ILO Governing Body meets to discuss fund for OPT workers – ILO Press release (excerpts)

ILO Governing Body meets on 7-22 November

to discuss Myanmar, occupied Arab territories

and global economic measures

Thursday 7 November 2002

( ILO/02/50 )

GENEVA (ILO News) – The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) opens its 285th session here today with a focus on forced labour in Myanmar, a fund for workers in the occupied Arab territories and a host of measures aimed at employment creation and social policy.

The 56-member Governing Body will also follow up on a resolution adopted by the International Labour Conference in June designed to strengthen the tripartite structure of the 83-year-old Organization and the role of its employer and worker representatives – the so-called "social partners" – in its functioning. Under the resolution on tripartism, delegates will consider proposals for concrete action, including "social dialogue audits" enabling the Governing Body to assess the depth of knowledge on and commitment to tripartism and tripartite consultations in the ILO's operations.

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Country developments

Regarding the situation of Palestinian workers in the occupied Arab territories, the Governing Body will review activities since its last meeting in June which called for technical cooperation programmes to boost employment and social protection and tje promotion of social dialogue. Delegates will discuss progress on plans to establish a Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection as well as requests for funding for the project by donors. A donors' meeting to be held in December 2002 will bring together both multilateral and Arab development funds. The Director-General had submitted the idea of the Fund to the "quartet" of international bodies engaged in the Middle East peace process (United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States), and a number of donors have expressed interest in principle.

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The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.

It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years.

Updated by CL. Approved by KMK. Last update: 7 November 2002.

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