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I extend my warmest greetings to the leaders of RENGO and all delegates on the occasion of your 8th Biennial Convention. Thank you for inviting me to send this message. Personally, and on behalf of the ILO, I wish you a most productive meeting as you discuss your plans and strategies for the future.
RENGO's White Paper 2003 sets out a commendable approach for achieving better working and living conditions for workers in Japan. Your proposals are based on the principles of justice and fairness in the world of work set within a responsible approach to serving your members and workers in general. I urge you to continue pursuing this path to bring about change and make decent work and decent lives a reality for all workers in Japan.
The ILO is ready to work with you to promote security in and through the world of work. Unfortunately, insecurity and uncertainty have increased in the global economy that we live in today. You know so well that work is at the heart of people's concerns and that decent work is about stability of the family, the community and the society. And decent work is compatible with competitive economies and profitable business, with productivity and growth. But even in difficult times, our challenge is to find the policy options that do not lose sight of human and social objectives.
RENGO has helped show the way by putting its values into practice. In a demonstration of solidarity, you have supported the ILO's technical cooperation programme with financial contributions for our work on child labour. I take this opportunity to thank you for your support. Let me also recall Mr. Sasamori's very positive contribution to the discussion of my Report entitled "Working out of Poverty" which I submitted to the International Labour Conference earlier this year. His suggestions for tackling the challenge of poverty were similarly rooted in a vision of global solidarity.
Trade unions everywhere are facing tough challenges. Yet organizations such as RENGO are vital to ensuring that the rights of all workers are respected, including the unorganized and those in the informal economy. In June, Mr. Sasamori spoke of the importance of reconciling differences and finding solutions through democratic means and tripartite social dialogue. I encourage RENGO and Japan to be a model for this process.
Once again I wish your Convention a resounding success.