Press releases

August 2002 

• ILO Director-General in South Africa for World Summit on Sustainable Development
  23 August 2002 - JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (ILO News) - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), Juan Somavia, will head a tripartite delegation including, government, worker and employer representatives from the ILO Governing Body, to the World Summit on Sustainable Development when it gets underway on Monday 26 August.

July 2002 

• ILO Director-General to visit Russian Federation on 15-19 July
  12 July 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), Juan Somavia, begins a five-day official visit to the Russian Federation on 15 July where he is expected to hold talks with high-level government, worker and employer representatives on a wide range of economic and social issues critical to one of the ILO's largest members.
• ILO says HIV/AIDS impact on African development "underestimated"
  11 July 2002 - BARCELONA (ILO News) - The economic and social impact of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is far more severe than previously thought and will seriously undermine the development prospects of affected countries, the International Labour Office (ILO) says in a new analysis released today.
• High level meeting on ILO technical assistance to Palestinian workers
  11 July 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - A high-ranking delegation from the Occupied Arab Territories will meet the Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO), Juan Somavia, on 12 July to discuss urgent plans for technical assistance, especially the establishment of a Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection.
• ILO finds "encouraging signs of improvement" in working conditions in Cambodian garment factories
  01 July 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Office (ILO) today reported "encouraging signs of improvement" of working conditions in some 30 garment factories located in Cambodia which produce apparel for sale in North America, Europe and other developed countries.
• ILO welcomes new foundation to eliminate abusive child and forced labour practices in cocoa farming
  01 July 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Office (ILO) today welcomed the establishment of a new initiative to fight child labour and adult forced labour in cocoa cultivation and processing.

June 2002 

• Lord Brett, U.K. Worker Representative elected Chairman of ILO Governing Body for 2002-2003
  21 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) elected Lord Brett, United Kingdom, as Chairman for its 2002-2003 Session. The Governing Body also heard an appeal for the establishment of a Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection for workers in the Occupied Arab Territories.
• ILO annual Conference adopts new measures to tackle the challenges of globalization
  20 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 90 th annual Conference today after adopting a series of measures designed to promote a more rigorous approach to tackling the challenges of globalization and create an "anchor" for personal security through poverty reduction, job creation and improved workplace health and safety.
• Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados addresses the International Labour Conference
  13 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados, guest of honour at the 90 th Session of the International Labour Conference, today condemned the linkage of labour standards and trade as "immoral and counter productive," saying the International Labour Office (ILO) should have the "teeth" to enforce labour standards in developed and developing countries alike.
• Rt. Hon. Dato' Sei Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia addresses the International Labour Conference
  11 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The Rt. Hon. Dato' Sei Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, the guest of honour of the 90 th Session of the International Labour Conference, today called for "globalization with a social dimension" and denounced the financial actions of the former colonial powers and current multinationals.
• ILO calls for urgent support for occupied territories, urges social dialogue
  10 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO) said today the ILO would establish an urgent plan for creating jobs in the occupied Arab territories and appealed to Palestinians and Israelis to "take the risk of embarking on social dialogue" to achieve peace.
• ILO launches first "World Day Against Child Labour" 12 June 2002
  05 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The first World Day Against Child Labour will be observed worldwide on 12 June 2002. The International Labour Organization (ILO) will formally launch this global day with an event at its Geneva offices on 11 June, the eve of the first World Day.
• International Labour Conference opens
  03 June 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The 90 th Session of the International Labour Conference opened today, electing as its president, Mr. Jean-Jacques Elmiger, Secretary of State of the Federal Department of the Economy of Switzerland.

May 2002 

• 90 th International Labour Conference to discuss Decent Work in the Informal Economy, Child Labour, Occupational Accidents and Diseases, and occupied territories
  31 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - Delegates to the International Labour Conference, which gets underway in Geneva on Monday, 3 June, are to consider a wide range of issues, from decent work in the informal economy to safety and health, child labour and the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories.
• ILO calls for urgent measures to ease "dire"economic and social crisis in occupied territories
  30 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - Citing what it called a "socio-economic meltdown" in the Israeli-occupied territories, the International Labour Office (ILO) today called on Israel to ease restrictions on the movement of Palestinian workers and urged the international community to support emergency measures aimed at creating jobs and promoting social dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
• Work-related fatalities reach 2 million annually
  24 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - Two million workers die each year through work-related accidents and diseases and that is just the tip of the iceberg, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported today.
• Second Meeting of the World Commission on Social Dimension of Globalization
  16 May 2002 - GENEVA - The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization will hold its second meeting at the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 20-21 May.
• Tripartite meeting to discuss global employment, employability and equal opportunities in Postal and Telecommunications Services
  10 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - Representatives of workers, employers and governments will sit down at the International Labour Organization's Geneva headquarters on 13-17 May to discuss the prospects for the postal and telecommunications services industries. ...
• ILO Global Report on Child Labour cites "alarming" extent of its worst forms
  06 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - Ten years after launching a worldwide campaign against child labour, the International Labour Office (ILO) today issued a landmark global study showing that despite "significant progress" in efforts to abolish child labour, an alarming number of children are trapped in its worst forms.
• ILO appoints interim Liaison Officerin Myanmar
  06 May 2002 - GENEVA (ILO News) - The International Labour Office (ILO) has appointed Leon de Riedmatten of the Swiss-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, as its interim Liaison Officer in Myanmar.