Mr. President,
Director General of the ILO,
Trade Union and Employer Representatives,
Excellencies,
Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure and a privilege to address this August assembly on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. I want to thank the ILO Director General for his timely report on the "Social Contract," which addresses the injustices, inequalities, and insecurities we face today, while reaffirming our commitment to social justice.
Mr. President,
The Sri Lankan economy began its recovery in 2023 following the deep crisis of 2022, which was already aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Decisive policy adjustments and structural reforms implemented by the Government, with the support of development partners, helped restore macroeconomic conditions significantly.
The economic adjustment program yielded promising outcomes in 2023. By the end of the year, inflation was contained at single-digit levels, and the economy expanded in the second half of 2023, ending two years of economic contraction. Foreign reserves have also been steadily increasing, bringing hope to our people. This progress is partly due to government interventions promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration for employment.
Mr. President,
Every successive Government has struggled to improve the living conditions of Ceylon tea plantation workers. Last month, we increased their salaries by 70%, the highest increment they have received in the last 200 years.
Mr. President,
I am pleased to inform the DG ILO that we are enacting a new labor law, the "Employment Act," to reform existing labor legislation, streamline the legal framework, eliminate discrimination, and address contemporary challenges in the world of work. Once enacted, this law will cover domestic workers, and we will ratify ILO Convention 189. Additionally, we plan to ratify ILO Conventions 155 and 190 with the enactment of this Act.
As a government, we believe in the importance of a comprehensive social security system, as outlined in ILO Convention 102. We are developing a comprehensive social security policy with the ILO's support.
Furthermore, my Ministry has embarked on a journey to bring social justice to informal sector workers. The "Dignity of Labour" program aims to enhance the recognition, safety, and dignity of informal sector workers nationwide. Under this program, informal sector workers will be organized, and national-level councils will be established based on their occupations to determine employment terms and conditions.
Mr. President,
We are also digitalizing the entire labor market by developing the National Labour Market Information System.
Mr. President,
Lastly, to increase female workforce participation and ensure decent work for women, we have initiated a program to train 10,000 care workers in collaboration with the ILO and the IOM Colombo Office. I urge representatives present here to support this initiative in any way possible. I thank you.
'Sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth' could hardly be realized without properly addressing the inequalities in the world of work', stated the Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations Hon. Ravindra Samaraweera, today, 4th June 2018, speaking at the Plenary Meeting of the 107th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) being held in Geneva from 28 May - 9 June 2018.
Highlighting some of the significant achievements made by Sri Lanka in the field of labour, Minister Samaraweera observed that being the first country in the world to implement a National Decent Work Plan on par with ILO principles, Sri Lanka has also given priority to 'labour rights', through its inclusion in the National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021. He added further that Sri Lanka is in the process of introducing a 'single employment law', consolidating disparate laws that currently exist, and giving effect to the principle of non-discrimination. Sri Lanka, the Minister stressed, has also made strides in progress toward eliminating child labour, and promoting the rights of the child, offering to share its expertise in this area to support the endeavours of the ILO.
UN Agencies working together on cross-cutting issues such as labour and migration is vital to ensuring that benefits of such collaborative enterprises percolate to the countries in need, stated Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to United Nations in Geneva, during a meeting he had with Mr. Guy Rider, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). He expressed the view that in each area where there is expertise available in one or more Agencies, it was important to develop ‘networking’ with the facilitation of a convener, to enable cross-fertilisation of ideas, and to improve internal cohesion across the UN system.
Acknowledging the need to break silos, DG Rider stated that the UN has undertaken a system-wide strategic plan to reform the UN Development Pillar and that it would be aligned in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.
Ambassador Azeez, recalling Sri Lanka’s active engagement in enhancing and promoting the rights and welfare of the labour migrants in the Asia – GCC Corridor as the current Chair of the Abu-Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), stated that Sri Lanka would be hosting an intersessional meeting in Colombo in May 2018, where the issues being discussed would be in line with the ILO’s Decent Work Framework.
Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Mr. G.S. Withanage and Dr. Götz Schmidt-Bremme, Ambassador for the 2017-2018 GFMD Co-Chairmanship of Germany today (27th June), signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on principles of fair recruitment of personnel for training as geriatric nurses in the Federal Republic of Germany. The signing ceremony took place at the German Federal Foreign Ministry in Berlin, during Secretary Mr. Withange’s visit to Berlin leading the Government of Sri Lanka delegation to the 10th Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) hosted by the Government of Germany.
Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamu Development W.D.J. Seneviratne said that ‘Sri Lanka will make every endeavor to be an active partner of the ILO in achieving the anticipated goals of the green initiative”. The Minister encouraged the ILO to provide a platform for effective global dialogue, to facilitate technology transfer from developed to developing countries, to convert their production technologies in to green technologies, and thereby facilitate prevention and mitigation of the impact of climate change, while supporting to create significant additional green jobs. Minister Seneviratne made these observations when he addressed the 106th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva on 12th June 2017, in the context of the report of the Director General of ILO on ‘Work in a changing climate: the Green Initiative”.
GENEVA (ILO News) – On 12 January 2016, the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). Sri Lanka is the 81st ILO member State and the 16th Asian State to have ratified the Convention.
The Instrument of Ratification of the ILO Convention concerning Employment Policy C 122 of 1964 was handed over by Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva to Mr. Georges P. Politakis, Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of Legal Services of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 3 February 2016.
Sri Lanka is the 110th ILO Member State to have ratified this priority Convention, which is included among the four standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance, giving clear signal of the Government’s commitment to actively promoting full, productive and freely chosen employment, in consultation with the social partners, bilaterally as well through the Colombo Process, the grouping of Asian Contractual Labour Sending Countries, as its Chair-in-Office.
Minister of Labour S.B. Navinne addressed the 104th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 05 June 2015 and highlighted the importance of formulating policies and strategies to achieve decent work for all employees to ensure social justice. In this regard, Minister Navinne stated that Sri Lanka has taken steps to establish a “National Minimum Wage” for all private sector workers.
Minister Navinne appreciated the assistance extended by ILO to Sri Lanka in number of areas including the formulation of National Human Resources and Employment Policy, National Road Map of Youth Employment, HIV & AIDS policy for the world of work, the National Strategy on Territory, Vocational Education & Provision for Vulnerable People in Sri Lanka, implementation of Labour Inspection System Application, and the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour through the implementation of Child Labour Free Zones.
Hon. Gamini Lokuge, Minister of Labour and Labour Relations has said Sri Lanka prepared a comprehensive National Human Resource and Employment Policy and its Work plan after having had extensive discussions with all relevant stakeholders including trade unions and employer representatives with the blessing of the President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa.
International Labour Organization 99th Session of the International Labour Conference address by Hon Gamini Lokuge Minister of Labour Relations and Productivity Promotions Sri Lanka on 10th June 2010 Geneva
Mr. President
On behalf of the government and the delegation of Sri Lanka, let me congratulate you and the Vice Presidents on your election to preside over the 99th session of the International Labour Conference.
Mr. President,
On behalf of the Government and the delegation of Sri Lanka, let me extend our sincere congratulations to you and the Vice Presidents on your election to preside over the 95th Session of the International Labour Conference. We also greet Director General Somavia, thank him for the comprehensive presentation of the three Reports, and support the recommendations for action.
It is indeed an honour for me to chair this ECOSOC High Level Segment Roundtable on globalization and labour migration. I thank the organizers of the High Level Segment for arranging what I believe will be a very interesting and relevant discussion and also for the preparation of the comprehensive Issues Note, which will be elaborated by the Co-Moderators. I will make only a few introductory remarks at this stage.
Statement by H.E. Ms. Sarala Fernando,
Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN
in Geneva and Chairperson of the ILO’s Governing Body Committee on Employment and Social Policy (ESP)
at the ECOSOC High Level Segment Roundtable on
“Creating Decent Work Opportunities with Productivity Growth” 5 July, 2006
ECOSOC is welcome to Geneva. Here in this serene environment and the background culture of peace, there is a renaissance of multilateralism, which could be attributed to both wise and energetic leadership in the UN and international organizations in Geneva as well as the serious and constructive dialogue witnessed among all stakeholders. Our efforts are aimed to both build a vision for the future founded on a sound knowledge base with agreed political objectives, as well as practical work at the technical level to design appropriate projects and programmes to be implemented at national, regional and global levels.
Mr. President
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
The High level dialogue has focused on many important areas in generating full and productive employment and decent work for all. We are all in agreement that the access to work is the surest way out of poverty. At the same time those countries that pursued social policy goals underline that this is a sound and sustainable investment for growth; supportive public policies in health, education and gender empowerment together with an enabling environment for entrepreneurship can provide impetus to employment creation.
Decent Work as a Global Goal: The Role of Development Cooperation
Chairperson,
On behalf of the government and the delegation of Sri Lanka, it is a great honour for me to address this panel on Technical Cooperation with a specific focus on Decent Work as a Global Goal: The Role of Development Cooperation.
Chairperson,
I understand that Sri Lanka is one of the first countries in Asia, where we have taken the Decent Work concept into our national development planning. In addition to the Decent Work Country Programme, which we finalized in 2004 together with the trade unions and the employers’ organisation, I am very pleased to inform you that we have now finalised the National Policy on decent work with a National Plan of action that gives directions on key areas for implementation in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Chairman,
The delegation of Sri Lanka extends sincere congratulations to you and the Bureau on your election and assures you of our full cooperation in the successful completion of the Conference.
Historically maritime issues have had a special consideration within ILO, as witnessed by the treatment of these issues at special Maritime sessions. This session marks a significant step in ILO standard setting activities in this area by the proposed adoption of a single Comprehensive Convention, forward looking, addressing issues of contemporary concern in a practical manner facilitating future updating of technical standards. ILO’s technical cooperation in the effective implementation of the Convention, if adopted, would be invaluable.
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