IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 116

Expressing congressional support for the International Labor Organization’s

Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 1999

Mr. FORD (for himself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, and Mr. MATSUI)

submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing congressional support for the International Labor

Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles

and Rights at Work.

Whereas the International Labor Organization (in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘ILO’’) was created in 1919 by

part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles for the purpose of

improving labor conditions worldwide;

Whereas for 79 years, the ILO has provided an avenue for

nations to improve labor standards in a manner that does

not erode their competitive advantage in world commerce;

Whereas the United States has long recognized the linkage

between the ILO and world trade, having joined the ILO

in 1934, the same year that President Roosevelt and Sec-
2

•HCON 116 IH

retary of State Cordell Hull launched the Reciprocal

Trade Agreements program;

Whereas the increasing integration of the global economy has

drawn renewed attention to the question of how best to

improve labor standards in an economic environment

characterized by intensified international competition;

Whereas in 1994, at the conclusion of the first Ministerial

Meeting of the World Trade Organization in Singapore,

Trade Ministers issued a declaration which reaffirmed

the commitment of World Trade Organization members

to observe internationally recognized core labor standards

and identified the ILO as the ‘‘competent body to set and

deal with’’ these standards;

Whereas the 174 members of the ILO have recognized the

following 7 conventions as protecting core labor standards: Convention No. 29 on Forced Labor (1930), Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection

of the Right to Organize (1948), Convention No. 98 on

the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining (1949),

Convention No. 100 on Equal Remuneration (1950),

Convention No. 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labor

(1957), Convention No. 111 on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation (1958), and Convention No.

138 on Minimum Age (1973);

Whereas in June 1998, at the conclusion of the 86th International Labor Conference, the ILO adopted the ‘‘Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at

Work’’, which declares the core labor standards embodied

in the 7 conventions to be essential to membership in the

ILO; and
3

•HCON 116 IH

Whereas an essential element of the 1998 Declaration is its

‘‘Follow Up Mechanism’’, which provides for the monitoring of ILO member countries’ compliance with the

core labor standards: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the International Labor Organization’s Dec4 laration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at

5 Work is an important achievement that may help

6 advance core labor standards in a competitive global

7 economy; and

8 (2) the President should use all means at the

9 President’s disposal to ensure that the Declaration

10 and its Follow Up Mechanism evolve into an effec11 tive means of monitoring worldwide compliance with

12 core labor standards.

Æ