111th International Labour Conference - Finance Committee - Programme and Budget 2024-2025 - EU Statement no. 2

European Union

Statement no. 2

International Labour Conference

111^th session

Geneva, 5-16 June 2023

________

Finance Committee



Programme and Budget 2024-2025

_______

Geneva, 6 June 2023

- CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY -

International Labour Conference

111^th session

Geneva, 5-16 June 2023

Finance Committee

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

[The Candidate Countries Albania*, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, the Republic of North Macedonia*, Moldova, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Ukraine, the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.]

Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons,

Distinguished Delegates,

1. Since 2018, programmes and budgets have stressed the importance of anti-discrimination policies.
2. The LGBTI reference was first introduced in the ILO programme and budget for 2018-2019  and again in 2020-2021, along with the 2022-2023 Programme and Budget which included a reference to LGBTI+ group. These were adopted by consensus.
3. Chair, the present proposal is a regression compared to the consensually agreed language in previous programmes and budgets.
4. LGBTI persons continue to face significant discrimination. However, explicit reference to ILO work on the global level in favour of the LGBTI persons is no longer included in the Programme and Budget.
5. Diminishing the recognition of the needs and rights of persons who disproportionally experience violence, harassment, discrimination and exclusion is a reversion that goes against our commitment to social justice and rights at work.
6. That being said, the EU and its MS acknowledge that the ILO’s work as regards the combating all forms of discrimination, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, will continue at all levels; global, regional and national.
7. The EU will continue to strongly oppose and step-up action to combat all forms of discrimination, with a specific attention to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including on grounds of sex, race, ethnic or social origin, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender identity.
8. We reiterate our commitment to equality and non-discrimination and to the entitlement of all persons, to enjoy the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to the participation of, inter alia, youth, girls and women, persons with disabilities and LGBTI persons, as well as to the protection of those who are in disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised situations, including children.
9. While dissatisfied with the regression from the original language, EU MS voted in favour of the revised text of the Programme and Budget at the March Governing Body in the spirit of compromise, to facilitate its adoption at the Conference. The draft proposal of the ILC resolution should be approved as recommended by the March Governing Body to ensure the work of the ILO at the global, regional and national level continues.

Thank you, Chair.