THE Philippines drew praises from world leaders during the plenary of the ongoing International Labor Conference.
The country, represented in the conference by Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, has ratified the 1986 Instrument of Amendments to the constitution of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The 1986 Amendment calls for fairer representation in ILO’s tripartite governance by increasing the number of non-observer countries in the Governing Body.
It also aims to abolish the non-elective status or permanent membership of the 10 countries of so-called chief industrial importance.
Addressing the global tripartite parliament in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, Bello, who is representing the Philippines in the ILO where the country sits as chair of the government group, said “this is a step closer to its entry into force towards democratization in the Organization with the end in view of realizing our shared vision of leaving no one behind in the world of work.”
“We have joined eight other ASEAN member States who ratified the 36-year-old instrument earlier,” Bello said.
ILO Director General Guy Ryder lauded the Philippine action, saying the move “is a big step towards entry into force of the amendment.”
Similarly, the co-chairs of the Tripartite Working Group on Democratization (TWGD), a body focused on the promotion of the said amendments, called for celebration.
“Wow! Congratulations. We need to celebrate,” Swiss ambassador Valerie Berset-Bircher told a Philippine labor official.
At the start of the Philippines chairmanship of the government group last year, Bello vowed to work for the democratization of the global organization to give small and developing countries the chance to be heard in ILO’s Governing Body, the group that sets the policies and direction of the organization.
The tenure of the chairmanship ends this year.