India pushes forward concerns of developing countries in Geneva labour conference
Updated: Jun 12, 2013 04:32:54pm
New Delhi, Jun 12 (KNN) Participating in the 102nd session of the on-going International Labour Conference’s at Geneva, India said today that labour standards should not be used as non-tariff barriers.
Non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) are trade barriers that restrict imports but are not in the usual form of a tariff.
The main focus of the conference is to discuss various issues like employment and social protection in the new demographic context; sustainable development and green jobs; social dialogue, etc.
The post 2015 developmental agenda and the relevance of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will also be a focus of the conference.
Also on the agenda for discussion is the strategy of ILO during the next six years until its centenary.
The Indian delegation, led by the Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge, will strongly push forward the interests of developing countries in their important policy speeches. Poverty alleviation and attainment of Millennium Development Goals still remain a priority for developing and low income countries.
In the Sustainable Development Committee, India will strongly advocate its stand that all three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental should be given equal importance.
“Green economy and green jobs are not an end in itself but one of the means of attaining the over-arching goal of sustainable development. India along with other developing countries follows the principle of CBDR (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities) in the area of environmental issues i.e. the developed countries should share a bigger responsibility as compared to the developing countries,” said the minister in a release.
“We oppose mushrooming of private/voluntary/CSR standards as they pursue the protectionist agenda of developed countries. As per ILO Convention no. 81 Labour Inspection remains the primary responsibility of the government. Bringing in extraneous agencies in the area of labour inspection will undermine the role of government. All countries should work within the framework of national labour laws and government labour inspection machinery,” Kharge added.
Speaking about the increasing youth population in India, he further added, “Skill development attuned to the changing labour market requirements remains our focus area.
The ministry has undertaken massive skill development programmes - increasing the number of ITIs, upgrading them, imparting short term modular employable skills, etc. 25 per cent of the government expenditure is in the area of social sectors, even as several measures have been undertaken for extending the outreach of social programmes.
India strongly advocates the importance of International Labour Organization (ILO) standards in the area of labour.
According to ILO, International labour standards have grown into a comprehensive system of instruments on work and social policy, backed by a supervisory system designed to address all sorts of problems in their application at the national level.
International labour standards aim at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. In today's globalized economy, international labour standards is an essential component in the international framework for ensuring that the growth of the global economy provides benefits to all.
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment K Suresh, and labour ministers of Tamil Nadu, Assam and Delhi will also be taking part in the conference.
India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization, which came into existence in 1919.
At present the ILO has 175 Members. A unique feature of the ILO is its tripartite character.
The membership of the ILO ensures the growth of tripartite system in the Member countries. At every level in the Organization, Governments are associated with the two other social partners, namely the workers and employers. All the three groups are represented on almost all the deliberative organs of the ILO and share responsibility in conducting its work. (KNN)
Non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) are trade barriers that restrict imports but are not in the usual form of a tariff.
The main focus of the conference is to discuss various issues like employment and social protection in the new demographic context; sustainable development and green jobs; social dialogue, etc.
The post 2015 developmental agenda and the relevance of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will also be a focus of the conference.
Also on the agenda for discussion is the strategy of ILO during the next six years until its centenary.
The Indian delegation, led by the Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge, will strongly push forward the interests of developing countries in their important policy speeches. Poverty alleviation and attainment of Millennium Development Goals still remain a priority for developing and low income countries.
In the Sustainable Development Committee, India will strongly advocate its stand that all three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental should be given equal importance.
“Green economy and green jobs are not an end in itself but one of the means of attaining the over-arching goal of sustainable development. India along with other developing countries follows the principle of CBDR (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities) in the area of environmental issues i.e. the developed countries should share a bigger responsibility as compared to the developing countries,” said the minister in a release.
“We oppose mushrooming of private/voluntary/CSR standards as they pursue the protectionist agenda of developed countries. As per ILO Convention no. 81 Labour Inspection remains the primary responsibility of the government. Bringing in extraneous agencies in the area of labour inspection will undermine the role of government. All countries should work within the framework of national labour laws and government labour inspection machinery,” Kharge added.
Speaking about the increasing youth population in India, he further added, “Skill development attuned to the changing labour market requirements remains our focus area.
The ministry has undertaken massive skill development programmes - increasing the number of ITIs, upgrading them, imparting short term modular employable skills, etc. 25 per cent of the government expenditure is in the area of social sectors, even as several measures have been undertaken for extending the outreach of social programmes.
India strongly advocates the importance of International Labour Organization (ILO) standards in the area of labour.
According to ILO, International labour standards have grown into a comprehensive system of instruments on work and social policy, backed by a supervisory system designed to address all sorts of problems in their application at the national level.
International labour standards aim at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. In today's globalized economy, international labour standards is an essential component in the international framework for ensuring that the growth of the global economy provides benefits to all.
Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment K Suresh, and labour ministers of Tamil Nadu, Assam and Delhi will also be taking part in the conference.
India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization, which came into existence in 1919.
At present the ILO has 175 Members. A unique feature of the ILO is its tripartite character.
The membership of the ILO ensures the growth of tripartite system in the Member countries. At every level in the Organization, Governments are associated with the two other social partners, namely the workers and employers. All the three groups are represented on almost all the deliberative organs of the ILO and share responsibility in conducting its work. (KNN)
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