96th International Labour Conference plenary speech by Mr. Matsuno, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan (13 June 2007)

96th International Labour Conference plenary speech
by Mr. Matsuno, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan
13 June, 2007

Thank you Mr. Chairperson,

It is a great honour for me to be given the opportunity to address the 96th International Labour Conference on behalf of the Government of Japan. I see this Conference as a forum to exchange our views and to share our commitment to the goal of decent work.

I would like to begin by congratulating the Director General for his report, “Decent work for sustainable development”. The report identifies, in a clear and concise manner, key challenges and opportunities for the ILO today in advancing decent work, in the context of globalization and economic development.

Let me repeat our government’s continued, full support for the decent work agenda, for the ILO’s initiative in advancing it, and for efforts made by the governments and social partners in each member state.

Decent work is not a diversion but a reaffirmation of the ILO’s original role in an integrated manner. In my view, decent work is also a versatile concept. On the one hand, it provides an immutable pillar of the value of work and respect for humane conditions of life. On the other hand, decent work can take many shapes, responding to the specific social and economic circumstances of each society in this diverse world. Decent work should be applied generally in all aspects of work, including creation, improvement and transition of jobs such as the transition to “green jobs”, which is highlighted in the Director General’s report, and which is increasingly important in the context of global warming.

With this attention to specificity, diversity and general applicability, I would like to make the following three points.

First is the importance of stronger partnerships between the ILO and other UN agencies, as articulated in the Director General’s report.

Naturally, the needs of a particular society can be responded to more comprehensively through a multi-disciplinary approach. Some issues are particularly suited to integrated service with a combination of expertise from different fields.

In such coordination, the tripartite structure allows the ILO to play a unique role. Tripartism ensures democratic policy formulation that would more fully reflect the specific local situation. This is what the ILO can communicate to its partner organizations, thereby enhancing synergies which should emerge from collaborations among a variety of UN agencies.

Second, the need for the ILO to better respond to the diverse circumstances of its members. While I have just referred to the advantages of tripartism, I also share the view that the ILO itself must reinforce its ability to deliver service corresponding to the collective will of national tripartite discussions; in other words, better “vertical governance” referred to in the Office’s report on “Strengthening the ILO’s capacity”.

Diversity also means that knowledge sharing could create positive synergies among member states. The ILO could facilitate such exchange of experiences at the regional or global level.

My third point is a pledge for our commitment to participate in such synergies. Last year, the 14th Asian Regional Meeting launched the “Asian decent work decade” and declared that constituents will make joint efforts to achieve decent work throughout the region. As part of such efforts, our government is prepared to make further endeavors in Asia, with particular interest in advancing policies which envisage coordination between the ILO and other UN agencies. We also welcome the Asian Regional Forum that will take place this August in Beijing as an immediate opportunity for an exchange of experiences. We look forward to the discussion, all the more for the region’s richness in diversity.

Let me conclude by saying that our identities and interests are diverse, but our hopes converge in one aspiration: “decent work for all”.

Thank you.