The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its follow up: a new promotional and monitoring tool

1
The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Workand its follow up a new
promotional and monitoring tool

2
The Declaration its origin and rationale

• Copenhagen Social Summit, 1995
• Eliminating poverty and attaining sustainable
  and equitable growth are dependent on the
  creation of jobs and the observance and promotion
  of the core labor standards
• WTO Ministerial Meeting in Singapore, 1996
• Renewed commitment to the observance of
  internationally- recognized core labor standards
  and recognition of ILOs mandate in this area
• 1998, adoption of the Declaration
• a new promotional instrument to further social
  justice and link social progress to economic
  growth

3
The Declaration scope and content

• All ILO Member States have an obligation to
• respect,
• promote
• and realize
• fundamental principles and rights at work

4
FPRWs which principles and rights are we talking
about?

• Freedom of association/effective recognition of
  the the right to collective bargaining
• The elimination of forced labour
• The abolition of child labour
• The elimination of discrimination in employment
  and occupation

5

Fundamental principles and rights at work and
the core labour standards

• Freedom of association and collective bargaining
  (C. 87 and C.98)
• Elimination of forced labour (C. 29 and C. 105)
• Abolition of child Labour (C. 138 and C. 182)
• Elimination of discrimination (C. 100 and C.
  111)

6
FPRWs what is so fundamental about them?

• They are  enabling  rights
• They have received unanimous and universal
  acceptance
• Their realisation is not dependent upon the stage
  of socio-economic development

7
The Declaration and its follow-up main features

• Reaffirms ILO Constitutional values not open to
  ratification
• It is not to be used for protectionist purposes
• Reciprocal obligations (Member States/ILO)
• Follow-up mechanism separate from established
  ILO supervisory mechanisms and does not duplicate
  it

8
The Declaration and its follow-up
Technical cooperation
Advocacy
9
The follow-up Annual reviews and Global Reports

• Annual reviews
• Scope only non-ratifiers
• Focus each year all categories of FPRWs
• Goals
• identify obstacles or progress in respect of the
  realisation of the FPRWs
• Creates a baseline
• Detect and prioritize the type of technical
  assistance required to address dentified hurdles
• IDEA
• Discussed by the Governing Body in March

10
The follow-up Global Reports and Annual reviews

• Global Reports
• Scope all member countries
• Focus each year a different category of FPRWs
  in a four-year cycle
• Goals
• Provide a dynamic and global picture
• Serve as a basis for assessing the effectiveness
  of ILOs action
• Provide a basis for determining future
  priorities (4-year follow-up action)
• Discussed by the ILO Conference (ILC) in June
• Follow-up action discussed by the ILO Governing
  Body in November

11
Roles under the Follow-up

• The procedure assigns roles to
• The International Labour Office
• ILO Member States and
• Social Partners of the ILO

12
Roles under the Follow-up

• The International Labour Office
• promotes the Declaration and its follow-up
• compiles annual reports and draws up global
  reports
• designs, launch, monitors and evaluate TC
  activities and
• carries out promotional activities building upon
  findings and lessons of AR s, GRs and TC
  activities

13
Roles under the Follow-up

• ILO Member States
• respect, promote and realize the fundamental
  principles and rights in the Declaration
• submit an annual report if a fundamental
  Convention is not yet ratified
• participate in discussion of Annual Reviews and
  Global Reports
• Participate in the design and implementation of
  TC activities

14
Roles under the Follow-up

• Social Partners of the ILO
• Receive copies of annual reports from Governments
• Comment on these reports
• Engage in discussion of Annual Reviews
• Engage in discussion of the Global Reports at the
  ILC
• Participate in TC activities ensuing from ARs and
  GRs

15
What is the value added of the Declaration?

• A new, complementary and promotional instrument
  to promote the respect and realisation of FPRWs
• Ensures enhanced knowledge of the state of
  affairs of each category of FPRWs in all member
  states
• Strenghtens ILOs commitment and action on the
  promotion and realization of FPRWs
• Instrumental in raising the number of
  ratifications

16
Challenges ahead

• Showing/documenting the positive impact of FPRWs
  on social progress and economic growth, as well
  as the  costs  associated with non-observance
  of FPRWs
• impacting on the media
• impacting on the International Financial
  Institutions