Sets out 'guiding principles to achieve human-centred recovery, prepare for future of work'
Nearly 400 delegates from 33 International Labour Organisation (ILO) member states have committed to the Singapore Statement in the recent 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM).
The APRM, which involved four days of plenary sessions and bilateral meetings, convened high-level worker, employer, and government representatives to discuss key labour concerns across the region.
In its conclusion, the delegates agreed to adopt the Singapore Statement, which highlights a series of actions at national level in addressing employment challenges and emerging opportunities across Asia, the Pacific, and the Arab States.
"These commitments include realizing fundamental principles and rights at work, eliminating forced and child labour, fostering sustainable enterprises, developing policies for decent jobs, reversing inequalities through social dialogue, building resilience in crises through employment promotion, closing gender gaps in the world of work, enhancing labour migration policies, extending social protection, and strengthening labour market institutions," the statement said.
The statement recognises the impact of COVID-19 and how it "unleashed an unprecedented social and economic crisis, costing millions of lives, devastating businesses and jobs, and bringing severe contractions in economic growth, employment, working hours and labour income across the regions."
It called on governments and social partners to ensure labour protection and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, as well as urges action on closing gender gaps and encourages ILO members countries to consider the implementation of related international labour standards.
Welcome development
"We are pleased to welcome the Singapore Statement as a shared vision of the region's priorities for national action and ILO support in the coming years," said ILO Director-General Gilbert Huongbo.
Singaporean Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, who was the co-chair of the APRM, also said he was "pleased" with the adoption of the Singapore Statement.
"The statement sets out guiding principles to achieve a human-centred recovery and prepare for the future of work," Leng said. "These are very much aligned with Singapore's approach toward protecting workers and creating good jobs through strong tripartite ties and ensuring that we do so in an inclusive manner."
The successful conclusion of the APRM also showed that the "political will of the tripartite constituents to achieve consensus," according to Dr. Robert Yap, president of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and co-chair of the APRM.
He said that "tripartite cooperation and social dialogues are important to bring the three social partners together to tackle economic and social challenges."
"It is only through tripartite collaboration, we can seek to achieve a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient," Yap said as quoted by the SNEF.
