110th International Labour Conference - EU Statement on the General Discussion, Committee on Application of Standards

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Country Albania[1] and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Georgia align themselves with this statement.

1. Allow me to welcome and extend our best wishes to the Chair of the Committee, Vice‑Chairs and the Rapporteur.
2. We welcome the discussion at the Committee on the Application of Standards, and appreciate that we are almost back to our normal schedule. We strongly believe in the fundamental importance of international labour standards, their ratification, and the effective and authoritative supervision on their implementation. We fully support the Committee’s premise that this foundation is essential for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable, equitable and resilient, as outlined in the Global Call to Action. It plays a central role in preventing further socio-economic regression and in putting recovery efforts on a more stable footing.
3. We highly appreciate the analysis and expertise of the Committee of Experts shown in the General Report, which provides a solid basis for the work of our committee. We recall our strong commitment to the independence, objectivity, and impartiality of the Committee of Experts.
4. All EU Member States have ratified all fundamental ILO Conventions, since we truly believe that ratification, implementation of and compliance with all fundamental ILO Conventions not only contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights, including labour rights, but also to the larger objectives of building social and economic stability, as well as inclusive and equitable societies all over the world. This commitment is reaffirmed in the EU’s bilateral and regional trade and investment agreements and unilateral preferential trade schemes, as well as through our continuous support for ILO technical assistance. Building support for international labour standards through extended cooperation across the multilateral system, with the support of the UN family, is also key to ensure that these standards continue to guide and be part of recovery policies while also contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
5. The COVID-19 pandemic had a widespread impact on many economic sectors and serious negative consequences for decent work around the world. We echo the Committee’s concern over the situation of groups in vulnerable situations, as outlined in the report, who are bearing the brunt of the pandemic, especially women and young people. We also underline the importance of including OSH in the ILO’s framework for fundamental principles and rights at work.
6. We share concern expressed over the situation of care personnel, domestic workers and seafarers, in particular. The pandemic has exacerbated the difficult working conditions of nursing personnel and personal care workers, including domestic workers, leading many to leave the sector. The ILO conventions 149 on nursing personnel and 189 on domestic workers and their respective recommendations, aim to improve the situation of these frontline workers significantly, once ratified and implemented by all Member States. All Member States, irrespective of whether they have ratified the fundamental conventions, are obligated to respect, promote and realize the fundamental principles and rights at work for all workers in line with the ILO 1998 Declaration. The forthcoming European care strategy is expected to address both carers and care receivers, from childcare to long-term care.
7. We would also like to reiterate that seafarers are key workers who play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of global supply chains, while working in increasingly challenging circumstances, further exacerbated by the pandemic and changing geopolitical circumstances. The full implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006) has never been more important, and while at least one essential amendment could not find consensus, we are happy that a number of important improvements could be agreed upon at the recent meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee.
8. The EU and its Member States are convinced that a well–functioning supervisory system, tripartism and social dialogue are critical to ensure the credibility of the Organization’s work as a whole. We will continue to fully support it as we remain convinced that it is one of the most valuable examples of a multilateral rules-based order, which, we feel, is under attack.
9. As stated in the Governing Body Resolution of March, the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine not only grossly violates international law and the principles of the UN Charter, but is also incompatible with the aims and purposes of this Organization and the principles governing ILO membership. The EU and its Members States strongly condemn these illegal military actions, including their devastating impact on the World of Work in Ukraine, as well as their wider ramifications across the globe. We reaffirm our steadfast support for the return to the global rules-based order, with the UN, including the ILO, at its core.
10. We are looking forward to a constructive engagement with tripartite constituents during the debate in this Committee.

Thank you Chair

[1] Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process