President of the International Labour Conference,
Employer and Worker Vice-Presidents of the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Allow me at the outset to congratulate President Dr Nidal Katamine and your fellow officers on your election and to wish you a successful conference.
The San government delegations welcomes and commends the report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General and firmly believes that it is a timely contribution to the necessary deliberations that must take place about the future of the ILO, particularly as the organisation nears its centenary celebrations in 2019.
In 1944 the ILO adopted its declaration of Philadelphia that for many was to serve as its post war charter. The declarations affirmed that “poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere; that labour is not a commodity; and that freedom of expression and of association are essential to sustained progress.”
A clarion call was thus issued for the ILO to be at the centre of global struggles for social justice. As the report notes, other declarations have also given the ILO essential direction at critical times. Today their message remains important and our comments are informed by this and our appreciation of the new challenges that have emerged both internally and externally as we approach the centenary.
We appreciate the opportunity presented by the DG’s report “for constituents to provide clear and ambitious guidance on initiatives that can carry the ILO forward to its centenary well-equipped, confident and committed to the mandate it was given a century earlier”.
The analysis of the context in which the ILO approaches its centenary is well presented and based on credible evidence alluded to in the report. We agree that there are major forces transforming the world of work which necessitate a tripartite response and which we believe the report has correctly identified.
We welcome the report’s elevation of environmental sustainability among the major focus areas for the ILO. As correctly asserted in the ILO?OECD Background paper to last year’s G20 Labour and Employment Ministers meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico: “Future economic growth with decent work and rising labour standards will critically rest on our ability to manage and restore the natural assets on which all life and economic activities depend”.
This concern must find expression in all that we do and in our ability to influence other parties so that collective global action on this matter is expedited accordingly.
The report presents some thoughtful introspection on the institutional challenges that the ILO must confront in order to improve its capacity to deliver on its mandate credibly and effectively. There is much needed frankness here that ought to be welcomes by constituents and should inform our own individual assessments on how we can contribute towards a better functioning ILO that is responsive towards new challenges.
The suggested ILO centenary activities are a welcome contribution to discussions that need to take place so that we finalise agreement on activities that will lay a foundation for a much stronger organisation that should emerge at the centenary President Our delegation has two major contributions we wish to put forward regarding the report.
Firstly, in our view the report is too humble in asserting the ILO’s contribution to achieving its mandate over time in the face of countless challenges. We believe that a positive development has been the resilience of the ILO in articulating the importance of social goals and objectives for the benefits of market led and driven solutions.
As recognized by many analysts, the recent global economic crisis has taken the shine off neo-liberalism and market fundamentalism, which continuously questioned the role of labour market institutions that promote social justice.
We believe that this development bodes well for the “policy coherence” that has been continuously called for and an improved ability for the ILO to work together with organisations in the international system that treat issues from a different perspective, such as Bretton-Woods institutions. To sustain such co-operation will require that the ILO improve its analytical capabilities and continue to present fresh and strong progressive analysis on its mandate areas.
Secondly we welcome the report’s discussion on “changing contours of poverty and prosperity “and suggestions on seven centenary initiative that include end to poverty, women at work and the future of work.
These issues remain particularly pertinent for developing countries, such as our country, and the rest of the African continent. On the 25th of May 2013, African countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner to the present day African Union, and the first post-colonial institutional expression of Pan Africanism.
The occasion took place at a time when the continent of at least a billion people is largely upbeat about its economic fortunes and achieving socio-economic indicators previously thought to be unattainable.
However, the continent continues to face immense challenges, many that fall with the ILO’s mandate areas. As the ILO marches towards the centenary, we would hope that the continent and its people continue to benefit from a partnership, concerted efforts and strategies that would create jobs, eradicate poverty and reduce inequality.
In conclusion Mr President, I would like to announce that the South African, after consultations with the social partners, has taken four conventions for ratification to Parliament in the first quarter of this year. These are the:
- Maritime Labour Convention of which the Department of Transport is busy with the Amendments on the relevant legislation
- Domestic Worker Convention which include amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Fund for inclusion of Domestic Workers on maternity benefits
- Work in the Fishing sector
- Labour inspection convention 81.
Parliament has ratified these conventions recently and these instruments/report will be deposited with the ILO in due course.
What follows ratifications is off course effective implementation and we look forward to technical assistance to be provided by the ILO. Working together, we will achieve more and arrive at our destiny.
I thank you!
