Preliminary building blocks for an outcome
document and proposed modalities for the
Committee
Non-paper for the informal tripartite
consultations (Geneva, 14 April 2016)
Committee of the Whole for the evaluation of the
impact of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice
for a Fair Globalization, 2008
I.
Background
1. At its 320th Session (March 2014), the Governing Body of the ILO decided to place the
evaluation of the impact of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
(Declaration) on the agenda of the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference in
June 2016.
2. The Conference is expected to evaluate the impact of the Declaration and steps taken to
promote its implementation, as well as to draw conclusions regarding “the desirability of
further evaluations or the opportunity of engaging in any appropriate course of action.” In
this regard, it should be noted that the evaluation is well-timed to inform activities related to
the ILO’s centenary in 2019, the Strategic Plan 2018-21, and the ILO’s follow-up to the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
3. The report submitted by the Office as a basis for the Conference discussion has been
prepared in line with the guidance provided by the Governing Body, taking into account the
views expressed in informal tripartite consultations and the replies to a questionnaire
received from tripartite constituents representing over 100 Members.
II.
Possible points for discussion
4. The list of possible points for discussion and their sequencing are included in this paper to
facilitate discussions during the informal tripartite consultations in Geneva on 14 April. The
possible points for discussion have been prepared on the basis of the areas for specific action
set out in chapter 5 of the Office report and subsequent Office-wide internal consultations.
They are not exhaustive. The proposed sequence aims at enabling the Conference to focus
on each specific set of issues while fostering linkages between them so that they can feed
into a coherent outcome.
A. Achieving the full potential of the Declaration: reviewing its
general impact and identifying key considerations for future
action
■
Review of the steps taken and assessment of their impact:
−
evaluation of the general impact of the Declaration in the changing global
economic and social context since 2008; and
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−
■
identification of challenges and opportunities for action by the Organization and
by its Members.
Determination of key considerations for future action, including:
−
the universal implementation of fundamental principles and rights at work, and
policy measures to ensure “a just share of the fruits of progress to all”;
−
the promotion of social dialogue and tripartism and the involvement of other actors
outside the ILO;
−
linkages between the implementation of the Declaration and the ILO contribution
to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; and
−
the continued adaptation of ILO methods of work.
B. Use of the recurrent discussions to better understand
and respond to Members’ needs
■
Review of the steps taken and assessment of their impact.
■
Determination of future action which may relate to:
−
the preparation, organization and impact of recurrent discussions to strengthen
their function as knowledge and governance tools, including the coordinated use
of all ILO means of action and a streamlined process for setting the agenda of the
Conference;
−
clarifying the modalities of the Conference discussion; and
−
providing guidance to the Governing Body as regards:
o
ways to strengthen the operationalization of the outcome of the discussion:
through mainstreaming in the work of the Governing Body, coordination
with the programme and budget and other governance decisions such as
the organization of regional meetings; and
o
the content, sequence and frequency of recurrent discussions.
C. Coordination of ILO means of action, based on the use
of its tripartite structure and standards system
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■
Review of the steps taken and assessment of their impact.
■
Determination of future action which may relate to:
−
standards: priorities to further strengthen their role as a means to achieve all of
ILO objectives, taking into account the standards initiative and article 19 of the
Constitution;
−
Decent Work Country Programmes: priorities for a better use of Decent Work
Country Programmes, both by the ILO and by its Members, to consolidate all
efforts for the integrated pursuit of ILO objectives at the national level, taking into
account in particular the Development Cooperation Strategy and the
implementation of national sustainable development strategies relating to the 2030
Agenda;
−
Office technical and research capacity: priorities to further operationalize the
integrated approach to decent work having regard to the steps set out in Part II B
of the Declaration, in particular through a well-informed and up-to-date
understanding of its contribution to sustainable development, the development of
a strategic approach to institutional capacity building, and awareness-raising; and
−
strategic planning: guidance for the strategic plan 2018–21.
D. Partnerships for the implementation of the Declaration and
policy coherence
III.
■
Review of the steps taken and assessment of their impact.
■
Determination of future action which may relate to:
−
Members: priorities to encourage and assist Members’ efforts, to promote the ILO
objectives, in collaboration with the social partners, including in the framework
of bilateral, sub-regional and regional integration processes or other regional
cooperation mechanisms;
−
other international organizations: priorities to promote greater coherence with
other international, regional and other organizations;
−
economic and non-state actors: priorities to establish stronger and more strategic
partnerships with economic and non-state actors, taking into account the enterprise
initiative; and
−
development partners: guidance to the Governing Body as regards the
contributions of development partners to the promotion of the strategic objectives.
Preliminary building blocks for
a possible outcome document
5. The possible outcome document would provide a coherent framework for the further
implementation of the Declaration. It is important to clarify its purpose as early as possible
as this will have an impact on what is expected of the Conference, on the follow-up actions
that would be required from the Governing Body and the Office, and on the extent to which
the Conference will provide guidance in this respect.
6. Possible key elements include:
■
A preamble, which could reaffirm the relevance of the Declaration and its significance
for the promotion of ILO objectives in the current and foreseeable global context; recall
the linkage with the 1919 constitutional preamble, the 1944 Philadelphia Declaration
and the 1998 ILO Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work.
■
An operative part, which could in turn be sub-divided into:
−
determination of guiding principles to achieve full potential of the Declaration
based on the evaluation and key considerations for future concrete actions
notably in the build up to the centenary; and
−
identification of priority areas which could call for concrete follow-up actions to
be undertaken by the Organization, including the Governing Body and Office, and
the tripartite Members, possibly including the scheme of recurrent discussions and
the coordination of ILO means of action and partnerships, with the overriding need
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to make the best use of the ILO’s unique advantage of its tripartite structure and
standards system.
■
A process-related part which would frame the follow-up to be undertaken by the
Governing Body and the Director-General to give effect to the outcome document,
specifying explicitly the institutional linkages with existing mechanisms and relevant
ongoing strategic processes or discussions.
7. According to ILO practice, there are three main ways to express the outcome of a non
standard-setting discussion: (i) a resolution that annexes conclusions and directs how to give
them effect, (ii) a resolution that directly sets out findings and action to be taken (without
annexing conclusions); or (iii) a resolution expressed as a Declaration. In this context, the
Annex of the Social Justice Declaration refers to “conclusions” to be drawn by the
Conference on the desirability of future evaluations and appropriate courses of action. It will
be for the Conference to consider how best to give visibility and weight to the outcome of
the Conference’s discussion, particularly in relation to employers’ and workers’
organizations and other international and regional organizations to whom the outcome of the
discussion will most likely be communicated.
IV.
Proposed modalities for the Committee
8. In November 2015, the Governing Body decided to recommend to the Conference that the
evaluation of the impact of the Declaration be conducted by a Committee of the Whole. It
will begin its work on Monday, 30 May, in the afternoon, and complete its discussion on
Wednesday, 8 June, at the latest.
9. The Declaration envisages that “other interested entities may attend and participate in the
discussion at the invitation of the Governing Body”. In this regard, the Office is exploring
the option of inviting two internationally recognized speakers to make introductory
statements at the first sitting of the Committee on how the global economic and social
context has changed since 2008 as well as on trends and drivers that will transform the future
world of work.
10. The Declaration also states that “interested multilateral organizations will be given the
opportunity to participate in the evaluation of the impact and in the discussion” at the
Conference. In this regard, the Office is exploring the option of inviting high-level
representatives from several international and regional organizations. Their views would
complement the information provided in the Office report on the important contribution that
international and regional organizations have made to policy coherence and the
implementation of the Declaration, including lessons learned.
11. Subject to the views at the informal consultations on Thursday, 14 April, it is tentatively
proposed that the discussion be organized in four parts, as follows:
1)
2)
3)
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Committee discussion: from Monday, 30 May, afternoon to Thursday, 2 June,
afternoon. It would be organized in such a way that each of the plenary sittings would
be devoted to the agreed points for discussion (see proposals in II) and short
presentations would be explored at the start of each session. At the end of each day, the
officers of the Committee would meet to identify key elements to be included in the
draft outcome document.
A tripartite drafting group: its members would be appointed at the end of the day on
Tuesday, 31 May. It would meet on Friday, 3 June and Saturday, 4 June. The draft
outcome document would be distributed to the groups and posted on the web page of
the Committee on Sunday, 5 June.
Submission of amendments: Monday, 6 June, in the afternoon.
4)
Discussion of the draft outcome document by the Committee on the basis of
amendments submitted and adoption of an outcome document: from Tuesday, 7
June, to Wednesday, 8 June.
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