Minister Thulas Nxesi leads delegation to ILO’s International Labour Conference in Geneva, 5 to 16 Jun

South African tri-partite delegation heads to the 111th Session of the ILO’s International Labour Conference

Employment and Labour Minister T.W Nxesi will lead a tripartite South African delegation composed of government, workers and employer’s representatives to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 111th International Labour Council (ILC) to be held in Geneva from 5-16 June.

Delegates from the ILO's 187 member states will tackle a wide range of issues, including: apprenticeships, labour protection and a just transition towards sustainable and inclusive economies.

Furthermore, they will engage and discuss the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and the Director-General outlining the current labour market landscape, challenges and policy responses; adopt the Programme and Budget: critical for the operations of the organisation and engage on the report on the application of Conventions and Recommendations – this deals with alleged violations of international standards and countries are called upon to account for alleged violations and sanctioned.

Department of Employment and Labour Acting Deputy Director-General – Labour Policy and Industrial Relations (LP&IR), Sipho Ndebele stated that for this conference, South Africa’s highlight moment will be when President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the World of Work Summit on 14th June as well as the address to the plenary by Employment and Labour Minister, Nxesi on 13 June.

Ndebele said this high-level participation reflects the country’s important footprint in global labour market activities. For South Africa, it remains imperative to use the conference to develop solid positions on issues of social protection and just transition, he said.

As part of his programme, Nxesi will use his visit to ILO conference to also engage in bilateral meetings with various counterparts which the country has relations with. He will also attend the ARLAC Governing Council as well as host the BRICS Employment and Labour Ministers to appraise them on plans for the September meeting to be held in South Africa.

South Africa will be attending following an invitation from the office of ILO Director-General in February 2023.

The ILO conference will be held at the Palais de Nations and ILO headquarters. This year’s conference will be conducted fully in person. It comes on the heels of the 2021 conference which was held fully online due to the outbreak of the global pandemic, COVID-19. The 2022 ILC was a hybrid event and South Africa did not send a delegation because it was hosting the Child Labour Conference in Durban.

In addition to the ILC gathering, there will also be a side event in the form of the commemoration of the World Day Against Child Labour that will be held alongside the conference.

Formed in 1919, the ILO is an agency of the United Nations (U.N). Its mission is to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

Source: Government of South Africa

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