Press releases

February 2005 

• Statement by the ILO very High-Level Team at the close of its visit to Myanmar
  23 February 2005 - The very High-Level Team (vHLT) appointed by the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), following a decision by the ILO Governing Body in November 2004, visited Yangon, Myanmar on 21-23 February, and upon departure issued the following statement:
• ILO Regional Meeting expands social agenda for Europe and Central Asia
  18 February 2005 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 7th European Regional Meeting here today with agreement among tripartite representatives from the region's 50 member States to "work together through dialogue and cooperation to promote a common future of democracy, economic prosperity and social justice".
• 7th ILO European Regional Meeting, Budapest, 14-18 February 2005 2004 termed a "lost year for jobs" as economies fail to balance growth with job creation
  15 February 2005 - The 7th European Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) opened here today with calls for economic policies to improve the ability of countries in the region to create badly needed jobs.
• New ILO report sees weak global job growth in 2004 Says European job growth remains static
  14 February 2005 - Despite robust economic growth, the global employment situation improved only slightly in 2004, with employment increasing and unemployment down marginally, the International Labour Office (ILO) said in its annual Global Employment Trends, released today.
• New international labour convention for seafarers' ID documents comes into force
  10 February 2005 - The international Convention that creates the first global biometric identification system for issuing secure identity documents to the 1.2 million seafarers in the world seas came into force as of 9 February 2005, the International Labour Office (ILO) said today.
• 7th ILO European Regional Meeting, Budapest, 14-18 February 2005 Delegates to examine how to manage transitions to decent work through mutually reinforcing economic and social development
  08 February 2005 - Worker, employer and government representatives from 50 European and Central Asian members of the International Labour Organization (ILO), including some 30 ministers, gather in Budapest, Hungary on 14-18 February to address the challenges of economic transformation and globalization across the region.
• ILO urges respect for trade union rights in Nepal
  04 February 2005 - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), Juan Somavia, today urged King Gyanendra of Nepal to "take all necessary steps to ensure the personal safety of the trade union leaders and members of the unions concerned".
• Sports footwear sector outpaces the retail and apparel sectors in meeting code of conduct obligations, says new ILO study
  04 February 2005 - The sports footwear industry, often criticized for alleged violations of fundamental labour standards, has made greater progress in implementing worker-friendly codes of conduct than the apparel and retail sectors, according to a just published ILO study.

January 2005 

• ILO Tsunami Response ILO calls for integrated employment strategy for tsunami reconstruction Says estimated 1 million people lost livelihood
  19 January 2005 - The International Labour Office (ILO) today urged that "employment-intensive" job creation strategies be integrated into the humanitarian and reconstruction response to the earthquake and Tsunami disaster in Asia that destroyed the livelihoods of an estimated 1 million persons in Indonesia and Sri Lanka alone.
• ILO tripartite meeting to discuss automotive industry trends
  07 January 2005 - Auto parts suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in the automotive industry, according to a new report by the International Labour Office (ILO). Their current share of up to two-thirds of the value added of a car is expected to reach 75 per cent among some manufacturers, the report says.
• ILO Tsunami Response Statement by the ILO Director-General on the response to the earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean Area
  04 January 2005 - The International Labour Office (ILO) today released the following statement by Director-General Juan Somavia regarding the role of the ILO in the response to the earthquake and tidal wave in the Indian Ocean Area:

December 2004 

• ILO welcomes the State of Microcredit Summit Campaign report 2004 "Microloans making a macro difference"
  16 December 2004 - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO) has welcomed the publication of a new report by the Microcredit Summit Campaign 2004, saying the success of microfinance is crucial to job creation and poverty reduction worldwide.
• ILO launches electronic library collection of over 1,000 publications
  10 December 2004 - The International Labour Office today announced the availability of a new electronic library that will simplify access to essential ILO publications on globalization, HIV/AIDS, fighting poverty and other issues concerning the world of work.
• UN General Assembly adopts Resolution on World Commission Report on Fair Globalization
  07 December 2004 - The International Labour Office (ILO) today welcomed the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a Resolution on the report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization as a means of providing further impetus to the pursuit of a fair globalization.
• Half the world's workers living below US$2 a day poverty line ILO says new policies for promoting productivity growth and decent jobs could improve outlook for working poor
  07 December 2004 - Half the world's workers - some 1.4 billion people - are trapped in grinding poverty unable to earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the US$2 a day poverty line, but this figure could be reduced if policies zero in on improving labour productivity and creating jobs, says a new study by the International Labour Office (ILO).
• Biometric ID for seafarers ready to be issued New ILO Convention for maritime workers will come into force in February
  03 December 2004 - The International Labour Office (ILO) today announced that the new biometric system for issuing secure identity documents to the world's 1.2 million seafarers is ready for implementation, following successful testing of products that met the challenging requirement of "global interoperability" for such documents.

November 2004 

• Media advisory: ILO Director-General on official visit to India, 26-28 November
  24 November 2004 - The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Juan Somavia is visiting India on the invitation of the Government of India from 26 to 28 November 2004 for high level discussions with the government and representatives of workers' and employers' organizations.
• ILO Governing Body concludes 291st session Considers labour rights in Myanmar, Belarus and globalization issues
  19 November 2004 - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) concluded its 291st session after considering strategies for the promotion of a fair globalization and a number of issues regarding fundamental rights at work, including Myanmar and Belarus and other countries.
• Active labour market policies enhance workers' labour market security, says new ILO study
  05 November 2004 - Note 1), active labour market policies, which comprise an array of training and job creation measures, enhance the security of workers and contribute to fair globalization.
• Hungary, ILO sign agreement on Europewide regional meeting Conference comes amid growing concern over job security, migration
  05 November 2004 - Hungary, with the support of the upcoming Luxembourg Presidency of the EU and the International Labour Organization (ILO), is to host a major international conference here in 2005 to address the growing impact of globalization on jobs, migration, and employment security in Europe and Central Asia.