Barbados' PrimeMinister addressed International Labour Conference
The Rt. Hon.Owen S. Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados
The Rt. Honourable Owen S. Arthur, PrimeMinister of Barbados was a special Guest of Honour of the InternationalLabour Organization (ILO) at its International Labour Conferenceheld in Geneva, Switzerland, which concludes on June 3, 2002.
He addressed Conference delegates at a specialsitting on June 13 at 10:00a.m.
In his invitation to the Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur,Juan Somavia, Director General of the ILO, highlighted the keyrole that he had played in advancing the regional integrationagenda and in articulating the special needs and vulnerabilitiesof small island States.
The Director General also acknowledged thelong history of successful social dialogue that Barbados has hadas well as its ratification of all eight of the fundamental ILOConventions.
Each year, labour ministers and other Governmentrepresentatives, as well as leaders of workers' and employers'organizations of most of the ILO's 175 member States gather atthe International Labour Conference to adopt and oversee compliancewith International Labour Standards, discuss pertinent socialand labour issues, establish the budget for the Organization andelect members of the ILO's Governing Body.
Several tripartite Committees meet to workout and refine the details of ILO standards and resolutions, afterwhich they are presented in plenary sessions where delegates voteon their adoption.
This year, more than 3000 delegates areexpected to attend the International Labour Conference, wherethey will consider a wide range of issues, from decent work inthe informal economy to safety and health, child labour, the promotionof cooperatives and the situation of workers in the occupied Arabterritories.