ILO meeting in Kyoto calls for enhanced employment, social support

KYOTO (Kyodo) — Labor ministers and union delegates from 38 Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern economies called Wednesday for the enhancement of employment services and social protection systems to ensure decent working conditions in a document released at the end of a three-day International Labor Organization conference.

The document, adopted in Kyoto at the 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, emphasized that employment and social protection are critical to the pursuit of economic, social and environmental sustainability in the region, making special note of the impact of natural disasters and rapidly changing social, economic and political developments.

The document said countries should improve their disaster preparedness and response capacities with a special focus on employment and social policies to address natural disasters and reconstruction, noting that the Asia-Pacific region has suffered massive natural disasters including the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

It also said that recent pro-democracy movements in some Arab states “underline the consequences of social exclusion, lack of decent jobs and the denial of fundamental rights,” and recognized the importance of the ILO’s agenda for decent work country programs in addressing widespread demands for social justice.

The document also called for intensified efforts to ratify and implement core labor standards.

It emphasized the need for measures to improve preparedness to deal with the deteriorating global economic situation, including employment-intensive investment, development of minimum wage systems, the building of effective social protection floors, the promotion of greener growth and green jobs, and policies to address issues relating to youth employment and labor migration.

The conference was attended by around 450 labor ministers, union delegates and relevant parties from the 38 economies including China, India and Middle Eastern countries. It was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to the March disaster in Japan. –(Mainichi Japan)