 193, for the Promotion of Cooperatives, was formally adopted last year at the International Labour Conference. In the months since, staff in the ILO COOP team have worked with governments and coop bodies to help translate the Recommendation into practice at the national level. Journalist Andrew Bibby reports on the results of their work.

7. For millions of migrants, a new Convention

   06 August 2003

   The UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families entered into force on 1 July 2003. More than 10 years in the making, the new Convention represents a major step in efforts to improve the lives of the world’s vast mobile workforce. ILO senior migration specialist Patrick Taran, who instigated the global campaign for ratification, tells World of Work what the Convention does, who it concerns and how it will make a difference in peoples’ lives.

8. ILO Recommendation 193 one year after: The revival of the cooperative idea

   23 July 2003

   This June marked the first anniversary of the ILO's initiative to encourage the idea of cooperative business.

9. Labour-sponsored investment funds: more jobs, more money and job security

   11 July 2003

   Over 20 years ago, the economy of the Canadian province of Quebec was mired in deep recession, brought on by an international economic downturn and souring relations between the provincial government and labour.

10. Job stability in industrialized countries remains surprisingly strong

    08 July 2003

    ILO study sees labour markets less volatile than generally assumed