Afghanistan (The Islamic State of)

Afghanistan joined the ILO in 1934 and, prior to the current period of unrest, ratified three of the ILOs eight Core Conventions: No. 100 on Equal remuneration, No. 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour, and No. 111 on Discrimination (Employment and Occupation). The under-developed Afghan economy is extremely vulnerable to natural hazards like earthquakes, drought and floods. The unemployment rate across the country remains high, making young men recruiting targets for anti-government groups. About four-fifths of Afghans live in rural areas and are heavily reliant on agriculture. Some are involved in poppy cultivation. In April 2008, the government approved and launched the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) which includes goals such as economic and social development. The ILO contributed to this strategy. The ILO has been working closely with other UN and international agencies involved in reconstruction activities in Afghanistan since 2003. In addition, the ILOs Liaison Office in Kabul, supported by the ILO Country Office for Pakistan, is working to build up the capacity of the Organizations tripartite constituents. This includes helping to restructure the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, (MoLSA), strengthening workers and employers groups, advising on the return, reintegration and temporary migration of Afghan workers and their protection, providing technical advisory services to the government on skills development and market linkages, and offering employment services to jobseekers (including ex-combatants and their families) in 10 provinces to help them find better sources of income. However, security is a big issue, affecting development work by both national and international organizations. Afghanistan does not yet have a Decent Work Country Programme.

Australia
Australia was a founding member of the ILO and is also a major budget contributor, notably for projects in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Pacific Island countries. The country has ratified 55 ILO Conventions, including seven of the eight fundamental Conventions. The most recent ratification was registered on 19 December 2006, the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182). Australia has a mature, comprehensive, workplace relations system with a solid tradition of industrial relations and social dialogue. It is expected that by January 2010 the country will have in place a new, national workplace relations system. This will consist of ten National Employment Standards; a modern awards system, a new collective bargaining framework, new unfair dismissal laws, and the establishment of a new independent industrial relations body or umpire, Fair Work Australia.

The Government, Workers and Employers organizations are firmly committed to decent work and a Decent Work Nation Action Plan is being developed. The Australian Government held a seat on the ILOs Governing Body (GB) almost continuously from 1945 to 1996. It stepped down in 1996 to allow other members in the sub-region to stand for election, but regained GB membership in June 2005. In March 2008 Australia was re-elected for a second term as the GB member for the Far East Asia and Pacific electoral sub region, representing Australia, New Zealand, Mongolia, South Korea and the eight Pacific Island member States. ILO activities in Australia are supported through the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bangladesh : CO-Dhaka
Bangladesh has been an active member State of the ILO since 22 June 1972 and has ratified 33 ILO Conventions including seven fundamental conventions. The ILO opened its office in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 25 June 1973, and initially started working on expanding income-earning opportunities through labour-based infrastructure development and maintenance. Recent technical cooperation activities have focused on alleviating poverty and creating employment opportunities through technical vocational education and training reform, combating worst forms of child labour, promoting green jobs, improving occupational safety and health standards, and protecting the rights of migrant workers. Since the opening of the office, the ILO together with the Government of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), and the National Coordination Committee for Workers Education (NCCWE), has been working towards promoting decent and productive employment opportunities for women and men in Bangladesh. In addition, the ILO cooperates with many other key actors in civil society, academic and research institutions, private sector and media. As part of the UN system in Bangladesh, the ILO supports the Government of Bangladesh in implementing its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Bangladesh Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), which outlines the framework of ILO cooperation in Bangladesh, was developed and has been implemented for the period of 2006-2009, focusing on four key outcomes: Improving skills training and entrepreneurship for enhanced employability and livelihoods;

   

Improving coverage of social protection and rights for workers in selected sectors, including for migrants; Combating child labour with priority focus on the worst forms of child labour (WFCL); Strengthening social dialogue.

The Bangladesh DWCP contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2006-2020 especially in the areas of Education and Pro-Poor Growth, Social Protection, and Gender Equality and Advancement of Women.

China and Mongolia (co- Beijing)

The ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia carries out the ILO's programmes and activities in the People's Republic of China (including the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions) and Mongolia. Using ILO's unique tripartite structure, CO-Beijing works in close collaboration with the government, the workers' and employers' organizations to promote decent work for all.

Tripartite Seminar on Strengthening Labour Inspection Services The purpose of the seminar is to consult with the social partners on how to improve labour inspection services through closer collaboration between labour inspectors and law supervisors appointed from trade unions, women's federation and youth leagues. Workshop on the Emerging Challenges in the World of Work and Labour Inspection The workshop is organized under the ILO/NORWAY Project on Strengthening Labour Insepction Servics. The purpose of this workshop is to draw attention to the emerging challenges and issues in the world of work and to explore ways for labour inspectors to help address them.

ACFTU-ILO Workshop on the Role of Trade Unions in the Extension of Social Security The workshop is jointly organised by ACFTU and the ILO aiming at sharing the experience on trade unions's role in extending social security coverage and implementing the new Social Insurance Law of the PRC.

ILO to launch new Global Report on Wage Trends during the crisis ILO News(Beijing) - The International Labour Office (ILO) is to launch the second edition of its Global Wage Report which provides a global analysis of wage trends during the crisis using the latest world, regional and country-level estimates.

5th China International Forum on Work Safety The 5th China International Occupational Safety & Health Exhibition and China International Forum on Work Safety, jointly sponsored by the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), a cabinet-level department of the Chinese government overseeing workplace safety, and the International Labor Organization (ILO), took place in September 2010.

INDIA
y
Zonal Meeting on Promotion of Equality at Work in India (manual scavenging part only) To discuss challenges and problems manual scavengers and their family members face regarding occupational discrimination and for obtaining decent livelihood To discuss and assess implementation of government policies and schemes which are available for rehabilitation of scavengers and demolition of dry latrines To develop an action plan for elimination of manual scavenging with the inputs an ... Social security and ageing populations in developing countries It is common knowledge that life expectancy in Western countries has increased over the past several decades and will continue to rise. However, it may come as a surprise to some that the ratio of elderly people is rising faster in the developing world than in industrialized countries.

Zonal Meeting on Promotion of Equality at Work in India (manual scavenging part only) To discuss challenges and problems manual scavengers and their family members face regarding occupational discrimination and for obtaining decent livelihood To discuss and assess implementation of government policies and schemes which are available for rehabilitation of scavengers and demolition of dry latrines To develop an action plan for elimination of manual scavenging with the inputs and ...

Strategic Planning Meeting with Employers To discuss a strategic approach to the delivery of SIYB through Employers Organizations, by way of a service to members and prospective entrepreneurs.

100th ILO annual Conference decides to bring an estimated 53 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide under the realm of labour standards The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.

o o o y

PR No. 15A - Text of the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers PR No. 15B - Text of the Recommendation Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers Decent work for domestic workers Conference to address need for a new era of social justice in the wake of recent economic and jobs crises The International Labour Organization opens its historic 100th International Labour Conference in Geneva on 1 June with a call for a new era of social justice amid high global unemployment and underemployment, and public concern over the employment situation after the recent global financial crisis.

o y

100th Session of the International Labour Conference, 2011 Global economic crisis opens up new space for discrimination at work, ILO says In the new Global Report on Equality at Work 2011, the International Labour Office (ILO) notes that in spite of

continuous positive advances in anti-discrimination legislation, the global economic and social crisis has led to a higher risk of discrimination against certain groups such as migrant labour.

Report I(B) - Equality at work: The continuing challenge - Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

Window of opportunity for Asia to improve gender equality at work - ILO, ADB ILO News - BANGKOK: Asian countries have a window of opportunity to tackle gender inequality in their labour markets and support sustainable crisis recovery, according to a new report prepared jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

o o y

Women and labour markets in Asia: Rebalancing for gender equality Concluding remarks - Women and labour markets in Asia ILO report warns weak jobs recovery to continue through 2011 - youth employment a world priority With global unemployment, as officially measured, at record highs for the third straight year since the start of the economic crisis, the International Labour Office (ILO) warned in its annual employment trends survey that weak recovery in jobs is likely to continue in 2011, especially in developed economies.

G20 urged to implement commitment to jobs, social protection Amidst widespread concern about the slow recovery in employment, Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO, urged the G20 Leaders to implement their commitment to the central role of social protection and decent work in global recovery.

Malaysia
Malaysia has been a member of the ILO since 1957. Currently, the country has ratified 14 Conventions including five of the ILOs fundamental conventions (it ratified and subsequently denounced one of these core Conventions, C105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour). Malaysia has achieved a number of national developmental goals which coincidentally include essential elements of the Millennium Development Goals. The countrys development process has been shaped by the visions laid out the three key national policy frameworks; the New Economic Policy (1971-1990), the National Development Policy (1991-2000) and the National Vision Policy (2001-2010). In 1991 the country launched Vision 2020, which outlines Malaysias goal of achieving the status of a developed nation by 2020. As Malaysia is a middle-income country the ILOs assistance is largely in the form of technical advice, facilitating dialogue, and providing knowledge and tools based on its global experience. The technical assistance has covered a broad range of policy and strategic issues, including social security, occupational safety and health, gender equality in employment, and other aspects of labour standards. The ILOs strategy also focuses on building up the capacity of the social

partners (workers and employers organizations) so that they are aware of their rights and can more effectively advocate for them, as well as their understanding the implications and benefits of adopting additional international labour standards. ILO work in Malaysia is supported through the ILO DWT for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand

New Zealand
As well as being a founding member of the ILO, joining in 1919, New Zealand has a unique record on issues of labour and social justice. In 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the vote. It was also the first to legislate for an eight hour working day, so paving the way for the ILOs Hours of Work (Industry) Convention in 1919. New Zealand has ratified six of the eight core ILO Conventions. The government, in consultation with Business New Zealand (the countrys largest advocacy group for enterprise) and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, is currently studying ratification of the remaining two: the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention (No. 87), and the Minimum Age Convention (No. 138). The New Zealand government has expressed its serious commitment to promoting Decent Work, In January 2007, the government, employers, and workers of New Zealand launched a joint campaign, and a website that is regularly updated to show the countrys progress towards decent work. The country is at the forefront of promoting decent work in the Asia-Pacific region and is working closely with the ILO to support the idea globally. ILO activities in New Zealand are supported through the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in Bangkok, Thailand.
PAKISTAN
100th ILO annual Conference decides to bring an estimated 53 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide under the realm of labour standards The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.

UNICEF and ILO call for end to hazardous and exploitative child labour on World Day Against Child Labour In a joint statement to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, the ILO and UNICEF today called for renewed efforts to end the worst forms of child labour in Pakistan.

World Day Against Child Labour 2011 ILO calls for urgent action against hazardous forms of child labour

Report on experience sharing and advocacy workshop: integrated support programme to home based workers Under One-UN Project Towards Gender Parity in Pakistan (TGP), ILO and UN-Women have jointly initiated five pilot projects to provide integrated support to Home-Based Workers in different sectors and geographic locations. The Experience Sharing and Advocacy Workshop was held to highlight good practices and learning from the lessons in one of the pilots in Sialkot (Punjab).

ILO Country Director Mr. Donglin Li Conferred with Pakistans Highest Civilian Award Pakistan President H.E. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari on the occasion of National Day conferred the SITARA-I-QUAID-I-AZAM Civil Award on Mr. Donglin Li, former Country Director of International Labour Organizations (ILO) Country Office for Pakistan, for his excellent services to the people of Pakistan.

25 March - 20 April 2011, Islamabad, Pakistan

Expression of interest - Long term skills initiatives under GE4DE project Skills development initiatives will be implemented through two approaches one focusing on particular economic sectors, in this case clothing and home textiles and services, and the other focusing on particular types of communities, in this case, coastal and riverine communities. ...

25 March - 25 April 2011, Islamabad, Pakistan

Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE). Request for Proposals for Skills Development GE4DE solicits proposals for skills development and employment in Textiles and Services sectors.

46% of stories reinforce gender stereotypes, almost eight times higher than stories that challenge such stereotypes; findings of media content analysis by ILO Saturday 12 March 2011, Islamabad: The findings of a two months media content analysis of the popular print, electronic media were shared at a consultation with the senior media personnel. The event was organized by UKS and ILO on 12th March 2011 here in Islamabad.

Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE). Request for Proposals for Skills Development The ILO, under its project, Promoting Gender Equality for Decent Employment (GE4DE) is soliciting proposals for skills development and employment for coastal and riverine communities (located on the banks of a river or sea shore ). Background documents, terms of reference and the application form are given here. Last date for submissions is March 27th, 2011.

Women continue to face discrimination in the world of work Lahore & Karachi: Women continue to face discrimination in the formal and informal economy with growing numbers in the latter as more of them participate as family earners to sustain their families and to earn some extra income, say the preliminary findings of ILO Research looking at gender roles and needs and its nexus with employment opportunities in textiles, services and amongst coastal commun ...

Pakistans devastating floods rebuilding lives and livelihoods By Saifullah Chaudhry, Senior Programme Officer, ILO Country Office for Pakistan. (Peshawar, Pakistan) Sher Hassan watched helplessly through the driving rain as flood water approached his house. Horrified and panicking, and with little time to spare, the 24-year-old managed to take his elderly mother, five sisters and one younger bother to higher ground.

ILO Director-General receives a Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting MDGs and social development Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and promoting social development.

ILO's response to the floods The ILO activities in response to the severe floods in Pakistan that have caused widespread destruction of infrastructure includes an initial assessment and Cash for work programmes in Nowshera, Peshawar and Sukkur.

5.3 million jobs may have been affected by the floods in Pakistan More than 5.3 million jobs may have been lost and/or affected as a result of the worst ever floods in the history of Pakistan that devastated more than 70 districts of Pakistan, the International Labour Office (ILO) said today, adding that productive and labour intensive job creation programmes are urgently needed to lift millions of people out of poverty that has been aggravated by flood damage.

o y

More information on the Pakistan floods ILO has launched Cash for Work program for flood-affected people in Nowshera and Peshawar ILO has started helping the flood-affected communities in quickly restarting livelihoods and employment through immediate short-term employment recovery programs. The program titled Cash for Work for Flood Affected People was launched in Nowshera and Peshawar by the ILO Country Director, Mr Donglin Li on 31 August 2010.

30 August - 15 October 2010, Islamabad, Pakistan

ILO Photography competition 2010 -Gender Equality for Decent Employment In order to highlight the issue of gender disparity and its various manifestations in the workplace, the ILO is organizing a photography competition to engage individuals and professional organizations aimed at inspiring people to think about women, men, girls and boys in the world of work, and capturing both the challenges they face and achievements they have made.

ILO about to launch "Cash for Work" project for flood affected people in Sukkur ILO will soon launch the Cash for Work project in Sukkur in order to provide quick employment opportunities to floods-affected people and to help them overcome their mental shock and trauma.

Youth unemployment at highest recorded level - ILO report; 36 million Asia Pacific young people unemployed A possible Lost generation

The global unemployment rate for young people has risen to its highest recorded level, and is expected to continue increasing until the end of 2010, a new report issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO) says.

High-level Social Dialogue Workshop in Sialkot Stakeholders reached a consensus on July 26, 2010 to recommend formation of Social Dialogue Mechanism for Sialkot to boost the exports. The Prime Ministers Advisor on Labour issues, Mr Hafeezullah Cheema supervised the consensus building social dialogue workshop organized by the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) in collaboration with the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI). ...

Brief report on the observance of the World Day Against Child Labour 2010 Pakistan - [pdf 4852 KB] Various activities commemorating the World Day Against Child Labour were held in Pakistan during the period 10 16 June 2010 under the over all theme of the campaign Go for the Goal End Child Labour. The Day was celebrated in collaboration with the ILO tripartite constituents; Government, Employers and Workers, and the partner NGOs, civil society, academia, and target beneficiaries.

Handing over of ILOs Project of Support to the Government of Punjab In a handing over ceremony at the completion of ILOs project of support to the Government of Punjab on Elimination of Bonded Labour from Brick Kilns (EBLIK) in Punjab, the Minister for Labour, Mr Ashraf Khan Sohna ensured full commitment and support of the Government of Punjab to address the issue of bonded labour in brick kilns in the province.

CIDA-ILO launched Canadian $8 million project to Promote Gender Equality for Decent Employment The Government of Pakistan is committed to reduce gender inequality and to promote employment opportunities for women in Pakistan, stated by the Federal Secretary Labour and Manpower, Mr Tariq Iqbal Puri.

ILOs technical assistance to the Ministry of Youth Affairs to support the National Internship Programme to Enhance Employability The Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA) and ILO have agreed to conduct an assessment of the Ministrys National Internship Programme to Enhance Employability. This programme currently offers internships to 30,000 young people.

ILO Country Director distributes certificates among women trainees in the garment industry, Faisalabad Mr Donglin Li, Country Director of the ILO distributed certificates among successful trainees of skill training programme for women in garment industry in an event organized by the Ministry of Textile Industries in collaboration with the ILO in Faisalabad on 18 January 2010.

National tripartite celebration of the 90th anniversary and launch of the campaign to promote the Social Justice Declaration Celebrations of ILO's 90th anniversary in conjunction with the launch of the campaign to promote Social Justice was carried out and attended by several tripartite constituents.

Singapore (The Republic of)

Singapore joined the ILO in 1965. It is one of the most developed economies in Asia and has some of the fewest barriers to trade. With its developed economy status, there have been no major ILO technical cooperation projects in Singapore in recent years. But the country is host to many ILO meetings and fellowship programmes that cover a wide range of work and workplace-related topics. ILO activities in Singapore focus on working with the constituents to build up their capabilities help them share knowledge and provide training, both for themselves and to other less developed economies in the region. The island state has ratified twenty ILO Conventions (including five of the eight so-called core conventions) covering a wide range of topics, among them forced labour, the worst forms of child labour, the right to organize and collective bargaining. More than 70 other instruments are under consideration with a view to ratification. In 2005 Singapore became the first deputy member of the ILOs Governing Body from the ASEAN grouping. The country has been elected as a titular member of the Governing Body for the ASEAN region for the term 2008-2011. SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES (CO- COLOMBO)
The strong cooperation between Sri Lanka and the ILO dates back to Sri Lankas admission to the ILO in 1948. We deliver our technical and financial assistance to Sri Lanka through a Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), developed in full consultation with our tripartite partners; the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC), the Trade Unions and the Government (Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations as our focal point).

Decent work is captured in four strategic objectives: fundamental principles and rights at work and international labour standards; employment and income opportunities; social protection and social security; and social dialogue and tripartism. These objectives hold for all workers, women and men, in both formal and informal economies; in wage employment or working on their own account; in the fields, factories and offices; in their home or in the community.

The ILO also believe that decent work is central to efforts to reduce poverty, and is a means for achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development in Sri Lanka.

National Green Jobs Conference The National Green Jobs Conference Green Jobs: the Way Forward was organized by ILO in collaboration with the

Ministries of Labour and Labour Relations and Productivity Promotion, with financial support from the Australian Government, under the ILO-Australia Partnership Programme 2010 2015. ... Asia Pacific job recovery lagging economic growth, says ILO report: ILO Global Employment Trends 2011; cites concerns including inflation, youth unemployment, working poverty BANGKOK (ILO News) With global unemployment, as officially measured, at record highs for the third straight year since the start of the economic crisis, the International Labour Office (ILO) warned that weak recovery in jobs is likely to continue in 2011, especially in developed economies.

Asian wage growth remains positive despite economic crisis - But country-level picture mixed, concern about growing inequality, flying top and collapsing bottom New ILO report says The worldwide financial and economic crisis cut global wage growth by half in 2008 and 2009, however in Asia wage growth slowed but remained positive.

Global Wage Report 2010/11: Wage policies in times of crisis - [pdf 5259 KB]

y
1412 KB]

Sri Lanka's roadmap 2016 on the worst forms of child labour - from commitment to action - [pdf

Sri Lanka's Roadmap 2016 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour is based on extensive consultations with the members of the National Steering Committee on Child Labour, including the Ministry of Labour, the National Child Protection Authority and other ministries, representatives of Employers' and Workers' organizations, the ILO and UNICEF.