Social partners want greater visibility for ILO

Nearly 200 representatives of governments, employers' associations and labour organisations from 39 countries have called for greater visibility and influence for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the international community. The call came at the ILO's Ninth African Regional Conference, which ended on 11 December in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Participants also called on the ILO to strengthen its synergy with other organisations so as to globalise social progress. Stressing their commitment to eliminating child labour, starting with its worst forms, they urged countries to ratify soonest ILO conventions that apply to it. Governments and their social partners, they added, should develop policies or programmes for the insertion or reinsertion of victims of conflicts into society. The ILO was also asked to design and develop lasting, viable social protection systems that cover the entire population and especially the informal sector.