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By Bimbola Oyesola
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 pandemic.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the conference in another special arrangement will open on May 20 (13:00 – Geneva time) to elect its officers and set the Conference in motion. The Conference will then proceed in two parts; the first in June 2021 and a second in November-December 2021.
The ILO said the June sittings will start on June 3, with meetings of the Conference committees that are expected to run for two and a half weeks.
“Work in plenary will commence on June 7 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,” said the ILO.
The ILO stated that 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 June 17 and 18, 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 World Day Against Child Labour, on June 10 (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 June 19.
The global body added that 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.
Ryder is expected to close the 109th ILC on December 11.
The ILO stated further that, “The work of the ILC can be followed via the ‘ILC live’ section of the ILO’s website, which will include live coverage of the plenary sessions. There will also be a live blog with rolling coverage. A 30-minute ‘Daily Show’, covering key moments and themes, will go live at 16.30 CEST each day on the ILO website, as well as YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.
