ILO Governing Body - Review of annual reports under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022 - EU Statement

ILO Governing Body, 350^th session

4 – 14 March 2024

Review of annual reports under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022

EU statement

Chair,

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

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

1. We thank the Office for its comprehensive report and underline its relevance to provide an overview in the achievement and full realization of the fundamental principles and rights at work in countries that have not yet ratified the relevant fundamental Conventions and the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention No 29.
2. We look with great interest at the results achieved in respecting, promoting and realising the ILO core principles and underline the importance the EU attaches to these principles, including in its international trade policies.
3. We take note that the current report does not cover the Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 155, or the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention No. 187, which are now considered fundamental Conventions. Thus, we look forward to learning more about their status of implementation and realization in the 2024 annual review. We also encourage member states to considering ratifying C 191 with a view to be bound by versions of conventions that encompass occupational safety and health as a fundamental principle and right at work.
4. We welcome the efforts made by ILO members to promote and implement the fundamental principles and rights at work through ratification of fundamental instruments, but also through legislation development, judicial decision, promotional activities, and monitoring. It is strongly encouraging to see that several Member States have expressed their intention to ratify the fundamental instrument and, in particular, it is heartening to note that 31 Member States indicated their intention to ratify the Protocol.
5. However, the EU and its Member States continue to be concerned about the annual rate of submission of reports, which is still below 50% of the countries which have not yet ratified the Conventions. In this regard, we support the encouragement by the Office to pathfinder countries in the Alliance 8.7 to report on the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention. We also note with concern that there have been some delays in report submission. Most countries had difficulty meeting the deadline and requested an extension.
6. For these reasons, we support the Office in its efforts to strengthen the supervisory system. We encourage the Office to continue to improve and facilitate the online reporting process for Member States and experiment with new simplified reporting methods. Moreover, we notice that there have been several difficulties in getting the credentials to access the online reporting tool, that we hope can be solved in the future.
7. We encourage the Office to further intensify its action and technical assistance to support Member States in order to improve and implement the broader labour standards ratification and the respect, promotion and application of fundamental principles and rights at work.
8. We acknowledge that further action to campaign for the universal ratification of all fundamental Conventions is still required in the light of the resolution concerning the second recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 106th Session, and the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019. We commend the Office for its efforts and continue to support it on this path ahead.
9. With the above, the EU and its Member States support the proposed decision point.

Thank you, Chair.

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