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ILO Opens Way for Action Against Forced Labor in Burma

U.S. Newswire
17 Nov 11:29

ILO Governing Body Opens Way for Action Against Forced Labor in Burma

To: National and International desks
Contact: Mary W. Covington of ILO Washington Branch Office,
202-653-7652

GENEVA, Switzerland, Nov. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the International Labor Organization: Measures to compel the Government of Myanmar (Burma) to meet its obligations to eliminate forced labor in the country will go forward, following deliberations by the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Governing Body at its 279th session which concluded here today.

The Governing Body effectively opened the way for the full implementation of a resolution of the International Labor Conference, adopted in June of this year, aimed at compelling the Government of Myanmar to comply with Convention No. 29 on forced labor. Burma ratified Convention No. 29 in 1955. The unprecedented resolution under the never-before invoked article 33 of the ILO Constitution allows for a series of measures to take effect on 30 November and calls on Myanmar to "take concrete actions" to implement the recommendations of a 1998 Commission of Inquiry, which found that resort to forced labor in the country was "widespread and systematic".

On the basis of a report from an ILO technical cooperation mission which visited Myanmar in October, the Governing Body as a whole considered that it was not satisfied that actions taken by Myanmar met the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, and that therefore there was no agreement to consider that the implementation of one or more measures under article 33 of the Constitution "has become inappropriate".

Those recommendations were that legislation, in particular the Village and Towns Acts, be brought into line with the terms of the Forced Labor Convention, 1930 (No. 29) which Myanmar (Burma) has ratified; that no more forced or compulsory labor be imposed by the authorities, particularly by the military; and that penalties which may be imposed for the exaction of forced labor be strictly enforced, with thorough investigation, prosecution and punishment of those found guilty.

At the same time, the Chairman stated that there was a "strong sense ... that the Director- General (of the ILO) should continue to extend cooperation to the government of Myanmar in order to promote the full implementation by that government of the recommendations by the Commission of Inquiry".

Under the Conference resolution, the measures in question include:
-- Keeping under review the implementation of the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations at future sessions of the Conference so long as Myanmar has not been shown to have fulfilled its obligations;
-- Recommending to the Organization's constituents that they review their relations with Myanmar and take appropriate measures to ensure that such relations do not perpetuate or extend the system of forced or compulsory labor in that country;
-- Inviting the Director-General of the ILO to inform international organizations working with the ILO to reconsider any cooperation they may be engaged in with Myanmar and, if appropriate, to cease as soon as possible any activity that could have the effect of directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced or compulsory labor;
-- Inviting the Director-General to request the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to place on the agenda of its July 2001 session an item concerning the failure of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry and seeking the adoption of recommendations directed by ECOSOC or by the General Assembly, or by both, to governments and other specialized agencies to ensure that by their involvement they are not directly or indirectly abetting the practice of forced labor;
-- Requesting the Director-General to submit to the Governing Body a periodic report on the outcome of measures directed to international organizations and the United Nations and to inform those entities of any developments in the implementation by Myanmar of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry. The Director-General is accordingly expected to report to the 280th Governing Body meeting next March on any relevant developments regarding such efforts, so that the Governing Body can make recommendations as appropriate to the 89th International Labor Conference in 2001 in the light of these developments.

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labor Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labor Conference, adopts the draft Program and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director- General.

It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years. They are Algeria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, Croatia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Namibia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.