ILO Governing Body, 353rd session
10 – 20 March 2025
Review of annual reports under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022
GB.353/INS/3
EU Statement
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1], the EFTA country Norway, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this statement.
We thank the Office for the comprehensive report which provides a good overview of the realization of the fundamental principles and rights at work in countries that have not yet ratified the relevant fundamental Conventions and the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention No. 29.
We welcome the efforts made by ILO members to promote and implement the fundamental principles and rights at work through ratification of the fundamental instruments. It is encouraging to see that several Member States have indicated their intention to ratify one or more fundamental instruments. We recognize the invaluable role of the social partners in contributing on specific fundamental principles and rights at work.
We welcome that the report now also covers the two latest fundamental conventions on occupational safety and health, No. 155 and No. 187, and are pleased to note that the number of ratifications has increased for both conventions since the 2023 Annual Review.
However, we regret that there have been no new ratifications of any of the other fundamental conventions. We are also concerned that the two fundamental conventions regarding freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining are still among the least ratified fundamental conventions, with no new ratifications since January 2024.
The EU and its Member States also continue to be concerned about the annual rate of submission of reports, which is now below 50% and for many of the fundamental conventions has declined compared to 2023. This makes it difficult to measure progress over time. We also regret that among the countries that have not ratified the Protocol on Forced Labour, fewer reports than expected were received from pathfinder countries which committed to being at the forefront of the fight to achieve SGD 8.7. For these reasons, we continue to support the Office in its efforts to strengthen the supervisory system.
We welcome that the Office in this report has included information on existing projects and technical assistance in countries that have not yet ratified one or more of the fundamental conventions. This is in line with the plan of action for 2024-30 to give effect to the conclusions concerning the third recurrent discussion on FPRW. Technical assistance and the promotion of good and innovative practices is an important driver for promoting fundamental principles and rights at work.
Finally, we acknowledge that further action to campaign for the universal ratification of all fundamental Conventions is still required in light of the resolution concerning the third recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work adopted by the 112th ILC, and the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, 2019. We commend the Office for its efforts and continue to support it on this path ahead.
With this, the EU and its Member States can support the draft decision point.
Thank you.
[1]North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process