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GB.276/16
276th Session
Geneva, November 1999


SIXTEENTH ITEM ON THE AGENDA

Report of the Director-General

Contents

  1. Obituary
  2. Progress in international labour legislation
  3. European Agreement on the Social Security of Boatmen Engaged in Inland Navigation
  4. Internal administration


I. Obituary

Mr. Gabriel Chike Okogwu

1. The Director-General announces with deep regret the death, on 28 June 1999, of Mr. Gabriel Chike Okogwu, former Employer member of the Governing Body.

2. Born in Nigeria in 1926, Mr. Okogwu graduated from the Universities of Leeds, United Kingdom, and Lagos, Nigeria in social studies and law. After serving as a barrister and solicitor at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, he continued his career as a labour administrator. From 1971 to 1979 he was the Director of Labour of the Federal Ministry of Labour and later became the Executive Director of the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA).

3. His first association with the ILO was in 1962, when he attended the International Labour Conference as the Employers' delegate of Nigeria. He served as Employer Vice-Chairperson of the Standing Orders Committee of the 72nd Session of the International Labour Conference in 1986, and was elected Employer Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Self-Employment at the 77th Session in 1990. He served the Governing Body as a substitute member (1981-84) and as a deputy member (1984-93). He was a member of the Committee of Experts on Multinationals and Social Policy and Chairperson of its Research Subcommittee, as well as a member of the Committee of Experts on Labour Administration and the Committee on Gearing Labour Administration to Rural Development.

4. Members of the Governing Body and ILO officials will remember him as a hard-working individual, who represented the Nigerian Employers with consistent dedication, and will recall his untiring contribution to the ILO's work in employment and social policy.

5. The Governing Body will no doubt wish to request the Director-General to convey its sympathy to the family of Mr. Okogwu and to the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association.

Mr. Manuel Bustos Huerta

6. The Director-General announces with deep regret the death, on 27 September 1999, of Mr. Manuel Bustos Huerta, former Worker member of the Governing Body.

7. Born in Chile in 1943, he became active in the trade union movement at the age of 16. He served as President of the Textile Workers' Union, Vice-Chairperson of the National Confederation of Textile Unions and a member of the National Directorate of the "Central Unica de Trabajadores de Chile" which was dissolved in 1973 by the military government. He was Vice-Chairperson of the ICFTU.

8. Throughout his professional life he fought for trade union unity, the re-establishment of democracy and recognition of the freedom of association and rights of Chilean trade unions. Although he had suffered prison, torture, threats and internal and external exile, he succeeded in consolidating the trade union organizations through the creation of the "Coordinadora Nacional Sindical", the "Comando Nacional de Trabajadores" and the "Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Chile", of which he was President.

9. Besides his activities in the trade union movement, he was a Member of Parliament, and Deputy and Member of the Commission for Labour and Social Security of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies. From 1990 to 1993 he was Deputy Worker member of the Governing Body of the ILO. In 1993 he served as Worker Vice-President of the 80th Session of the International Labour Conference.

10. Mr. Bustos Huerta will be remembered for his remarkable intelligence, his faith in the values of democracy and freedom, his courage, sense of duty and spirit of fraternity and solidarity.

11. The Governing Body will no doubt wish to request the Director-General to convey its sympathy to the family of Mr. Bustos Huerta, to the Central of Chilean Trade Unions and to the Parliament of the Republic of Chile.

Mr. Gullmar Bergenström

12. The Director-General announces with deep regret the death, on 29 September 1999, of Mr. Gullmar Bergenström, former Employer member and Employer Vice-Chairperson of the Governing Body.

13. Born in 1909, Mr. Bergenström began his employer career in 1937 with the Swedish Employers' Confederation, of which he became the International Director in 1949. In this capacity he represented also the other four Nordic employers' federations in the International Organization of Employers and the ILO. He was Vice-Chairperson of the IOE Executive Committee (1952-63) and its Chairperson for 16 years (1963-79). He was elected President of the IOE General Council for 1955-56.

14. Mr. Bergenström served the Governing Body as a deputy Employer member (1951-54) and as an Employer member (1950-51 and 1954-79). From 1969 to 1980 he was also its Employer Vice-Chairperson. He attended regularly the International Labour Conference and served as Employer Vice-Chairperson of the Selection Committee and of the Committee on Programme and Structure in 1969, and as Chairperson of the Employers' group in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Addressing the Conference in 1969, he proposed the creation of a programme of assistance to employers' associations.

15. In recognition of his numerous outstanding contributions to society, Gullmar Bergenström was decorated on many occasions both in his own country and in Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Spain.

16. He will be remembered for his wealth of culture, his unwavering tolerance, his profound knowledge of the subjects he treated and for his capacity to identify what was really important. His immense charm, his knowledge of languages and his human warmth brought him the admiration of all who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him.

17. The Governing Body will no doubt wish to request the Director-General to convey its sympathy to the family of Mr. Bergenström, to the International Organization of Employers and to the Swedish Employers' Confederation.

II. Progress in international labour legislation

Ratifications of Conventions

18. Since the preparation of the report submitted to the 274th Session of the Governing Body, the Director-General has registered the following 80 ratifications of international labour Conventions, bringing the total number registered on 4 October 1999 to 6,679:

Albania

Armenia

Austria

Bahrain

Belize

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Chile

China

Dominican Republic

Egypt

Ethiopia

Finland

Georgia

Iceland

Indonesia

Ireland

Japan

Kyrgyzstan

Lithuania

Morocco

Netherlands

Norway

Panama

Portugal

Seychelles

Slovenia

Spain

Switzerland

Tajikistan

United Republic of Tanzania

Togo

Trinidad and Tobago

United Kingdom

Zimbabwe

Declaration concerning the minimum age
with regard to Convention No. 138

19. The Director-General has registered on 22 April 1999 a declaration from the Government of Ireland to the effect that the initial age for admission to employment or work of 15 years specified upon ratification is raised to 16 years.

Entry into force of Conventions

20. As a result of the ratification by Ireland of the Home Work Convention, 1996 (No. 177), the Labour Inspection (Seafarers) Convention, 1996 (No. 178), and the Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers Convention, 1996 (No. 179) (the second ratification of these three Conventions), these three Conventions will come into force on 22 April 2000.

21. As a result of the ratification by Morocco of the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181) (the second ratification of this Convention), this Convention will come into force on 10 May 2000.

Denunciations of Conventions

Albania

22. The Director-General registered, on 30 June 1999, the denunciation by Albania of the Inspection of Emigrants Convention, 1926 (No. 21). The text of the communication concerning the denunciation by Albania of this Convention reads as follows:

Belgium

23. The Director-General registered, on 13 September 1999, the denunciation by Belgium of the Recruiting of Indigenous Workers Convention, 1936 (No. 50). The text of the communication concerning the denunciation by Belgium of this Convention reads as follows:

(Translation)

Finland

24. The Director-General registered, on 23 June 1999, the denunciation by Finland of the Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1930 (No. 30). The text of the communication concerning the denunciation by Finland of this Convention reads as follows:

Mauritius

25. The Director-General registered, on 8 July 1999, the denunciations by Mauritius of the Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers) Convention, 1939 (No. 64) and the Penal Sanctions (Indigenous Workers) Convention, 1939 (No. 65). The text of the communication concerning the denunciations by Mauritius of these Conventions reads as follows:

Netherlands

26. The Director-General registered, on 27 July 1999, the denunciation by the Netherlands of the Maintenance of Migrants' Pension Rights Convention, 1935 (No. 48).

Declarations concerning the application of Conventions to
non-metropolitan territories (article 35 of the Constitution)

27. The Director-General has registered the following declarations concerning the application of international labour Conventions to non-metropolitan territories:

Netherlands

Declaration registered on 15 June 1999

Portugal

Declarations registered on 9 August 1999

Declarations registered on 13 September 1999

Declarations registered on 4 October 1999

Notification

28. The Director-General has registered the following notification concerning the application of an international labour Convention to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong:

Notification registered on 28 April 1999

Constitution of the International Labour Organization,
Instrument of Amendment, 1997

29. Since the 274th Session of the Governing Body, the Director-General has received the following ratifications/acceptance of the instrument:
 

Albania

Ratification

30 June 1999

Bulgaria

Ratification

23 March 1999

Dominican Republic

Ratification

15 June 1999

Egypt

Ratification

18 February 1999

Ethiopia

Ratification

24 March 1999

India(1) 

Ratification

24 March 1999

Ireland

Ratification

22 April 1999

Lebanon R

Ratification

4 June 1999

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Ratification

26 May 1999

Malawi

Ratification

17 May 1999

Moldova

Ratification

21 September 1999

New Zealand

Ratification

25 May 1999

Nicaragua

Ratification

11 August 1999

Norway

Ratification

11 June 1999

Pakistan

Ratification

8 March 1999

Panama

Ratification

10 August 1999

Peru

Ratification

16 July 1999

Portugal

Ratification

3 May 1999

Romania

Ratification

31 May 1999

Singapore

Acceptance

6 May 1999

Sweden

Ratification

10 February 1999

Tajikistan

Ratification

10 May 1999

United Arab Emirates

Ratification

20 May 1999

The total number of ratifications and acceptances now stands at 47, including two by States of chief industrial importance.

III. European Agreement on the Social Security of Boatmen
Engaged in Inland Navigation

30. By circular letters dated 14 May 1999 and 2 September 1999, the Office transmitted to all the signatories of the 1993 European Agreement on the Social Security of Boatmen Engaged in Inland Navigation certified copies -- in the four authentic languages -- of the Administrative Arrangement adopted in 1995. In the same communication, the Office also informed the contracting parties that the Administrative Arrangement was open to signature at the ILO headquarters and invited them to consider early ratification of the 1993 European Agreement. At present, only the Government of Austria has responded, informing the Director-General that appropriate steps are being taken for the signature and ratification of the European Agreement in the coming months.

31. It is recalled that the European Agreement will enter into force two months after the sixth instrument of ratification (including at least those of three States represented on the Rhine Commission and three States represented on the Danube Commission) is deposited with the Director-General. To date, only Luxembourg has signed (but not yet ratified) the Agreement.

IV. Internal administration

32. Article 4.2(d) of the Staff Regulations states:

33. The following appointments and promotions are accordingly reported to the Governing Body:

Ms. F. Achio (Côte d'Ivoire)

Mr. K. Ashagrie (Canada)

Ms. A. Berar-Awad (Islamic Republic of Iran)

Mr. A. Bequele (Ethiopia)

Mr. W. Blenk (Germany)

Mr. E. Brú Bautista (Uruguay)

Mr. K. Burton (Mauritius)

Ms. C. Cornwell (United States)

Mr. J. Courdouan (France)

Ms. E. Date-Bah (Ghana)

Ms. C. Doumbia-Henry (Dominica)

Ms. A. Ducci Budge (Chile)

Mr. D. Duysens (Belgium)

Mr. U. Flechsenhar (Germany)

Mr. N. Gek-Boo (Malaysia)

Mr. B. Gernigon (France)

Mr. M. Henriques (Denmark)

Mr. M. Ishida (Japan)

Mr. R. Islam (Bangladesh)

Ms. M. Johnson (Australia)

Mr. E. Lee (Malaysia)

Mr. F. Maupain (France)

Ms. A. Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)

Mr. M. Ozaki (Japan)

Mr. P. Peek (Netherlands)

Ms. H.-T. Perret-Nguyen (France)

Mr. S. Pursey (United Kingdom)

Mr. S. Radwan (Egypt)

Mr. F. Röselaers (Netherlands)

Mr. M. Sebastian (Malaysia)

Mr. W. Sengenberger (Germany)

Mr. Z. Shaheed (Pakistan)

Mr. M. Simon Velasco (Spain)

Mr. G. Standing (United Kingdom)

Ms. G. Stoikov (Germany)

Mr. L. Swepston (United States)

Mr. J. Takala (Finland)

Ms. A. Trebilcock (United States)

Mr. O. de Vries Reilingh (Netherlands)

Mr. N. Watfa (Lebanon)

Mr. A. Wild (United Kingdom)

Mr. A. Zenger (Switzerland)

Ms. J. Zhang (China)

Geneva, 10 November 1999.

Points for decision:


1. State of chief industrial importance.


Updated by VC. Approved by NdW. Last update: 26 January 2000.