INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
301st Session of the Governing Body
6 – 20 March 2008
Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization
CURRENT PROSPECTS AND POLICIES FOR DECENT WORK:
THE CHALLENGE OF MULTILATERAL COOPERATION AND POLICY
COHERENCE FOR FAIR GLOBALIZATION
Statement by
the Representative
of the Republic of Slovenia
on behalf of the European Union
Geneva, 17 March 2008
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
The Slovenian Presidency of the European Union, Geneva, 17 March 2008
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
301st Session of the Governing Body
6 – 20 March 2008
CURRENT PROSPECTS AND POLICIES FOR DECENT WORK: THE
CHALLENGE OF MULTILATERAL COOPERATION AND POLICY COHERENCE
FOR FAIR GLOBALIZATION
Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Candidate Countries
Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*1, the Countries of the
Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members
of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia
align themselves with this declaration.
1.
The EU appreciates the preparation of the document which analyses the current
state of the global economy and respective regions as well as provides an overview
of the related policies, policy responses and possible contributions of the ILO on
these topics.
2.
The EU welcomes the intervention of World Bank President Mr. Zoellick. The EU
would like to highlight the importance of the continuation of high-level multilateral
cooperation between international organisations. The EU also highlights the
importance of high level inter-organisational and multilateral dialogue within the
WP SDG that has been started last year in March by the panel discussion on the
joint WTO/ILO study on trade and employment.
3.
Globalisation can both generate and reduce social and economic imbalances within
and between countries. It is a matter of concern to the EU that effective policies are
implemented to capitalise on the opportunities and address the challenges of
globalisation.
4.
The EU believes that the current global economic and financial imbalances do
represent a real risk to a highly globalised world and could result in economic and
social costs. It is important that these imbalances are addressed. Improving
transparency of financial markets is an important policy goal.
5.
The EU believes that in order to meet the challenges and opportunities resulting
from globalisation it is essential to pursue a strategy with an integrated approach
between employment, social, macro- economic and micro- economic strands.
Coordinated policies, at all levels, must be geared towards ensuring macroeconomic stability and social cohesion taking up the opportunities of globalisation
and addressing the challenges ahead including ageing populations, climate changes
and energy.
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* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the
Stabilisation and Association Process.
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6.
The EU welcomes the February 2008 outcome of the UN Commission for Social
Development (CSocD) on promoting full employment and decent work for all. It
highlighted that full and productive employment and decent work for all are key
elements of sustainable development for all countries and should therefore be a
priority objective of domestic policies and international cooperation. It also
encourages all parties of the UN system to collaborate in using, adapting and
evaluating the application of the toolkit for mainstreaming employment and decent
work. In this respect the EU would like to emphasize the central role of the UN in
the multilateral system.
7.
EU recalls that the ECOSOC Ministerial meeting also highlighted the importance of
cooperation between ILO and other relevant international organisations such as the
World Bank. In the context of globalisation it is of particular importance that
governments and relevant entities develop systems of social protection and to
extend their effectiveness and coverage including for workers in the informal
economy. The EU invites the ILO to strengthen its social protection strategies and
policies on extending social security coverage.
8.
As to the basic social security floor which is implicitly taken into consideration in
paragraph 42, 43 and 44 of the document before us, we also bear in mind the
CSocD outcomes and the ILO contributions in the main international discussions
where it was stated that social protection is an investment in a country's future and
a cost-effective way of fighting poverty and that this approach had to be kept on
the international agenda. We therefore call again for strengthening international
and multilateral cooperation, particularly with the ILO, so as to support countries to
develop minimum social security systems taking into account the different stages of
development of countries and leading towards a basic social security floor. The
latter – at least at poverty level – consists in providing adequate measures to
guarantee basic health and social care and basic income.
9.
In response to the ILO suggestion on national reviews of economic prospects and
their implications for decent work, we agree this could serve as a possible
encouragement and would support implementation of related policies at national
levels. We therefore encourage countries to consider using this element in their
existing structures and consultations.
10.
The EU emphasises the importance of social partners and other stakeholders in the
preparation and implementation of coherent policies.
11.
Good labour market performance is one of the key issues contributing to
sustainable development and economic growth. The EU answer is the flexicurity
concept encompassing an integrated approach combining flexibility and security.
Flexicurity involves the deliberate combination of flexible and reliable contractual
arrangements, comprehensive lifelong learning strategies, effective active labour
market policies, and modern, adequate and sustainable social protection systems.
While public authorities retain an overall responsibility, the involvement of social
partners in the design and implementation of flexicurity policies through social
dialogue and collective bargaining is of crucial importance.
12.
The EU Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs aims at promoting mutually reinforcing
economic, employment, social and environmental policy objectives. Combining
economic competitiveness and social justice is at the heart of the European model
of sustainable development. The internal and external dimensions of the Lisbon
strategy are useful tools in meeting many of the challenges of globalisation. The
creation of more and better jobs and promoting social cohesion are "an essential
prerequisite if the world is to develop in the direction of social justice".
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13.
The EU notes that the report lacks an important aspect of globalisation that is the
aspect of migration, particularly labour migration. In the era of globalisation
migration is a challenge, as stated in the Council Conclusions of December 2007.
Finally Mr. Chairman the EU will continue with its endeavours to shape globalisation by
reinforcing the external dimension of the renewed Lisbon strategy as a part of the
mobilisation of its external policies and actions.
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