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ILO and Japan (in Japanese) |
I have been both personally and professionally involved in ILO activities, and so it is my great pleasure to
be invited to address the symposium commemorating the 50th Anniversary of reopening of the ILO Office in Japan.
When I joined the Ministry of Labor about 50 years ago, Japan was one of developing countries that received aid from overseas. Owing to that situation, in 1962 I was given an opportunity to study in Europe for half a year as an ILO fellow. I stayed another month in Geneva, performing the tasks for the ILO Conference. I consider that such experience was very useful in my later career.
With the times, Japan developed as a country, and in 1974, the Japanese Government began providing special contribution to the ILO. The ILO / Japan multi-bilateral program was thus launched and the first project was "Asia Regional Women's Labour Administration Seminar" held in Japan over which I presided as the Director-General of the Women and the Young Workers' Bureau of the Ministry of Labor. I assume some of you may have seen the photograph of this seminar as you entered the reception hall of the UN House building. Now Japan provides approximately 20% of the ILO regular budget, which ranks the second among all ILO member countries, and in 2003 ranked 7th in the amount for its special contribution.
In the year 2000 I was appointed as the President of the Parliamentarian's League on ILO activities, and I have lead a study tour of Japanese Parliamentarians to observe the ILO field activities in Cambodia and in Vietnam. Based on this experience, I reaffirmed the importance of the ILO field activities. In Cambodia, child labour was actually eliminated from the brick-laying factories and the children were attending nearby public schools, whereas previously they had been studying at informal schools. I also visited an irrigation facility that contributed to employment creation and agricultural production. Such ILO activities from which individuals can reap actual fruits are truly important.
The Parliamentarians League on ILO activities was originally set up to support ILO technical cooperation activities. Currently, it is providing strategic assistance to ILO activities, including the promotion of the ratification of ILO conventions, the support toward increasing Japanese ILO officials that are still underrepresented.
The ILO treats a wide range of matters. I understand Mr. Kari Tapiola, who has traveled from Geneva to attend this symposium is also responsible for trafficking matters in the ILO. I would like to mention one specific point. I am the chairman of the human trafficking committee of the Liberal Democratic Party, the ruling party, and I would like to appreciate this year's ILO Global Report. As is stated in this Global Report, the Japanese government adopted a national plan of action in December 2004 and is promoting various measures to seriously combat human trafficking. In this area, we are hoping to actively support the ILO activities, in particularly the field activities in the area of human trafficking.
Lastly, I would like to touch upon the agenda of "the Decent Work for All" People need to have productive work in conditions of freedom, equality and human dignity. Without such work, stable livelihoods or social stability cannot be achieved. This was also the reason the ILO was awarded the Novel Peace Prize in the year of its 50th anniversary. As was pointed out at the United Nations World Summit during the UN General Assembly in September, to which Mr. Koizumi attended, we are living in a global and increasingly inter-dependent society. No nation can exist by itself, and as such, the significance of international agencies and organizations will certainly grow. I look forward to ILO's enhanced practical activities in cooperation with its tripartite constituents to establish lasting peace.