THE 109th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) will, for the first time in its history, be held virtually, reflecting changes imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, a media statement from the headquarters of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva has revealed.
The 109th session of the annual ILC was deferred from 2020 to this year by the ILO’s Governing Body, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ILC, sometimes known as the world parliament of labour, is the largest international gathering dedicated to the world of work, attended by representatives of governments, employers and workers from the 187 ILO member states. In addition to discussing key world of work issues, delegates also discuss, adopt and monitor International Labour Standards and set the ILO’s global agenda and budget.
The statement also revealed that in another special arrangement, the ILC will open today, 20th May, 2021 by 1pm (Geneva time) “to elect its Officers and set the Conference in motion.”
Aside today’s even, this year’s Conference will be held in two parts; the first holding in June 2021 while the second comes up in November-December 2021.
The statement further reads: “The June sittings will start on 3 June, with meetings of the Conference committees that are expected to run for two and a half weeks.
“Work in plenary will commence on 7 June and will be addressed by the President of the Swiss Confederation. The ILO’s Director-General, Guy Ryder and the Chairperson of the Governing Body will also present their reports, which will cover two years. This will be followed by the introductory statements of the Presidents of the ILC’s Employers and Workers groups.
“The items on the June segment of the ILC agenda include a special outcome document on the ILO response to COVID-19, the ILO’s programme and budget for 2022-23, the recurrent discussion on social protection, and consideration of the reports on the application of labour standards during the pandemic and related country case discussions.
“The World of Work Summit, entitled, International action for a human-centred COVID-19 response, will take place on 17 and 18 June, with sessions running for about 90 minutes each day. The Summit will include a high-level segment with heads of state and government and a panel discussion with tripartite representatives.
“Other ILC events will include for World Day Against Child Labour, on 10 June (World Day falls on a Saturday this year), and the launch of a report on child labour.
“The June part of the ILC will close on 19 June.
“The ILC will resume its work in November, with an agenda that includes two thematic discussions in committees, one on inequalities and the world of work and the second on skills and life-long learning. The Director-General is expected to close the 109th ILC on 11 December.”
