GB.273/Inf.2
273rd Session
Geneva, November 1998

International labour standards and human rights

1. Asian-Pacific Tripartite Symposium on Standards-related Topics ⁽²⁾

Proposed date:

9-11 February 1999

Place:

Bangkok, Thailand

Financing:

Government of Japan US$150,000

Geographical coverage:

Afghanistan, Australia,* Bangladesh, Cambodia, ⁽³⁾ China, Fiji, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan,* Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand,* Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore,* Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam (the countries marked with an * would pay their own expenses)

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

26

(b) Employers:

26

(c) Workers:

26

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to promote the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work , and to familiarize participants with the follow-up to the Declaration;

(ii) to promote the ratification and implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions;

(iii) to promote a better understanding of the regular ILO supervisory machinery and the special procedures for representations and complaints; and

(iv) to promote a better understanding of the tripartite constituents' rights and obligations under the ILO Constitution.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Direct relevance to standard setting and supervision, to application of ratified Conventions and reporting obligations, and to eventual new ratifications. Special emphasis would be paid to the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work , and the fundamental ILO Conventions

Working language:

English

2. ARLAC African Regional Tripartite Review Workshop on Labour Legislation: An Agenda for Reform

Proposed date:

15-19 February 1999

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$20,000; and ARLAC US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

10

(b) Employers:

10

(c) Workers:

10

Purpose of meeting:

Labour legislation in many countries is slow in responding to changes and thus generates tensions within the industrial relations and labour administration systems which could be avoided. The workshop therefore is to:

(i) review existing labour legislations in the light of their performance;

(ii) determine the extent to which they promote the ideas of equitable and harmonious employment relations;

(iii) point out areas which necessitate policy reforms; and

(iv) devise an appropriate framework for a regular tripartite review of labour legislation.

Relevance to international

labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); and Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Working language:

English

3. Southern African Subregional Seminar on Equality Issues for Labour Courts

Proposed date:

22-25 February 1999

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$39,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

12 (including an official of the Ministry responsible for labour issues and a practising labour court judge from each country)

(b) Employers:

6

(c) Workers:

6

Purpose of meeting:

To provide technical training in equality issues to the parties (labour court judges and worker and employer members of such bodies) involved in implementing equality laws or specific provisions of labour laws concerning equal pay, sexual harassment and other equality issues

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); and Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)

Working language:

English

4. Seminar for Arab States on the Ratification and Application of Core Conventions

Proposed date:

April 1999

Place:

Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$60,000

Geographical coverage:

Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates and Yemen

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

12

(b) Employers:

12

(c) Workers:

12

Observers:

Arab Labour Organization;
Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs in the Arab Gulf States (Gulf Cooperation Council)

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to promote the provisions and principles of fundamental ILO Conventions;

(ii) to review national experiences in the application of those Conventions; and

(iii) to exchange views concerning the constraints facing the application and ratification of those Conventions.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); and Minimum Age Convention,

Working language:

Arabic

5. Caribbean Subregional Tripartite Seminar on Recent Trends in Employment Equality Issues for Labour Courts and Tribunals: Additional information ⁽⁴⁾

Former date:

4-8 May 1998

New date:

First half of 1999

Place:

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Former title:

Caribbean Subregional Tripartite Seminar on Equality Issues in Employment

New title:

See above

Employment and human resources development

6. Asian Regional Meeting on ILO/JIL ⁽⁵⁾ Networking of National Institutes for Labour Studies ⁽⁶⁾

Proposed date:

8-10 December 1998

Place:

Bangkok, Thailand

Financing:

Japan Institute of Labour US$37,075; and ILO regular budget US$29,934

Geographical coverage:

Australia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

16 researchers from national institutes of labour studies

(b) Employers:

8 (including 1 from the host country)

(c) Workers:

8 (including 1 from the host country)

Purpose:

(i) to present an overview of the activities in 1997-98 and the plans for 1999-2000 of the members of the network;

(ii) to analyse the preliminary findings of the third round of joint investigative research undertaken by the member institutes; and

(iii) to facilitate the sharing of information among member institutes on their research and training activities.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142); and Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Working language:

English

7. Asian Regional Consultation on Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development (Employment Planners' Meeting) ⁽⁷⁾

Proposed date:

13-15 January 1999

Place:

Bangkok, Thailand

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$100,000

Geographical coverage:

Australia, China, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Thailand

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

26 (one official from the Ministry of Labour and one from the Ministry of Planning from each of the participating countries)

(b) Employers:

13

(c) Workers:

13

Resource persons:

Participants in panel discussions may be invited from some Asian universities

Observers:

Asian Development Bank
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asian Productivity Organization
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
International Monetary Fund
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Development Fund for Women
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
United Nations Population Fund
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to review the action taken and the results achieved in regard to the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and in particular Commitments 3 and 2 of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development concerning full employment and the eradication of poverty respectively;

(ii) to examine positive experiences and possible solutions to the social and labour problems of participating countries in preparation for the International Consultation concerning Follow-up on the World Summit for Social Development, to be held in Geneva, 2-4 November 1999. Particular attention would be paid to the role of enterprises in job creation, employment policy and gender equity, human resources development, and policy and institutional reforms necessary to promote full employment within the framework of globalization; and

(iii) to provide regional viewpoints and prospects, and to highlight the importance of social dialogue and core labour standards.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); and Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment Convention, 1988 (No. 168)

Working language:

English

8. Caribbean Subregional Symposium on Labour Issues in the Context of Economic Integration and Free Trade ⁽⁸⁾

Proposed date:

20-22 January

Place:

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$52,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

13

(b) Employers:

13

(c) Workers:

13

Observers:

Association of Caribbean States
Caribbean Community
Interamerican Development Bank
Organization of American States
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
University of Guyana
University of Suriname
University of the West Indies

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to raise awareness of the labour dimension of economic integration and free trade;

(ii) to initiate regional and national policy debates on labour and labour market policies within the framework of a globalized economy;

(iii) to set research priorities; and

(iv) to promote the participation of the social partners in matters concerning hemispheric integration.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); and Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Working language:

English

9. Regional Meeting of African Employment Planners

Proposed date:

8-12 February 1999

Place:

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$225,000

Geographical coverage:

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

18

(b) Employers:

18

(c) Workers:

18

Observers:

African Development Bank
International Monetary Fund
Organization of African Unity
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

To follow up the World Summit for Social Development and to examine the analyses of employment policy as well as the methods and means used to evaluate the possibilities of employment creation through investment programmes

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142); Equal Remuneration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 90); Special Youth Schemes Recommendation, 1970 (No. 136); Human Resources Development Recommendation, 1975 (No. 150); and Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189)

Working languages:

English and French

10. 34th Technical Committee Meeting of CINTERFOR

Proposed date:

8-10 April 1999

Place:

Montevideo, Uruguay

Financing:

Government of Uruguay US$80,000; and CINTERFOR US$20,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

37

(b) Employers:

7 (including 1 from the host country)

(c) Workers:

7 (including 1 from the host country)

(d) Others:

70 representatives of formal and non-formal training institutions which are members of CINTERFOR

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to analyse the present state of training and issues of major importance;

(ii) to exchange experiences and to propose new technical cooperation activities which were in line with the priorities of member States; and

(iii) to consider and adopt the work programme of CINTERFOR and to confirm the contributions of its members.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142); and Human Resources Development Recommendation, 1975 (No. 150);

Working languages:

English and Spanish

11. African Tripartite Consultative Meeting on Human Resources Development and Training

Proposed date:

24-27 May 1999

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$71,300

Geographical coverage:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

8 (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe)

(b) Employers:

8

(c) Workers:

8

Resource persons:

8 research institutes, universities, organizations and private consultants

Observers:

African Development Bank
Southern African Development Community
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
West African Economic and Monetary Union
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to analyse major issues of training policy and programme development in Africa in the context of globalization and structural and technological change;

(ii) to examine the changing roles of various stakeholders in human resources development and training in Africa; and

(iii) to consider the policy and institutional frameworks which would assist African countries in making their training policies and systems more relevant, effective and efficient.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142); and Human Resources Development Recommendation, 1975 (No. 150)

Working languages:

English and French

12. Preliminary Consultation on Home Work for Selected Countries in Latin America

Proposed date:

May 1999

Place:

Santiago, Chile

Financing:

Government of Denmark US$66,000

Geographical coverage:

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

10 (3 representatives of the Ministry of Labour of Chile would be invited as they have been involved in the preparation of the country study in that country)

(b) Employers:

8

(c) Workers:

8

Resource persons:

8 researchers who prepared the country studies

Observers:

Instituto Latino Americano y del Caríbe de Planificación Económica y Social (ILPES), Chile
Asociación Chilena de Empresas Turísticas (ACHET), Chile
Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEM), Chile (2 persons)
Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), India
Self-Employed Women's Union (SEWU), South Africa
Servicio Nacional de la Mujer (SERNAM), Chile
The International Network for Homebased Workers (HOMENET), United Kingdom
Former CTA of ILO project "Rural Women Workers in the New Putting-Out System"

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to examine and finalize the findings and preliminary recommendations of eight country studies on home work (magnitude and sectoral distribution of home work; socio-economic profile and needs of homeworkers; suitability of national employment surveys and statistics to seize the extent of homeworking);

(ii) to exchange information on effective policies and programmes; and

(iii) to identify follow-up action for future technical cooperation projects at the country level.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177); and Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100)

Working languages:

Spanish, Portuguese and English (in view of the fact that four of the observers would come from India, the Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom respectively)

13. Asian and Pacific Tripartite Consultative Meeting on Human Resources Development and Training

Proposed date:

May 1999

Place:

Singapore

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$100,000

Geographical coverage:

Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

14

(b) Employers:

14

(c) Workers:

14

Resource persons:

1 from a government; 2 from training institutions; and 2 from academic institutions

Observers:

Asian Development Bank
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to examine recent trends in training policy and system and to identify priorities;

(ii) to formulate an Asia-Pacific position on major issues of training policy and system; and

(iii) to draw up conclusions on new skill and training needs, training system reform and partnerships in training.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144); and Human Resources Development Recommendation, 1975 (No. 150)

Working language:

English

14. Subregional Seminar on the Choice of Employment-generating Investment for the Countries of the Entente Council: Additional information ⁽⁹⁾

Former date:

October 1998

New date:

24-27 November 1998

Place:

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

15. Seminar for Arab States on Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Disabilities resulting from Work Accidents: Additional information ⁽¹⁰⁾

Former date:

1998

New date:

First half of 1999

Place:

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

16 . Latin American Regional Workshop concerning the Accreditation of Vocational Training Centres: Additional information ⁽¹¹⁾

It has been decided to cancel this workshop.

17 . Seminar for Arab States on Equality of Opportunity and Treatment for Women Workers in the Light of the Beijing Conference: Additional information ⁽¹²⁾

Former date:

June 1997, later postponed to the second half of 1997 and again to 1998

Place:

Cairo, Egypt

It has been decided to cancel this seminar and use the resources foreseen for it for a joint "ILO/INSTRAW ⁽¹³⁾ Regional Conference on the Implications of Globalization on Women in Development in the Arab World". Preparations for this event are under way.

Enterprise and cooperative development

18. Tripartite Round Table Meeting on New Paradigms to Stimulate Recovery from Financial and Social Crises in the Asia-Pacific Region: Enterprise and Society Partnerships

Proposed date:

May 1999

Place:

Bangkok, Thailand

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$100,000

Geographical coverage:

Australia, China, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

13

(b) Employers:

13

(c) Workers:

13

Resource persons:

2 from employers' organizations
2 from workers' organizations
2 from academic institutions
2 from local development organizations

Observers:

Asian Development Bank
Asian Productivity Organization
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to exchange information on regional experiences on best practices of partnerships between enterprise and society which have contributed to local and national economic and social development and the creation of employment; and

(ii) to prepare inputs for the ILO's second Enterprise Forum to be held in November 1999.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); and Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189)

Working language:

English

Industrial relations

19. East and South Asian Subregional Tripartite Seminar on Termination of Employment ⁽¹⁴⁾

Proposed date:

24-27 November 1998

Place:

Seoul, Republic of Korea

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$60,000

Geographical coverage:

China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

9

(b) Employers:

9

(c) Workers:

9

Resource persons:

1 from Japan

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to analyse problems related to the implementation of international labour standards on termination of employment, including the Termination of Employment Convention, 1982 (No. 158); the Termination of Employment Recommendation, 1982 (No. 166); the Protection of Workers' Claims (Employers' Insolvency) Convention, 1992 (No. 173); and the Protection of Workers' Claims (Employers' Insolvency) Recommendation, 1992 (No. 180); and

(ii) to follow up the recommendation of the High-level Meeting on Social Responses to the Financial Crisis in East and South-East Asian Countries (22-24 April 1998, Bangkok, Thailand), according to which "countries affected by the crisis should take appropriate action to ensure adequate protection of workers' wages and severance pay".

Relevance to international
labour standards:

The Conventions and Recommendations referred to under "Purpose of meeting"

Working language:

English

20. ARLAC Subregional Tripartite Meeting for Selected English-speaking Countries of Africa on Collective Bargaining in the Public Service ⁽¹⁵⁾

Proposed date:

25-27 November 1998

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$25,000; and ARLAC member governments US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

10

(b) Employers:

10

(c) Workers:

10

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to acquaint participants with collective bargaining practices in various countries;

(ii) to analyse conditions in their respective countries; and

(iii) to improve the collective bargaining machinery in the public service of countries from which participants would be invited.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151); and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154);

Working language:

English

21. Caribbean Subregional Training Workshop on Conciliation/Mediation ⁽¹⁶⁾

Proposed date:

7-11 December 1998

Place:

Grenada

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$7,000; and participating governments US$14,000

Geographical coverage:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia (2), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2), Suriname and Turks and Caicos Islands

Composition of participants:

Governments:

15 conciliators/mediators for collective labour disputes settlement

Resource persons:

1 conciliator from Guyana and 1 from Trinidad and Tobago

Purpose of meeting:

To increase the effectiveness of the dispute resolution machinery through improving the skills of mediators/conciliators

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150); Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92); and Labour Administration Recommendation, 1978 (No. 158)

Working language:

English

22. South Asian Subregional Technical Meeting on Labour Court Administration

Proposed date:

16-19 February 1999

Place:

Pokara, Nepal

Financing:

ILO regular budget and Turin Centre US$35,000

Geographical coverage:

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

20 (2 labour court judges and 2 senior conciliators from each country)

(b) Employers:

5

(c) Workers:

5

Resource persons:

1 (Chairperson of the Industrial Court, Singapore)

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to examine innovative tools, techniques and approaches to conflict resolution; and

(ii) to review the current, extremely slow dispute settlement procedures and to explore alternative dispute settlement methods, including measures to make labour court administration more effective

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92); Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154); Examination of Grievances Recommendation, 1967 (No. 130); and Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151);

Working language:

English

23. Caribbean Subregional Seminar on Industrial Courts, Industrial Tribunals and Mediation Services

Proposed date:

1-5 March 1999

Place:

Trinidad and Tobago

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$7,000; and participating governments US$17,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda (2), Aruba (1), Bahamas (3), Bermuda (1), Cayman Islands (1), Dominica (2), Jamaica (4), Netherlands Antilles (1), Suriname (1) and Trinidad and Tobago (4)

Composition of participants:

(a) From tripartite institutions:

20

(b) Employers:

1

(c) Workers:

1

Resource persons:

1 (Director of Conciliation Services of the Labour Relations Commission of Ireland)

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to share experiences and enhance the knowledge of the system, legislative and procedural requirements and practices of labour courts, industrial tribunals and mediation services in the Caribbean;

(ii) to review related country papers; and

(iii) to consider and compare the experiences made in Ireland's labour court, industrial tribunal and mediation services with those in the Caribbean.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154); Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92); and Examination of Grievances Recommendation, 1967 (No. 130)

Working language:

English

24. Asian Regional Seminar on Industrial Relations and Globalization

Proposed date:

April 1999

Place:

Bangkok, Thailand

Financing:

Government of Japan US$117,000

Geographical coverage:

Bangladesh, Cambodia, ⁽¹⁷⁾ China, Fiji, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

22

(b) Employers:

22

(c) Workers:

22

Resource persons:

National consultants from selected participating countries

Observers:

Asian Development Bank
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
World Bank

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to conclude the research and other activities undertaken during the fourth phase of the Japan/ILO programme on industrial relations; and

(ii) to synthesize the recommendations made in the course of the national activities of the programme, and to propose follow-up activities for a possible fifth phase of the programme.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Working language:

English

25. Subregional Tripartite Meeting for the Countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union on the Promotion of Social Dialogue and Tripartite Consultation

Proposed date:

7-9 May 1999

Place:

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$20,000; European Commission US$50,000; and Government of Belgium US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

8

(b) Employers:

8

(c) Workers:

8

Resource persons:

2 from the European Commission

Observers:

European Commission
European Trade Union Confederation
Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederation of Europe

Purpose of meeting:

To highlight the necessity to promote social dialogue and identify possible actions to be taken to this effect at the level of the West African Economic and Monetary Union

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144); and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154)

Working language:

French

26. High-level Tripartite Meeting for the Promotion of Social Dialogue and Tripartite Cooperation for Countries of the Entente Council: Additional information ⁽¹⁸⁾

Former date:

9-10 December 1998

New date:

1999, to be determined

Place:

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Labour administration

27. ARLAC Subregional Seminar on Labour Migration and Labour Standards

Proposed date:

22-26 March 1999

Place:

Gaborone, Botswana

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$15,000; and ARLAC US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

10

(b) Employers:

10

(c) Workers:

10

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to promote the respect of basic human rights of migrant workers through the observance of international labour standards and relevant national legislations;

(ii) to enhance the conformity of national legislation with international labour standards; and

(iii) to examine ways of structuring and coordinating the movement of labour to the mutual benefit of both the sending and receiving countries.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Maintenance of Migrants' Pension Rights Convention, 1935 (No. 48); Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143); and Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150)

Working language:

English

28. Caribbean Subregional Training Seminar for Trainers in Labour Administration

Proposed date:

26-30 April 1999

Place:

Barbados

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$7,000; and participating governments US$17,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda (1), Bahamas (2), Barbados (2), Belize (1), Dominica (1), Grenada (1), Guyana (2), Jamaica (2), Saint Kitts and Nevis (1), Saint Lucia (1), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1), Suriname (1), Trinidad and Tobago (2)

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

18 trainers of labour departments

(b) Employers:

1 (from the host country)

(c) Workers:

1 (from the host country)

Resource persons:

1 from the Turin Centre

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to enhance the training capacity and improve the management of the training function within the departments of labour; and

(ii) to review the country reports on present and planned training activities.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150); Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151); Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154); and Termination of Employment Convention, 1982 (No. 158)

Working language:

English

29. ARLAC Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Labour Administration for English-speaking African Countries

Proposed date:

28 June-2 July 1999

Place:

Cairo, Egypt

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$20,000; and ARLAC US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

22

(b) Employers:

3

(c) Workers:

3

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to enhance the training capacity of ministries of labour; and

(ii) to enable the participants to plan and present their own training programmes.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150)

Working language:

English

30. ARLAC High-level Meeting on Labour Administration for Permanent Secretaries or Directors-General of Ministries of Labour in English-speaking African Countries

Proposed date:

12-14 July 1999

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$36,500

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

Governments:

23

Purpose of meeting:

To equip participants with analytical tools to understand ongoing global changes and their implications for labour administration

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (and Protocol, 1995) (No. 81); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144); and Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150)

Working language:

English

31. ARLAC Seminar for Selected English-speaking African Countries on Strengthening the Dispute Settlement Machinery

Proposed date:

6-10 September 1999

Place:

Harare, Zimbabwe

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$20,000; and ARLAC US$15,000

Geographical coverage:

Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Seychelles, Swaziland, Ghana and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

9

(b) Employers:

9

(c) Workers:

9

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to evaluate the components of the dispute settlement machinery with a view to formulating proposals for its improvement; and

(ii) to equip participants with a better understanding of the dynamics of conflict, conciliation and mediation, and improve their skills in persuading, influencing and reconciling disputing parties.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); and Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92)

Working language:

English

32. ARLAC Refresher Course on Modern Labour Administration Systems: Additional information ⁽¹⁹⁾

Former date:

7-11 December 1998

New date:

9-11 December 1998

Former place:

Accra, Ghana

New place:

Lagos, Nigeria

33. Latin American Regional Meeting on Labour Inspection Systems: Additional information ⁽²⁰⁾

Former date:

26-31 October 1998

New date:

25-27 November 1998

Former place:

Antigua, Guatemala

New place:

Panama City, Panama

Working conditions and environment

34. Tripartite Seminar on Child Labour for Arab Countries

Proposed date:

April 1999

Place:

Amman, Jordan

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$75,000

Geographical coverage:

Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

6

(b) Employers:

6

(c) Workers:

6

Observers:

Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations
Arab Labour Organization
Palestinian Authority
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to exchange information and experiences on child labour and effective strategies for its eradication; and

(ii) to promote related ILO standards and national action to combat child labour.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Working languages:

Arabic and English

35. Asian Regional Meeting on the Worst Forms of Child Labour

Proposed date:

8-10 September 1999

Place:

Phuket, Thailand

Financing:

Government of Japan US$156,992

Geographical coverage:

Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

12

(b) Employers:

12

(c) Workers:

12

Resource persons:

3 consultants responsible for the national studies; and
1 representative of donor (Government of Japan)

Observers:

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
International Organization for Migration
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Development Programme
Save the Children Fund (United Kingdom)
World Vision International

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to exchange information on the worst forms of child labour in the Asian region; and

(ii) to analyse studies on appropriate responses to the problem with special emphasis on the prevention and eradication of child labour and on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Working language:

English

36. Interregional Seminar on Achieving Equality for Migrant and Ethnic Minority Workers: Additional information ⁽²¹⁾

Former title:

Interregional Seminar for Achieving Equality for (Im)Migrant Workers

Former date:

Second half of 1998

New date:

To be determined

Place:

Brussels, Belgium

Sectoral activities

37. ILO/PSI Central Asia Conference on Restructuring Public Health Services and he Role of Trade Unions in this Process

Proposed date:

25-27 March 1999

Place:

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$15,000; and

Public Services International US$10,000

Geographical coverage:

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

10 (2 from each country)

(b) Workers:

10 (2 from each country)

Resource persons:

1, Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds, United Kingdom

Observers:

Azerbaijan Health Workers' Union
Russian Health Workers' Union
Turkish Health Workers' Union

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to follow up the Joint Meeting on Terms of Employment and Working Conditions in Health Sector Reforms (Geneva, 21-25 September 1998);

(ii) to examine experiences with human resources development in health service reforms in the region and its role in the process of economic and social restructuring;

(iii) to analyse current challenges, problems and potentials of health service reforms; and

(iv) to increase the awareness about the need for social dialogue and to develop strategies to ensure the participation of health workers in those reforms.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149); Medical Care Recommendation, 1944 (No. 69); and Nursing Personnel Recommendation, 1977 (No. 157)

Working languages:

English and Russian

Labour statistics and information

38. Subregional Training Workshop for Statisticians on Child Labour for Selected Caribbean Countries

Proposed date:

24-27 February

Place:

Trinidad and Tobago

Financing:

IPEC US$21,300

Geographical coverage:

Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

18

(b) Employers:

3 (including 1 from the host country)

(c) Workers:

3 (including 1 from the host country)

Purpose of meeting:

To train statisticians in the conduct of child labour surveys

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Working language:

English

Employers' activities

39. South Asian Subregional Employers' Symposium

Proposed date:

21-23 February 1999

Place:

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$30,000

Geographical coverage:

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Composition of participants:

Employers:

10

Purpose of meeting:

To improve the effectiveness of ILO technical cooperation to South Asian employers' organizations

Working language:

English

40. Caribbean Subregional Employers' Meeting on the Impact of Regional Investment Regimes on Industrial Relations and Human Resources Management Practices in the Early 21st Century

Proposed date:

May 1999

Place:

To be determined

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$50,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

Composition of participants:

Employers:

13

Purpose of meeting:

To identify the impact of investment on industrial relations and human resource management and to find ways to adapt to the changes

Working language:

English

41. Eighth Conference of African Employers' Organizations

Proposed date:

May 1999

Place:

Dakar, Senegal

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$250,000

Geographical coverage:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Composition of participants:

Employers:

52

Purpose of meeting:

To examine the economic and social challenges of Africa's integration in the globalized economy with a view to strengthening the strategic role of employers' organizations particularly in enterprise development and employment creation

Working languages:

English and French

42. East African Business Forum: Additional information ⁽²²⁾

Former date:

To be determined

New date:

30 November-1 December 1998

Place:

Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania

43. Subregional Workshop on Strategic Planning of Employers' Organizations in Central Africa: Additional information ⁽²³⁾

Former date:

October 1998

New date:

1999, to be determined

Place:

Yaoundé, Cameroon

44. Subregional Training Workshop for Employers' Organizations for Selected Countries in Asia and the Pacific: Additional information ⁽²⁴⁾

Former date:

30 November-10 December 1998

New date:

22-25 February 1999

Place:

Chiang Mai, Thailand

45. Subregional Conference for Employers' Organizations of Portuguese-speaking Countries on Regional Integration and Competitiveness, Opportunities and Challenges for Enterprises: Additional information ⁽²⁵⁾

It has been decided to cancel this conference.

Workers' activities

46. Latin American Regional Workers' Education Seminar on Child Labour ⁽²⁶⁾

Proposed date:

7-10 December 1998

Place:

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$8,000; and IPEC US$34,797

Geographical coverage:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela

Composition of participants:

Workers:

25

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to review the activities developed by trade unions of Latin America concerning child labour since the regional meeting in São Paolo, 1995;

(ii) to design a plan for trade union action against child labour for the period 1999-2000; and

(iii) to explore the means for closer cooperation in this field between trade unions and the ILO.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).

Working language:

Spanish

47. Central American Subregional Workers' Education Seminar on Economic Policy and Employment

Proposed date:

January 1999

Place:

San José, Costa Rica

Financing:

European Commission US$16,210

Geographical coverage:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama

Composition of participants:

Workers:

18

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to approve the didactic material to be used in national seminars concerning economic policy and employment;

(ii) to analyse the economic policy of the region and its implications for employment, wages and conditions of work;

(iii) to encourage workers' organizations to participate in the formulation of related policies at the national level; and

(iv) to develop a work plan for establishing units which could assist trade union organizations at the national level in economic and social matters.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); and Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment Convention, 1988 (No. 168)

Working language:

Spanish

48. Central American Subregional Workers' Education Seminar on Economic Integration

Proposed date:

1-5 February 1999

Place:

Panama City, Panama

Financing:

European Commission US$16,210

Geographical coverage:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama

Composition of participants:

Workers:

18

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to analyse the main tendencies of economic integration within the framework of globalization; and

(ii) to identify the main elements of a possible trade union forum at the national level.

Working language:

Spanish

49. Caribbean Subregional Meeting of Workers' Education Institutions

Proposed date:

15-18 March 1999

Place:

Barbados

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$25,000

Geographical coverage:

Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

Composition of participants:

Workers:

23

Resource persons:

2 from academic institutions and 2 from workers' organizations

Observers:

Caribbean Community
Caribbean Congress of Labour
Irish Labour Relations Commission
University of Guyana
University of the West Indies

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to enable the workers' education institutions in the region to deliver educational programmes which are consistent with the demands of the globalized environment;

(ii) to assist labour colleges to develop training programmes in collaboration with regional universities in fields of study, such as occupational safety and health, which would qualify for certification by these universities; and

(iii) to develop training programmes concerning trade union management, collective bargaining and international labour standards.

Working language:

English

50. Central American Subregional Workers' Education Seminar on International Labour Standards and Human Rights

Proposed date:

19-23 April 1999

Place:

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Financing:

European Commission US$16,210

Geographical coverage:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama

Composition of participants:

Workers:

18

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to analyse the situation concerning freedom of association and fundamental human rights in Central America;

(ii) to approve the didactic material prepared to promote international labour standards at the national level; and

(iii) to formulate recommendations for workers' organizations concerning strategic aspects of defending and promoting freedom of association.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29); Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); and Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Working language:

Spanish

51. Regional Seminar on Globalization and Trade Unions for Workers' Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe: Additional information ⁽²⁷⁾

Former date:

23-25 November 1998

New date:

22-24 November 1998

Place:

Budapest, Hungary

52. ILO/RENGO Subregional Orientation Workshop for French-speaking African Countries on the Advantages for Workers of Productivity Improvement: Additional information ⁽²⁸⁾

Former date:

First half of 1999

New date:

15-19 February 1999

Place:

Dakar, Senegal

Meetings submitted to the Officers of the Governing Body
through the special procedure and held prior to
the present session of the Governing Body

53. East African Subregional Tripartite Seminar on Freedom of Association ⁽²⁹⁾

Proposed date:

24-26 August 1998

Place:

Nairobi, Kenya

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$23,616

Geographical coverage:

Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

6

(b) Employers:

6

(c) Workers:

6

Purpose of meeting:

To obtain the ratification of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) by Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania in 1998 and by Uganda as soon as possible

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87)

Working language:

English

54. Latin American Subregional Seminar on Workers and Pension Systems in the Andean Region ⁽³⁰⁾

Proposed date:

10-14 August 1998

Place:

Lima, Peru

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$18,000

Geographical coverage:

Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela

Composition of participants:

Workers:

20

Observers:

One representative of the Latin American Coordination of International Trade Secretariats

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to undertake a profound analysis of the pension systems in the Andean region;

(ii) to exchange information on the impact on workers of changes in pension and allocation systems; and

(iii) to analyse the proposals of trade unions.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102)

Working language:

Spanish

55. Subregional Workers' Education Seminar for Trade Union Centres of Portuguese-speaking African Countries ⁽³¹⁾

Proposed date:

26-28 October 1998

Place:

Praïa, Cape Verde

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$35,000

Geographical coverage:

Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe

Composition of participants:

Workers:

16

Purpose of meeting:

(i) to strengthen the capacity of trade union leaders to analyse the situation created by ongoing changes, such as globalization, and to propose measures to eliminate the negative impact on social development of the programmes implemented by governments;

(ii) to strengthen their negotiation and decision-making skills and their potential to defend and promote the interests of trade union members; and

(iii) to help workers' organizations in Portuguese-speaking countries to widen their sphere of action, to initiate socio-economic activities and to implement programmes to this effect.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87); Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100); Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); and Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Working language:

Portuguese

56. Subregional Meeting for India and Sri Lanka on the Prevention and Settlement of Labour Disputes ⁽³²⁾

Proposed date:

4-6 November 1998

Place:

Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Financing:

ILO regular budget US$24,500; Government of India US$3,000; and Government of Sri Lanka US$3,000

Geographical coverage:

India and Sri Lanka

Composition of participants:

(a) Governments:

36 (18 from each country)

(b) Employers:

8 (4 from each country)

(c) Workers:

8 (4 from each country)

Resource persons:

The Chairperson of the Industrial Court, Singapore; and retired Supreme Court judges from India and Sri Lanka

Purpose:

(i) to promote the effective settlement of labour disputes in India and Sri Lanka, where there is a serious backlog of cases pending in labour courts; and

(ii) to provide an opportunity for senior conciliators and labour court judges to share experiences and explore alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

Relevance to international
labour standards:

Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 92); Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151); Examination of Grievances Recommendation, 1967 (No. 130); and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154)

Working language:

English