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Dear Sir,
It is my pleasure to invite your country to send a tripartite delegation to the Sixth European Regional Meeting convened by the International Labour Organization, which will take place at the ILO headquarters in Geneva from Tuesday, 12 to Friday, 15 December 2000.
The Rules for Regional Meetings, approved by the ILO Governing Body at its 267th Session (November 1996), will govern the powers, functions and procedure of the Sixth European Regional Meeting. A copy of these Rules is enclosed.
Details on the agenda, composition and order of business of the Meeting, as well as practical information, are given below.
1. AgendaRegional meetings are intended to provide a forum for tripartite delegations to discuss an agenda item concerning the ILO's regional activities. Several copies of the Report of the Director-General, which will serve as a basis for discussion at the Meeting, will be sent to you towards the end of October. It will also be available from that date on the following website:
< http://www.ilo.org/europe>. Your Government is invited, as soon as it receives the report, to ensure that it is transmitted to all delegates appointed to the Meeting.In his Report, the Director-General will review ILO activities in the region over the fast five years in the light of the ILO's four strategic objectives. The central focus of the report is the impact of new information and communication technologies on the world of work and the issues which they raise for the ILO's constituents in the region.
2. Composition of delegations
In accordance with article 1, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the above-mentioned Rules, each country taking part in the Meeting is invited to send a tripartite delegation composed of two Government delegates, one Employers' delegate and one Workers' delegate, accompanied by such advisers as may be deemed necessary.
In this connection, I would like to draw your particular attention to article 1, paragraph 3, of the Rules, which requires that Employers'and Workers' delegates and advisers be chosen in agreement with the industrial organizations, if such organizations exist, which are most representative of employers and workers in the State or territory concerned. Furthermore, in accordance with the resolution concerning the strengthening of tripartism in the overall activities of the International Labour Organization, adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 56th Session (1971), member States must send tripartite delegations whose members are able to act in full independence of one another. In addition, the resolution concerning ILO action for women workers, adopted by the Conference at its 78 th Session (1991), calls upon Governments and employers' and workers' organizations to include more women in their delegations to meetings of the ILO.
3. Credentials
In accordance with article 8 of the Rules, the credentials of delegates and their advisers must be submitted
by 12 November 2000 at the latest. However, in order to facilitate the organization of this Meeting, it would be greatly appreciated if credentials could be sent well before that deadline.Please find enclosed a form for submission of credentials, which must be completed by the ministry concerned and sent to the Office of the Legal Adviser, ILO headquarters, Geneva.
4. Order of business of the Meeting
The Meeting will open at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 12 December 2000. The Groups will meet at 9 a.m. to coordinate their respective positions regarding the points raised in the Report of the Director-General. Group meetings will also be held on the following days, as the need arises.
The discussion of the Director-General's Report will begin on Tuesday afternoon and will continue on the following days. The Meeting's report and conclusions will be adopted on Friday, 15 December, after which there will be a brief closing ceremony.
In view of the limited time available, the Rules provide for a time limit of interventions of five minutes, except if the Meeting otherwise decides (article 9.6). In any event, speakers are urged to make their interventions as brief and as to the point as possible, reducing complimentary remarks to a strict minimum.
5. Working languages
The Report of the Director-General, the conclusions of the Meeting and/or resolutions submitted for adoption will be published in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian. Simultaneous interpretation will also be provided in these languages. The report of the Meeting will be published only in English, French and Spanish.
6. Financial arrangements
The travel and subsistence expenses of the delegates and their advisers are to be borne by their respective governments (article 1 of the Rules).
7. Accommodation for delegations in Geneva
The International Labour Office does not have a hotel reservation service. Delegations to this Meeting should therefore request the diplomatic representation of member States in Geneva or, where applicable, in Berne to make the necessary reservations with hotels in the Geneva area as early as possible. Reservations may also be made through the:
Office du Tourisme de Genève
18, rue du Mont Blanc
P.O. Box 1602
CH - 1211 Genève 1
Telephone: (4122) 909 70 00
Facsimile: (41 22) 909 70 11
Website: <http://www.geneve-tourisme.ch>8. Entry visas for Switzerland and France
Entry visas for Switzerland are issued primarily by Swiss diplomatic representations abroad. Delegates to the Meeting who require an entry visa should submit a personal request to the Swiss embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Delegates may wish to note that visas are issued upon arrival at the airport in Geneva only in exceptional circumstances.
The French consulate in Geneva is not authorized to issue entry visas for France to temporary visitors to Switzerland without first referring the application to the French embassy or consulate in the applicant's home country. Consequently, members of delegations wishing to visit or stay in France during this Meeting should obtain the necessary single- or multiple entry visas for France in their own country before leaving for Switzerland.
9. Requests for information
Any requests for information or clarification concerning the Sixth European Regional Meeting should be addressed to:
Mr. Orphal Hembrechts
Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
International Labour Office
4, route des Morillons
CH - 1211 Genève 22
Telephone: (4-1 22) 799 69 75
Fax: (41 22) 799 60 61
E-mail: <hembrechts@ilo.org>10. Internet page
In September a special web page containing further information on this Meeting may be consulted at the following address: <http://www.ilo.org/europe>.
Thank you in advance for taking any action necessary on the contents of this letter.
Yours faithfully,
Juan Somavia
