In a statement welcoming this development, a spokesperson for Mr. Ban noted that the establishment of this mechanism “has been a longstanding request of the International Labour Conference and the ILO Governing Body.”

In addition, UN Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari also underlined the importance of this step during his recent visit to Myanmar in the context of the Secretary-General’s good offices, spokesman Michele Montas said.

The ILO has for years been dealing with the issue of forced labour in Myanmar, and in November, 2006, the agency’s Governing Body adopted a resolution requesting “that the Government conclude with the ILO such an agreement as a matter of utmost urgency and decided to place on the agenda of its March 2007 session a specific item to enable it to move on legal options, including involving the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” which is the UN’s highest legal tribunal.