ILO advocates good governance for safe migration

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has advocated for the implementation of good policy governance to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration by member states.

Mr Guy Ryder, the ILO Director-General made the call in a statement on Tuesday during the opening of the 106th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 106th Session of the ILC has as its theme: “Work in a Changing Climate: The Green Initiative”. The ILC sets the broad policies of the ILO and meet once a year in Geneva, Switzerland.

The annual conference, “World Parliament of Labour” brings together more than 5,000 governments, worker and employer delegates from the ILO’s 187 member states.

Ryder said this was imperative as youth unemployment posed a major challenge to democracy and social cohesion. He said that the conference would look at the governance of labour migration, which was a constitutional responsibility of the ILO.

He said that labour migration was also at the top of the international policy agenda with the adoption of a Global Compact before the UN General Assembly next year.

The ILO Director-General said that a special conference committee would be set up to discuss labour migration, the challenge of governance and its recommendations would be forwarded to the UN.

“But everybody is needed to build governance that makes migration safe, orderly and regular and our opportunity for that starts here at this conference,” he said.

Ryder called for collective efforts to promote decent work as a tool for balanced growth and development within its member states. He said that there was more desperation for social justice and decent work than when the ILO was created 100 years ago.

The ILO chief said that there was a huge transformation in the world of work that the world had not witnessed before. Ryder, however, said that the potential for `greening of production’ would be a powerful engine for decent work creation and strong and balanced growth and development.

“We need the right policies to make this transition happen and to make it just. “And for this change to happen, it will require the combined efforts of governments and of employers and workers through social dialogue.

“Today, the Paris Agreement and the national commitments made under its terms, together with the 2030 Agenda, provide a unique opportunity to translate the tripartite consensus that we have constructed into large scale practical ILO work with member states,” he said.

Ryder said that during the conference, committees of workers, employers and government representatives would be considering how best to promote peace and stability.

He said that the conference would also look at the promotion of decent work opportunities, fundamental principles and rights at work as a follow up to the ILO’s Social Justice Declaration.

“The Conference Committee on the Application of Standards will address the situation of labour rights in countries, among others,” the ILO Director General said.

Also in the statement, Dr Tabaré Vázquez, the President of Uruguay, called on delegates not to wait for the future but to build “a world of work that serves the interests of everyone.”

Vázquez said that social dialogue between governments, trade unions and employers’ organisations “are key to the social contract and democracy” and indispensable for sustainable progress.

The Uruguayan president reminded delegates that Uruguay was among the first members of the ILO in 1919. He reaffirmed his country’s adhesion to the ILO’s founding principles and its centenary initiatives.

The conference started on June 5 to end on June 16. Mr Luis Ernesto Carles, the Minister of Labour of Panama, was elected the President of the conference over its the duration.