INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD ADOPT NEW ILO CONVENTION ON WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR, PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TOLD
Press Release
SOC/4505
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD ADOPT NEW ILO CONVENTION ON WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR, PREPARATORY COMMITTEE TOLD
19990519 Preparatory Committee for Special Session On World Social Summit Takes Up Subject of EmploymentThe international community should adopt a new International Labour Organization (ILO) convention on the prohibition and immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labour, the representative of Germany, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said this afternoon at a meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General Assembly that will review implementation of the outcome of the Social Summit.
The special session, to be held in Geneva from 26 to 30 June 2000, is intended to provide the opportunity for sharing and comparing experiences and identifying further concrete means of addressing the 10 commitments of the Social Summit, which was held in Copenhagen in 1995. This morning, the Committee took up discussions on commitment number three: employment.
Employment generation and reduction of unemployment had to be placed at the centre of government policies, the representative of Germany added. He also suggested the use of new developments, such as flex-time arrangements, application of information technologies and the concept of life-long learning in the development of employment policies. Enhancing self-employment and promoting small- and-medium-sized businesses could play an important role, as well.
A number of delegations also stressed the need to create employment opportunities for young people. The delegate from Algeria said her country had set up an international agency for the support and employment of young people. Among other things, that agency managed a fund for helping young people set up micro-enterprises.
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A number of statements also addressed the effects of the Asian financial crisis on the situation of employment. Eddy Lee, Director and Senior Economic Adviser of the ILO, said the world employment situation had worsened significantly since 1995, largely due to recent turbulence and decline in the world economy's growth. The key issue was that rapid globalization of the world economy had made the goal of achieving full employment a much more difficult and complex undertaking.
The representative of India said there was a need to address the problem of industries becoming outdated and non-sustainable due to new technologies and the new economy. Both the private and public sectors should help people develop new skills to fit the globalized market.
Statements were also made by the representatives of the Czech Republic, Poland, Zambia, Guyana (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), Morocco, Canada, Mauritius, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Sudan, Croatia, Barbados, United States, Malaysia, Norway, Mexico, Chile, Viet Nam, Republic of Korea, Peru, Jamaica and the Philippines.
The observers for Switzerland and the Holy See also spoke.
Representatives of the following non-governmental organizations made statements: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, Social Watch of Bolivia and the International Chamber of Commerce. The representative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) also spoke.
The Preparatory Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Thursday, 20 May, to continue its discussions on further action and initiatives to implement the commitments made at the Social Summit.
Committee Work Programme
The Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development met this afternoon to continue its consideration of further actions and initiatives to implement the commitments made at the Summit. This afternoon, the focus will be on commitment 3 -- employment. (For background information see Press Release SOC/4498 of 14 May.)
Statements
EDDY LEE, Director and Senior Economic Adviser of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said the world employment situation had worsened significantly since 1995, largely due to the recent turbulence and decline in the world economy's growth. The key issue was that rapid globalization of the world economy had made the goal of achieving full employment a much more difficult and complex undertaking.
A critical issue was that of financial liberalization, which should be preceded by the strengthening of the financial system and the means to control liberalization, he said. Another major challenge was to counteract the negative social effects of globalization. The market dislocations of globalization emphasized the need for social protection. There was a need for timely economic support, both in normal times and in times of crisis.
LUDEK RYCHLY (Czech Republic) said the present stage of the Czech economy required a new approach to labour and employment. After a long period of unemployment rates around 3 per cent, the unemployment rate had increased sharply and had reached 8 per cent of the active work force. The Government of the Czech Republic had taken a number of policies to address that problem. Its policies were focused on introducing more productive patterns of employment. It also discouraged reliance on social programmes and stressed self reliance. There were also efforts to eliminate discrimination in the labour market.
IRENE BORUTA (Poland) said her country's employment strategy concentrated on increasing the flexibility of salary and manpower and stressed increasing productivity. Policies also attempted to change the system of unemployment benefits and increase flexibility in work hours. Education and training programmes were also stressed to prepare people for the work force. Her country had also attempted to increase opportunities for entrepreneurship.
DIETER KASTRUP (Germany) spoke on behalf of the European Union and the associated countries of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Iceland. He said policies needed to be developed which ensure that livelihoods were sustained
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and vulnerability reduced, taking into account groups with special needs. Employment-generation and reduction of unemployment had to be placed at the centre of government policies. New developments such as flex-time arrangements, application of information technologies and the concept of life- long learning had to be taken into consideration.
Enhancing self-employment and promoting small- and medium-scale businesses could play an important role in employment-building, he said. The reduction of obstructing rules and regulations could help facilitate activities of small entrepreneurs in many countries. There was a need for the special session to identify mechanisms for promoting a dialogue between private business, labour and government in order to increase employment. It should also help strengthen ongoing discussions and debate with all actors involved in employment policies at all levels. He said there was also a need for a new ILO convention on the prohibition and immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labour.
DAWSON LUPUNGA, Minister of Community Development and Social Services of Zambia, said his country had undergone far-reaching reforms in the recent past. Unemployment continued to be high in light of the inevitable structural adjustment which entailed the sale of unprofitable State corporations, among other things. Zambia also had concerns on the issue of labour migration in the context of free-labour markets. Zambia had been a victim of that situation even before the Social Summit.
SONIA ELLIOTT (Guyana), on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, stressed the importance of access to training and microcredit. Governments should seek to strengthen a positive relationship with the informal sector whose popularity increased with each economic or financial controversy.
DRISS DADSI (Morocco) said that employment was a solution for social integration as well as poverty reduction. The creation of employment should be a priority in national economic strategies, especially employment of young people. His country's strategy for employment was focused on education and training policies, access to the job market and improvement of employment opportunities for groups with special needs. International financial institutions should take greater action to encourage private capital flows. There should also be action to prohibit protectionist policies that limited economic development and employment creation in developing countries.
STEFAN BRUPBACHER, of the Federal Office for Economic Development and Labour of Switzerland, said economic growth was necessary, but not sufficient for job promotion. Whereas the social partners should assume as much responsibility as possible, the State had to provide a stimulating framework for both partners. The flip-side of flexible labour markets was the need to
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assure decent working conditions and a fair participation of labour in the fruits of growth. That required labour-market regulations at different levels.
Not everything had to be fully regulated, he said. Private initiatives such as labels or codes of conduct proved that markets and human rights could concur successfully. However, it must be assured that those instruments neither misinformed consumers nor provided a tool for protectionism. The follow-up process would have to bridge the gap between economists and human- rights advocates if economic and social considerations were to be linked.
LOUISE GALARNEAU (Canada) said that economic and social policies should encompass all employment policies. It was also important to elaborate specific policies for young people, the disabled, as well as indigenous people, in order fully to integrate them into the labour market. Canada reiterated that employment was at the core of the labour market.
ANBANADEN VEERASAMY (Mauritius) said the problem of unemployment was inextricably linked to the issue of poverty eradication. At the international level, global market forces were and would continue to be a major obstacle, especially for small-island-developing countries. The Preparatory Committee must pay the necessary attention to providing support for those countries whose economies depended on external sources.
ROMAIN DEGLA (Benin) said that it was heartening that many statements this morning had recognized the connection between unemployment and poverty. Since the Summit, his country had established a labour policy that favoured young people both in the private and public sectors. It had also taken steps to ensure that young people had the necessary skills to participate in the work force.
DALILA SAMAH (Algeria) said her country had set up an international agency for the support and employment of young people. Among other things, that agency managed a fund for helping young people set up micro-enterprises. Other employment policies promoted the participation of the private sector in education and vocational training.
MAMADOU KONE (Cote d'Ivoire) said his delegation supported efforts to reduce unemployment in order to eradicate poverty. It also welcomed new economic policies to support economic development. His country had set up a number of employment programmes, including ones that supported employment of young people. His Government had also taken steps to put an end to the employment of children. The employment of young people, he noted, was particularly important in order to keep them from idleness, which could sometimes lead to crime.
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SAYDA BASHAR (Sudan) said her country had achieved a number of successes in the area of employment, particularly in the participation of women in the work force. However, one problem was that the informal sector absorbed a large percentage of the labour force and was now saturated. Also, education did not cope with the requirements of the market and that required the creation of a strategy to improve vocational training and employment opportunities.
TANIA VALERIA RAGUZ (Croatia) said that investment in the human factor was a vital element. Social and employment activities by countries in transition could only be carried out in a context of overall stability. In order for the benefits of transition to a market economy to be available to all, there should be a refocusing on the needs of the self-employed, as well as those of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
SHIRLEY STROUDE (Barbados) said employment creation had been a major preoccupation of her Government. Unemployment rates were still high among the youth. More than half of the unemployed had no more than secondary education. That had led to a profile of the unemployed person as a young job-seeker with low education and an attitude. There was a need for microcredit schemes, youth entrepreneurial schemes to support entrepreneurial development, continuing education for those who did not finish school and programmes to build self-esteem and promote skills.
DAVID SHAPIRO (United States) said his country was firmly committed to supporting workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively. Safeguarding workers' rights was critical to ensuring that the widest possible number of people shared in the benefits of labour. Support for the implementation of core labour standards was crucial. However, what was meant by core labour rights and the benefits accruing from them must be clearly understood.
THEIVANDRAN RAJADURAI (Malaysia) said that his country's social policies emphasized job creation that allowed the labour market to absorb most of the increase in the labour force. The economic slow-down in 1998 had increased unemployment and slowed economic growth. Nevertheless, Malaysia continued to produce a work force that was highly skilled, productive and disciplined. His country placed priority on ensuring the welfare, social security and safety of workers. Through those measures, his country hoped to meet the commitments of the Social Summit.
MARIANNE LOE (Norway) said creating employment required action on many levels. Since the potential for job creation was usually in small- and medium-sized enterprises, there was a need for a strategy to help such enterprises prosper and grow in a sustainable way. The continued exploitation of children through harmful child labour was also a concern for the
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international community. A new ILO convention on the elimination and prohibition of the worst forms of child labour should be elaborated.
ROSALBA CARRASCO (Mexico) said employment was a requirement for social well-being. There needed to be explicit mention of gender equity in employment policies. It was also important that, in the creation of employment opportunities, those opportunities consisted of employment that was adequately enumerated and freely chosen.
RENALDO RUIZ (Chile) said there should be strong support for the equality of employment opportunities for men and women. His country had established employment programmes for young people, the elderly and others that had problems finding employment. It also sought to improve the job quality of those who already had work.
NGUYEN THI THANH HA (Viet Nam) said her country needed to create about 1 million new jobs each year. To meet that target, it was encouraging private investment in businesses for the creation of employment. There had also been increases in the national fund for employment to provide low-interest loans for people to start small businesses. There was also a network of vocational training centres established around the country.
YOUNG-SAM KA (Republic of Korea) said the special session should formulate a strategy to create productive employment. Such strategies should be incorporated into structural adjustment programmes. There was also a need to increase technology transfer to develop new industries in countries around the world. That, too, would help promote quality employment.
GUATAM MUKHOPADHAYA (India) said employment was important not just for poverty eradication, but also for social integration. Imbalances in the labour market led to underemployment and unemployment. There was a need to address the problem of industries becoming outdated and non-sustainable due to new technologies and the new economy. In that regard, it was important for both the private and public sectors to help people develop new skills to fit the globalized market.
FERNANDO GARCIA (Peru) said that in the framework of globalization, the question of employment encompassed, among other things, the improvement of equitable access to labour information and indicators, the growth of employment levels and the development of legal frameworks. As the ILO had pointed out in its report Unemployment in the World, unemployment was an international problem -- not just a regional one -- which must be confronted. The growth of employment was linked to economic growth. The quality of employment was as important as the number of jobs available.
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FAITH INNERARITY (Jamaica), associating herself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said the element of entrepreneurship was missing from the discussion of the informal sector. With the number of informal sector businesses rising, there were so many needs that there was little scope for deferred gratification. What lessons could be learned from family businesses and cottage industries that had risen to become viable large-scale enterprises? she asked. Informal sector businesses needed to be transformed if they were to play a role in eliminating unemployment. Schools must adapt to the labour force; education must be related to the needs of the labour market. The generation of employment and the examination of core labour standards must go hand in hand.
LARISSA GREY, of the Holy See, said efforts must be increased to create quality jobs. Greater efforts must also be made to establish relationships between employers and representatives of labour. The international community needed to foster greater coherence between the social, economic and political spheres in the interests of people-centred labour policies. There should be structural cooperation between the World Trade Organization and the ILO and increased efforts to eliminate forms of protectionism that worked against free access to world markets for the products of developing countries.
ERLINDA CAPONES (Philippines) said it was essential for her Government to help displaced workers laid off in the early 1990s to find alternative employment. It was important that women not only be given equal access to employment opportunities, but also that they be given more opportunities for appointment to high-level positions. It would be helpful to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of promoting labour mobility to increase people's chances of achieving gainful employment.
WAMBUI KARANJA, of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the implementation of the commitment on poverty eradication was reported to be constrained by several factors which were common among most of the countries. Those included: external debt burden, overdependence on agriculture, inadequate economic and social infrastructure and impact of HIV/AIDS. She added that the extreme paucity of data on unemployment and labour-force issues was a major problem in employment planning. Another major challenge in that area was designing comprehensive, integrated and coherent employment policies to facilitate attainment of employment-generation objectives.
CHRISTIAN AGYEI, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, said the Asian crisis had demonstrated the importance of implementing the goals of the Social Summit. The special session should address the processes of globalization, as well as its impacts. The informal sector was an important source of employment, and governments should pay greater attention to the quality of work in that area.
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Mr. GOMEZ AGUILAR, Social Watch of Bolivia, said that the globalization of economies in poor countries had generated unemployment. Structural adjustment policies had been undertaken in many countries, but such policies should not lead to the reduction of employment for workers. The participation of women in the work force was important, he noted. State policies had generated greater equality for women's employment.
Mr. STIBRAY, International Chamber of Commerce, said it had been stated at the Summit that the private sector could play a large part in the creation of jobs and in reducing unemployment. The task of achieving broad employment growth around the world should be addressed by all sectors. The reasons for the economic tremors that had begun in Asia and spread to the rest of the world were varied. However, it should be pointed out that the integration of Asian countries into the global economy had led to unprecedented growth. To encourage development and the creation of employment, it was important to ensure that commercial sectors were not over-regulated and over-taxed. There was also a need for flexibility in the workforce.
In a summary statement, Committee Chairman CRISTIAN MAQUIERA said a number of concerns were shared by both developed and developing countries. Those common concerns should be considered when the Preparatory Committee began consideration of its draft proposals next week.
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