European Union

Statement

ILO Governing Body, 347^th session 

13 – 23 March 2023

Report on developments relating to the resolution concerning the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the International Labour Organization

GB.347/INS/16

Geneva, 21 March 2023

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ILO Governing Body, 347th session

13 – 23 March 2023

Report on developments relating to the resolution concerning the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the International Labour Organization

GB.347/INS/16

EU statement

Chair,

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

The Candidate Countries Albania*, the Republic of North Macedonia*, Moldova, Montenegro*, the potential candidate country Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

We align with the cross-regional statement on behalf of 46 countries.

1. We thank the Office for the report on developments relating to the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
2. This unprovoked, unjustified and continued aggression is a gross violation of international law, notably the UN Charter, human rights, humanitarian principles, as well as an attack on democracy and freedom and is entirely incompatible with the ILO’s values and principles.
3. One year ago, this Body adopted a resolution concerning the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the ILO and calling upon the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression and inter alia withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
4. In line with the UN General Assembly resolution of 23 February (A/RES/ES-11/6) adopted with broad cross-regional support, we reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, while we underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter.
5. We reiterate the European Union’s readiness to support Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. To date, Russia has not shown any genuine willingness regarding a fair and sustainable peace. We express our support for the peace formula of President Zelenskyy and reaffirm the European Union’s commitment to work actively with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan. The European Union supports the idea of a Peace Formula Summit aiming at launching its implementation. The European Union will work together with Ukraine to ensure the widest possible international participation.
6. One year later, we find ourselves having to make the same calls. We particularly deplore the atrocities and war crimes committed by the Russian Federation and express our deep concern about effects of the war of aggression on Ukraine, its people, employers and workers, society, environment, and economy.
7. Workers risk their lives repairing damaged infrastructure, enterprises, schools and care facilities. An estimated 2.4 million, or 15.5 per cent of, jobs were lost and recent data suggest that widespread and deliberate Russian attacks on critical infrastructure, notably energy, heating and water, may further deteriorate the situation and the continuation of Russian aggression will prevent economic recovery. We also see the spill-over effects of this unprovoked and unjustified aggression on neighbouring countries especially in the economic, energy and social sectors, with 8 million persons externally displaced, of whom an absolute majority are women and children.
8. We also deplore the labour rights violations resulting from the Russian war of aggression. The reports of the Office and the CEACR underline the dire circumstances for seafarers stranded in Ukrainian ports or risking lives sailing in mined waters to feed the world. We are also very concerned about nuclear power plant workers, particularly in Zaporizhzhia, given the physical and psychological pressure, mistreatment, exhaustion, stress they endure, with the potential increased exposure to radiation], as well as violations of their fundamental labour rights when they are forced to sign new labour contracts with Rosatom, not to speak about wrongful detention of workers.
9. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression, the EU and its member states have made available at least €67 billion in support for Ukraine and its people including €37.8 billion in economic assistance and €17 billion in support for refugees. In December 2022, the Council adopted a legislative package which will enable the EU to help Ukraine financially throughout 2023 with €18 billion in Macrofinancial assistance.
10. In these grave times, we commend the ILO for its important role in providing manifold and constant support to the tripartite constituents in Ukraine and in other affected countries in the region. We express our gratitude specifically to the ILO staff in Ukraine, welcome their staged return to Kyiv and plans to establish a secure ILO country office.
11. We reaffirm our call on the ILO to continue to cooperate with the wider UN system on a coherent policy response to this aggression through the Humanitarian-Peace-Development Nexus. We welcome the ILO’s six priority areas of intervention and encourage the Office to actively approach donors to close the unmet funding needs of its technical service offer. We ask the ILO to assist social partners to continue to play their essential roles on the ground and to continue cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure the protection of labour rights and a safe and healthy work environment.
12. We also welcome the Director-General’s visit to Moldova as well as the move of Georgia to the ILO office for Central and Eastern Europe in Budapest.
13. Chair, the Office reports that the main challenge for Moscow sub-regional Office is to fill the funding gap for project implementation created by the discontinuation of a LUKOIL-funded project. Are there really no other challenges to operate a sub-regional office from a country that has breached the UN Charter and started an unlawful war of aggression? We’d be grateful for answers to the following questions:
    1. What is the number and scope of technical advisory missions from the Moscow Office to each country in the sub-region?
    2. Has the Office consulted the countries of the sub-region on whether their needs are being served well from the Moscow sub-regional Office?
    3. Is there no concern about the situation of family members of international staff who are not protected by the Vienna Convention and can be labelled as foreign agents under the Federal Law No 255-FZ of 14 July 2022?
    4. With regards to the continued effective functioning of the Moscow Office, we welcome the extended telework policy for international staff. We’d like to inquire what are the challenges to the seamless application of this policy?
14. Chair, we support the amendment tabled by the cross-regional group of countries.

Thank you, Chair.

[*Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.]