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EU Statement - ILO 355th GB - Follow-up to the resolution concerning the measures recommended by the Governing Body under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on the subject of Myanmar adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 113th Session

25.11.2025
Geneva
Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

ILO Governing Body, 355th session

17 November-27 November 2025

Follow-up to the resolution concerning the measures recommended by the Governing Body under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on the subject of Myanmar adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 113th Session (2025)

GB.355/INS/11

EU statement

 

Chair,

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

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Republic of Moldova, Georgia, as well as the EFTA countries Norway and Switzerland, align themselves with this statement.

  1. Since the adoption of the Article 33 resolution at the 113th International Labour Conference, the situation in Myanmar has further deteriorated. The military continues to suppress democratic freedoms, while violence and the humanitarian crisis escalate and fundamental rights and civil liberties are systematically violated. UN bodies and social partners further report widespread forced labour imposed by the military authorities on the people of Myanmar, including children, in particular forced recruitment, and continued attacks on trade unionists. We condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms.
  2. In this context, we reiterate our profound concern at the continued and deliberate non-compliance by the Myanmar military with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Conventions Nos 87 and 29. As reflected in our joint submission, the EU and its Member States have taken sustained measures since the 2021 coup that contribute to the implementation of the Article 33 resolution: targeted restrictive measures against those responsible; strengthened due-diligence guidance for businesses; continued support for Myanmar’s civil society, workers and employers; and humanitarian and development programmes carried out through partners, in order to avoid channelling EU assistance through the military authorities. We also recall that the Common European Asylum System fully upholds the principle of non-refoulement.
  3. We remain committed to coordinated international action in pursuit of accountability and respect for fundamental rights and encourage all ILO member states, ILO constituents and observers to follow up on the Article 33 resolution.
  4. We note the recent release of three trade unionists and labour rights defenders, including the MICS Secretary General, Thet Hnin Aung. We acknowledge their release as a notable step and continue to stress that all trade unionists and human and labour rights defenders imprisoned for exercising legitimate civil liberties must be freed immediately and without conditions. Continued arrests, intimidation, and the establishment of parallel military-backed trade unions underline the absence of genuine progress.
  5. We welcome and strongly support the Office’s work to develop a new monitoring mechanism that will confidentially and credibly document violations of fundamental rights, with a particular emphasis on freedom of association and cases of forced labour. This mechanism is essential for the full implementation of the Article 33 resolution and for ensuring accountability and protection of rights on the ground.
  6. The EU and its Member States will continue to work with the ILO and all relevant actors to secure meaningful compliance by the Myanmar military with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and to support the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of dignity, justice and decent work.
  7. We support the decision point.

Thank you, Chair.