Finally, the HIPC initiative must be supported. There is a need here also to balance macroeconomic cohesion with timely and tangible debt relief. The ILO is actively working with its constituents to achieve these objectives in its areas of competence. Plans are under way to put this collaboration into practice at the national level in some selected PRSP countries. This is being done within the framework of the decent work agenda, which has been endorsed by our constituency as well as the General Assembly of the United Nations and the Millennium Summit.
Decent work is the way ordinary women and men express their needs and aspirations.
We do not just mean coherence and coordination, but a truly integrated thinking, defining the big picture collectively, the new realities of a knowledge-based society in a competitive global market. In the statement to this Committee last April, we highlighted the major issues that needed to be addressed. Now, three areas are suggested where contributions could be made and synergies could be further achieved. Understanding the way the global economy functions and its impact on the world of work . Major shifts are taking place in both the structure and nature of work.