GB.345/INS/5/2/Decision

Decision concerning the Report on developments in Myanmar

Record of decisions | 13 June 2022
In the light of the developments in Myanmar outlined in document GB.345/INS/5/2 and recalling the resolution for a return to democracy and respect for fundamental rights in Myanmar adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 109th Session (2021), the Governing Body:

(a) deplored once again the lack of progress towards respecting the will of the people, democratic institutions and processes, and the fact that the democratically elected government has not been restored;

(b) called on the military authorities to end immediately the large-scale lethal violence against civilians, including children, and the arrest and torture of trade unionists;

(c) called on the military authorities to end immediately the harassment, intimidation and arbitrary arrests and detentions of labour activists, trade unionists and others, including the Rohingya, in the exercise of their human rights;

(d) repeated its call for Myanmar to restore immediately the citizenship of prominent democracy activists, including trade unionists;

(e) repeated its call for Myanmar to uphold immediately its obligations under the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and to ensure that workers’ and employers’ organizations are able to exercise their rights in a climate of freedom and security, free from violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, and again called for the immediate release of the General Secretary of the Myanmar Industry, Crafts and Services Trade Union Federation (MICS-TUF) and other trade unionists and activists who have been detained;

(f) repeated its profound concern over reports of increased use of forced labour by the military authorities and the fact that progress towards the elimination of forced labour has reversed since the military takeover, and called for the military authorities to end forced labour practices immediately;

(g) repeated its call for the Civil Services Personnel Law, the Settlement of Labour Disputes Law and the Labour Organization Law to be amended without delay, in line with Convention No. 87, once the country returns to democracy;

(h) called on the military authorities, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies of 21 November 1947, to take immediate action to remove all restrictions on the operation of the ILO’s bank account, approve international staff visa extensions and facilitate the ILO’s continued operations to bring benefits to the people of Myanmar despite the expiry of the memorandum of understanding of the Decent Work Country Programme in September 2022; and

(i) called upon Myanmar to fully cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry and facilitate its work, including as regards a possible country visit.

(GB.345/INS/5/2, paragraph 28)