INTRODUCTION

Why have an ILO Staff Conference on Decent Work ?

For a cross section of ILO staff to gather, say, once a year, to take stock of what happened and what has been learned over the year, to consider new developments, to compare notes and exchange views on topical issues, is hardly a luxury. It should be considered more than merely useful, particularly if the ILO is to live up to its aim of being the global knowledge organisation on the world of work.
Decent work, the ILO's overarching objective, is a relatively new concept. Distinct definitions, views, approaches abound inside the ILO and outside. That is fine, but if the Organisation and its staff are to be at the forefront of policy advice to constituents on making decent work a reality for all, we need to be clear among ourselves what it is we wish to advise, and how we think our views are to be implemented.
With a view, therefore, to enhance the quality of our work, two days are set aside to meet in a pleasant environment and give all a chance to share their experience, to speak their mind, to fill up on new ideas, to seek common ground, and have a good time in the process.

The Decent Work concept/approach/strategy [top]

The staff conference is concerned foremost with decent work policies, programmes and operational approaches, rather than with achieving consensus as to the precise definition of decent work. The two Reports of the Director General to the ILC of 1999 and 2001 provide ample material for a working definition. Nevertheless, the opportunity to discuss the concept should not be discarded, as many of the issues to be addressed will inevitably touch on conceptual/analytical matters. Pouring over the debates at the 2001 ILC, one can easily capture two main positions:
(i) decent work is about employment first, then gradually rights and social protection can be introduced as output, productivity, wages and incomes rise.
(ii) decent work is about fundamental rights first, which provide a floor on which employment and social protection must be built.

An ILO Decent Work Strategy ? [top]

There is an OECD jobs strategy articulated in 1994 and regularly reviewed since. There is a World Bank strategy to attack poverty, formulated first in1990 and revisited in 2000/2001. There is a WHO strategy to combat smoking and another to eradicate malaria. How about the ILO? Is there an ILO strategy or are there several ILO strategies? The ILO may have had a strategy back in 1922, or, more recently, with the launching of the World Employment Programme (remember "basic needs"?), but do we have a strategy today to promote decent work for all women and men? Do we need a strategy? We have an overarching objective (the promotion of decent work), we have four strategic objectives (fundamental rights, employment, social protection and social dialogue), and we have a number of programmes related to these objectives, albeit some better funded than others. But where's the plan? How are these different dimensions articulated into a coherent whole, that can be shown to work and deliver results? To use a metaphor, we may have the musicians with their instruments, and a conductor, but we appear to lack a score for our audience to hear a symphony. Is this a fair statement ? The staff conference, while not intended to formulate an ILO strategy, may well put forward elements and pieces which will prove indispensable in defining a future strategy.

Policy lessons: where are they ? [top]

We cannot think of an ILO strategy without building on policy lessons. What do we really know and how do we handle our knowledge and experience? Do we document, store and share our knowledge? How often are we confronted with requests from constituents on relevant international experience in matters of promoting decent work? What do we answer them beyond a few generalities? Do we build on policy lessons? What are the most effective ILO means of action. Where are the success stories, the best practices, the good examples, if any? Do we list them? Are they accessible on the web ?

Conference proceedings [top]

The conference agenda contains the following two elements:
First, a consideration of substantive issues which cut across two or more fields of the traditional technical division of work. Short presentations by colleagues and resource persons will capture the state of knowledge in a number of fields with a focus on policy lessons and issues, (what do we know today on this issue, what are the main future policy directions). Both plenary sessions and smaller parallel "knowledge update sessions" are organised in this way. There is time for in depth discussion built into each session. The discussion sessions should be built around policy lessons and policy directions. This implies that we are less interested in activities and in products than in lessons on effective policies and ILO assistance to effective policies.
Second, a consideration of substantive issues of an operational nature: how should we go about to best deliver our products, assistance, knowledge, advice, training. This can only be a collaborative effort between various ILO units and colleagues with various technical backgrounds and briefs. What is the experience so far, what can be corrected, improved, what must be changed. The discussion should be held within the perspective of preparing for decent work country programmes, that is one ILO programming delivering on the four strategic objectives. How should the ILO best combine the resources available to it to produce such results? Again, ample time for discussion is provided for.
Rapporteurs will be appointed for each session. A brief report on highlights will be requested from each rapporteur with the aim of producing a report on the Conference. This report will be posted on the ILO intranet site at least in English before end of 2001 (a commitment of the organisers).

Conference organisation [top]

This is an ILO staff conference. Chairpersons, panellists, speakers, discussants, rapporteurs, participants, are mostly ILO colleagues. Hence discussion should be open and frank. All speakers, interveners, and chairpersons, are reminded that time is important but should not be an obsession. Substance and keeping track of time is far better than being on time with no substance. Comments and complaints about housing, transport, food, pencils, weather, coffee temperature, and others can be addressed to the conference organisers who will receive them with pleasure, take note and report back as soon as possible.

Evaluation of the Conference [top]

As a matter of course, all activities organised by the International Training Centre of the ILO are evaluated by participants making use of a standard evaluation form. In addition, any participant who would like to share any thoughts in any form about what didn't work, what might have worked better, what could be improved, what should be done next, etc., is most welcome to contact the organisers. In particular, thoughts about whether an ILO staff conference should be a regular event, in what form, with what focus, would be much appreciated.