99th Session of the
International Labour Conference
Geneva, 2–18 June 2010

www.ilo.org

International Labour Organization
99th Session of the International Labour Conference
Geneva, 2–18 June 2010
Contents
1.

Agenda of the Conference .........................................................................................
Standing items ............................................................................................................
Items placed on the agenda by the Conference or the Governing Body ....................
2. Rules of procedure of the Conference........................................................................
3. Conference programme ..............................................................................................
4. Plenary .......................................................................................................................
I(a) Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of
the Director-General .......................................................................................
I(b) Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work ...................................................
5. Committees ................................................................................................................
II.
Finance Committee of Government Representatives .....................................
III.
Information and reports on the application of Conventions and
Recommendations ..........................................................................................
IV. Decent work for domestic workers – Standard setting, with a view to the
possible adoption of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation .......
V.
HIV/AIDS and the world of work – Standard setting, second discussion,
with a view to the adoption of an autonomous Recommendation ...................
VI. A discussion on the strategic objective of employment – First in the
cycle of recurrent discussions to follow up on the ILO Declaration
on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, 2008 ............................................
VII. Review of the follow-up to the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work.........................................................................
Standing Orders Committee .......................................................................................
Selection Committee .................................................................................................
Credentials Committee ...............................................................................................
6. Resolutions ................................................................................................................
7. Events ........................................................................................................................
8. Reports .......................................................................................................................
Communication of reports .........................................................................................
Publication of the Provisional Records ......................................................................
9. Interpretation..............................................................................................................
10. Participation ...............................................................................................................
Composition of delegations........................................................................................
Credentials ...............................................................................................................
Representation of non-metropolitan territories ..........................................................
Representation of international non-governmental organizations ..............................
11. Health and safety .......................................................................................................
12. Practical arrangements ...............................................................................................
Delegates with a disability .........................................................................................
Accommodation for delegations in Geneva ...............................................................
Entry visas for Switzerland and France......................................................................
Registration on arrival ................................................................................................
Meeting room reservations .........................................................................................
Visitors to the Conference ..........................................................................................
Other matters ..............................................................................................................

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Appendices
Page
I. Contact details ............................................................................................................
17
II. Representation of non-metropolitan territories ..........................................................
18
III. Representation of international non-governmental organizations at the
International Labour Conference ...............................................................................
19

www.ilo.org

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99th Session (June 2010) of the
International Labour Conference
Dates: Wednesday, 2 to Friday, 18 June 2010
Place: The work of the Conference will be conducted in the Palais des Nations and
at ILO headquarters, Geneva.
Please note that preparatory meetings will take place on Tuesday, 1 June. These
meetings will require the attendance of the tripartite members of national
delegations.
For details concerning registration for the Conference, see sections 10
(Participation) and 12 (Practical arrangements), as well as the Explanatory note
for national delegations on the submission of credentials (appended).

1.

Agenda of the Conference

Standing items
I.

(a) Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the
Director-General
(b) Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work 1

II.

Programme and budget and other questions

III. Information and reports on the application of Conventions and Recommendations

Items placed on the agenda by the Conference
or the Governing Body
IV. Decent work for domestic workers (standard setting, with a view to the possible
adoption of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation)
V.

HIV/AIDS and the world of work (standard setting, second discussion with a
view to the adoption of an autonomous Recommendation)

VI. A discussion on the strategic objective of employment (first in the cycle of
recurrent discussions to follow up on the 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice
for a Fair Globalization)
VII. Review of the follow-up to the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work

1

This year the Global Report will be on the effective abolition of child labour.

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1

2.

Rules of procedure of the Conference
The rules of procedure of the Conference are contained in the Constitution of the
International Labour Organization and in the Standing Orders of the International
Labour Conference.
These texts can be consulted on the ILO web site: www.ilo.org. They may also be
obtained in Geneva at the Document Distribution Service.

3.

Conference programme



Tuesday, 1 June
In order to allow the technical committees to begin their substantive work on
the first day of the Conference, the Governing Body decided, at its 300th Session
(November 2007), that group meetings would be held on the day before the
official opening sitting. This means that on Tuesday, 1 June, in addition to the
usual meetings of the Government, Employers’ and Workers’ groups, where the
groups elect their Officers, make proposals relating to the composition of the
different committees and become acquainted with Conference procedure, provision
will also be made for group planning meetings for committees, to be held as
deemed appropriate by each group. The tripartite members of national
delegations should therefore arrive in Geneva in sufficient time to be able to
take part in these meetings.
The group meetings will take place in the following rooms:



Government group:

Assembly Hall, Palais des Nations

Employers’ group:

Governing Body room at the ILO

Workers’ group:

Room XIX, Palais des Nations

Wednesday, 2 June
10 a.m.: Opening sitting in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations. At the
opening sitting, delegations will be called on to elect the Officers of the Conference,
set up the various committees and take other decisions as needed. The Selection
Committee will meet immediately after the opening sitting of the Conference to take
decisions concerning arrangements for the Conference.
11.30 a.m.: Committees start their work. Committee sittings continue until
adoption of their reports at the end of the second, or beginning of the third week.



Friday, 11 June
Discussion in plenary of the Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

2

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

Monday, 14 June–Friday, 18 June
General discussion in plenary, encompassing delegates’ statements, high-level
panels, special presentations, adoption of reports and voting on instruments.

4.

Plenary
The plenary sittings of the Conference are held in the Assembly Hall of the Palais
des Nations.
After its opening sitting on Wednesday, 2 June, it is not foreseen that the
Conference will meet in plenary until Friday, 11 June for the discussion of the Global
Report. Plenary sittings for the discussion of the Reports of the Chairperson of the
Governing Body and of the Director-General will be held daily throughout the third
week, from Monday, 14 June, at 10 a.m. through to Friday, 18 June, as required.
Committee reports and draft instruments will be submitted to plenary for discussion
from Tuesday, 15 June. The closing ceremony will take place on Friday, 18 June. At
all events, a plenary sitting of the Conference may be called at any other time if
necessary.

I(a)

Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing
Body and of the Director-General
Discussion of these documents will begin in plenary sitting on Monday, 14 June,
at 10 a.m. The Chairperson of the Governing Body will submit a report to the
Conference on the work carried out by the Governing Body from June 2009 to
June 2010.
The Director-General of the International Labour Office will submit a report to
the Conference on a social policy theme of current interest. It will include an annex on
the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories. The Director-General will also
submit a report on programme implementation and the results achieved by the
Organization in 2009–10.

I(b)

Global Report under the follow-up
to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work
The follow-up to the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,
adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 86th Session (1998), calls on the
Director-General to issue a report each year providing a dynamic global picture relating
to one of the four categories of fundamental principles and rights. This year the Global
Report will focus on the effective abolition of child labour, both in member States that
have, as well as those that have not yet, ratified the relevant fundamental ILO
Conventions, that is, the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst
Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Registration of speakers
(i) Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and of the
Director-General. Persons wishing to speak may register in advance, as from
29 March 2010, by email, facsimile or telephone (see Appendix I – Contact details).

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3

They may also do so during the Conference, as early as possible, at the registration of
speakers office. The list of speakers closes on Thursday, 10 June, at 6 p.m., subject
to the decision of the Selection Committee.
(ii) Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Discussion of the Global Report is
scheduled to take place in plenary as of 10 a.m. on Friday, 11 June. There will be no
list of speakers.

Time limit for speeches concerning the Reports
of the Chairperson of the Governing Body
and of the Director-General
To allow as many speakers as possible to take the floor, the time limit for
speeches is set at a maximum of five minutes (ILC Standing Orders, article 14.6). This
time limit will be strictly applied. For participants’ information, this time allowance
corresponds to approximately three typewritten double-spaced pages (or 1,000 words),
read at a speed commensurate with accurate simultaneous interpretation.
It is therefore strongly recommended that delegates reduce courtesies to a
minimum, so as to enter into the substantive elements of their statements without
delay. Visiting ministers, delegates, observers and representatives of international
organizations and international non-governmental organizations will wish to bear this
in mind when preparing their speeches.

Principles governing the discussion in plenary
The following principles, set out in paragraphs 54–58 of the fourth report of the
Working Party of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office on the
Programme and Structure of the ILO (1967), form a useful background to the
discussion of the reports in plenary:

4

–

Freedom of speech is a pillar of the ILO: neither governments, nor employers or
workers are immune from criticism within its walls.

–

Freedom of speech includes freedom to reply – one point of view may be parried
by another.

–

Social justice contributes to lasting peace; all human beings have the right to
pursue their material well-being and spiritual development in freedom and
dignity. The breadth of these fundamental principles of the ILO makes it
impossible to circumscribe debate in the International Labour Conference, and the
ILO must focus on the objectives that derive from these principles, irrespective of
political considerations.

–

Nevertheless, the purpose and scope of debate in the International Labour
Conference must not encroach on discussions proper to the United Nations
Security Council and General Assembly, bodies entrusted by the Charter with
responsibility for political decisions in the United Nations system.

–

To uphold the values of human freedom and dignity enshrined in the ILO
Constitution, in periods of acute political tension the Conference must strive
towards the fullest possible continued cooperation in pursuit of the Organization’s
objectives. Every delegate has an obligation to keep these considerations in mind,
and the President of the Conference to ensure they are preserved.

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5.

Committees
Registration in committees: For Employers’ and Workers’ delegates, this is undertaken at the
group meetings on Tuesday, 1 June, or by obtaining registration forms from the group secretariats;
Government delegates may register during the Government group meeting on Tuesday, 1 June.
Composition: Except when provided otherwise, the initial composition of committees is decided by
the Conference at its opening sitting. Any modifications are carried out, for Employers’ and Workers’
delegates, through their respective groups and must be done before 6 p.m. to be effective the following
day. Government delegates may make such modifications at the Composition of Committees Office.

II.

Finance Committee of Government Representatives
(ILC Standing Orders, article 7bis and
section H, article 55(3))
Under agenda item II, the Conference will be called on to examine such financial
and administrative matters as the Governing Body may decide to bring to its attention,
including matters related to the Organization’s programme and budget.

III.

Information and reports on the application
of Conventions and Recommendations
(ILC Standing Orders, article 7 and section H)
The Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations is set
up to deal with this agenda item. It will consider information and reports supplied by
governments under articles 19, 22 and 35 of the Constitution on the effect given to
Conventions and Recommendations, together with the Report of the Committee of
Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (Report III (Part
IA)), and submit a report on its work to the Conference.
In light of the Governing Body decision to place a discussion on the strategic
objective of employment on the agenda of the 99th Session of the Conference, the first
in the cycle of recurrent discussions to follow up on the 2008 ILO Declaration on
Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, the General Survey of reports submitted to this
session under article 19 (Report III (Part IB)) will deal with the following employmentrelated Conventions and Recommendations: the Employment Service Convention,
1948 (No. 88), the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), the Human
Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), the Private Employment
Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), the Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189), and the Promotion of Cooperatives
Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193).
Pursuant to the resolution concerning the measures recommended by the
Governing Body under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on the subject of Myanmar,
adopted by the Conference at its 88th Session (2000), the Committee will also hold a
special sitting to discuss the effect given by the Government of Myanmar to the
recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry set up to examine the observance of
the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29).

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IV.

Decent work for domestic workers – Standard
setting, with a view to the possible adoption of a
Convention supplemented by a Recommendation
Domestic work is one of the oldest and most important occupations for millions
of workers around the world, many of them women. In contemporary society, care
work at home is vital for the economy outside the household to function and demand
for it has increased everywhere in the past two decades. Domestic work, nonetheless, is
undervalued and poorly regulated, and many domestic workers remain overworked,
underpaid and unprotected. Domestic work remains virtually invisible as a form of
employment in many countries.
Improving the conditions of domestic workers has been an ILO concern since its
early days. As early as 1948, the ILO adopted a resolution concerning the conditions of
employment of domestic workers. In 1965, it adopted a resolution calling for
normative action in this area, while in 1970 the first survey ever published on the status
of domestic workers across the world made its appearance. The Decent Work Agenda
provides a new and promising avenue for ensuring visibility and respect for domestic
workers. Standard setting on decent work for domestic workers will take the ILO
beyond non-compliance and towards the provisions of meaningful guidance on how to
regulate a category of workers in need of support.
At its 301st Session (March 2008), the ILO Governing Body agreed to place an
item on decent work for domestic workers on the agenda of the 99th Session of the
International Labour Conference (2010) with a view to the setting of labour standards.
The Office has prepared two reports to serve as a basis for the first discussion. The
preliminary report, Decent work for domestic workers, Report IV(1), was accompanied
by a questionnaire to which governments were asked to give reasoned replies. These
replies have been summarized in the second report (Report IV(2)), which also indicates
the main points that the Conference may wish to consider.

V.

HIV/AIDS and the world of work – Standard
setting, second discussion, with a view to the
adoption of an autonomous Recommendation
At its 298th Session (March 2007), the Governing Body had decided to place the
item entitled “Elaboration of an autonomous Recommendation on HIV/AIDS and the
world of work” on the agenda of the 98th Session of the Conference. The 98th Session
of the Conference decided, by a resolution adopted on 18 June 2009, to place on the
agenda of its 99th Session an item entitled “HIV/AIDS and the world of work”, for a
second discussion, with a view to adopting an autonomous Recommendation.
In accordance with article 39, paragraph 6, of the Standing Orders of the
Conference, the Office communicated Report V(1), drawn up on the basis of the first
discussion and containing a draft Recommendation, to the governments of all member
States, asking them, after consultations with the most representative employers’ and
workers’ organizations, to provide the Office with any proposals for amendments to, or
comments on, the text.
At the 99th Session of the Conference, the Committee will have before it
Report V(2A), HIV/AIDS and the world of work, drafted on the basis of the replies
received from governments and from employers’ and workers’ organizations and
containing essential points of their replies. The Committee will also have before it
Report V(2B), which will be the focus of the Committee’s discussions, and contains
the text of the proposed autonomous Recommendation.

6

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VI.

A discussion on the strategic objective of
employment – First in the cycle of recurrent
discussions to follow up on the ILO
Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair
Globalization, 2008
The ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization was adopted by the
International Labour Conference at its 97th Session in June 2008. In setting out followup actions, the annex to the Declaration directed the Office to introduce a scheme of
recurrent item discussions at the International Labour Conferences, taking up in turn
each of the four strategic objectives, in order to “understand better the diverse realities
and needs of its Members with respect to each of the strategic objectives, respond more
effectively to them, using all the means of action at its disposal, including standardsrelated action, technical cooperation, and the technical and research capacity of the
Office, and adjust is priorities and programmes of action accordingly” (article II(B)(i)).
At its 303rd Session (November 2008), the Governing Body decided that the first
recurrent item discussion would be on employment, for the 99th Session of the
Conference in June 2010. The report of the Office (Report VI) provides background
information for that discussion.

VII.

Review of the follow-up to the 1998 ILO
Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work
The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its
Follow-up (the 1998 Declaration) was adopted by the 86th Session of the Conference
in June 1998. Its annex, entitled “Follow-up to the Declaration”, outlined two reporting
procedures. These aimed at encouraging the efforts made by the member States to
promote the fundamental principles and rights at work. Recognizing the innovative and
experimental nature of the reporting procedures, the annex foresaw that “(t)he
Conference shall, in due course, review the operation of this follow-up in the light of
the experience acquired to assess whether it has adequately fulfilled the overall
purpose articulated in Part I” (of the annex).
Meanwhile, in June 2008, the 97th Session of the Conference adopted the ILO
Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (the 2008 Declaration).
Fundamental principles and rights at work are specified in the 2008 Declaration as one
of the four strategic objectives of the ILO, and are therefore also covered by the
method of implementation of that Declaration and its follow-up provisions.
The follow-up to the 2008 Declaration, in section II(B) of its annex, provides that
the Organization will introduce a scheme of recurrent discussions by the Conference,
based on modalities agreed by the Governing Body, without duplicating the ILO’s
supervisory mechanisms, so as to, inter alia, understand better the diverse realities and
needs of the Members with respect to each of the strategic objectives.
Pursuant to a decision by the Governing Body in November 2008, tripartite
consultations were held on the follow-up to the 2008 Declaration from 2 to 4 February
2009. A paper submitted for consultations outlined a number of possible modifications
to the follow-up procedures of the 1998 Declaration. Various speakers expressed their
views on the subject.
In the light of the above, the Governing Body decided to include the additional
item on the agenda of this Conference to review the follow-up to the 1998 ILO
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The proposals that will be

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7

discussed by the Conference are aimed at both a review of the follow-up procedures as
already foreseen in the annex to the 1998 Declaration as well as ensuring consistency
and efficiency of the follow-up in view of the adoption of the ILO Declaration on
Social Justice for a Fair Globalization.
This item could be considered by the Selection Committee or by a committee
which has a similar composition to it.

Standing Orders Committee
(ILC Standing Orders, section H)
This Committee will meet to examine the proposed amendments to articles 5 and
26ter of the Standing Orders of the International Labour Conference regarding
representation of Employers’ and Workers’ delegates at the Conference. The
Governing Body, at its 306th Session (November 2009) invited the Conference to
adopt these amendments.

Selection Committee
(ILC Standing Orders, article 4
and section H, article 55(2))
The Selection Committee is composed of 28 members appointed by the
Government group, 14 members appointed by the Employers’ group, and 14 by the
Workers’ group. Its responsibilities include arranging the programme of the
Conference, fixing the time and agenda of its plenary sittings and acting on its behalf
on any other routine question. Since the 1996 reforms to the Conference, most of these
tasks have been delegated to the Officers of the Committee. The Selection Committee
may be called on at any time to consider specific issues.

Credentials Committee
(ILC Standing Orders, article 5 and section B)
The Credentials Committee is composed of one Government, one Employers’ and
one Workers’ delegate, appointed by the Conference. It meets in closed sittings.
Its responsibilities include:

8

–

examining the credentials, as well as any objection relating to the credentials, of
delegates and their advisers, or relating to the failure to deposit credentials of an
Employers’ or Workers’ delegate (ILC Standing Orders, article 5(2) and 26bis);

–

considering complaints of non-observance of article 13, paragraph 2(a), of the
Constitution (payment of expenses of tripartite delegations) (ILC Standing
Orders, article 26ter);

–

monitoring of any situation with regard to the observance of the provisions of
article 3 or article 13, paragraph 2(a), of the Constitution, about which the
Conference has requested a report (ILC Standing Orders, article 26quater);

–

determining the quorum required for the validity of votes taken by the Conference
(ILC Standing Orders, article 20(1)).

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6.

Resolutions
Information regarding the submission of draft resolutions on items which are not
included on the Conference agenda and the manner in which they will be addressed at
the 99th Session of the Conference will be communicated in due course.

7.

Events
Information on events taking place at the Conference will be communicated to
participants subsequently.

8.

Reports

Communication of reports
Reports for examination in technical committees will be communicated to
member States at least two months before the session. Reports will be available in
English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, German and Russian. They will also be
accessible electronically, with this Conference guide, by visiting the ILO’s web site
(www.ilo.org), and following the link for the “International Labour Conference”.
To enable all participants to prepare fully for the discussions, governments are
urged to distribute the reports sent to them in good time to Government delegates, as
well as to those representing the Employers and Workers. Conference participants are
encouraged to bring the documents thus received with them to Geneva, and to refrain,
where possible, from requesting additional sets once on the Conference site.

Publication of the Provisional Records
During the session, the decisions of the Conference and the record of proceedings
in plenary are published in Provisional Records in English, French and Spanish, and
may also be consulted on the ILO’s web site. Speeches delivered in plenary by
delegates as part of the discussion of the reports of the Chairperson of the Governing
Body and of the Director-General will be recorded electronically. All plenary activities
will be webcast.

9.

Interpretation
Interpretation services at Conference meetings are provided in English, French,
Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, German, Russian and, in certain cases, Japanese.
Interpretation from Portuguese is also available in tripartite meetings.

10.

Participation

Composition of delegations
Delegations to the International Labour Conference are composed of four
delegates: two Government delegates, one delegate representing the Employers and
one delegate representing the Workers (Constitution, article 3(1)).

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9

Each delegate may be accompanied by advisers, who shall not exceed two for
each item on the Conference agenda (Constitution, article 3(2)). At the present
session, this concerns items III, IV, V, VI and VII. Therefore, each Government,
Employers’ and Workers’ delegate to the 99th Session of the International
Labour Conference may be accompanied by up to ten advisers. To guarantee the
required balance of Government, Employer and Worker representatives, governments
should ensure that an equal number of Employers’ and Workers’ advisers are
appointed to each delegation. Travel and living expenses of delegates and their
advisers are to be borne by their respective States (Constitution, article 13(2)(a)).
Under the Constitution, member States shall ensure that their delegations are fully
tripartite, and that the delegates are able to act in full independence of one another.
They are required to nominate non-government delegates chosen in agreement with the
industrial organizations, if such organizations exist, which are most representative of
employers or workpeople in their respective countries (Constitution, article 3(5)).
Constituents are asked to remember that the success of the discussions
depends on the competencies of participants. It is therefore of critical importance
that participants should be chosen not only for the technical expertise required, but also
with a view to adopting a coordinated approach, involving action shared between
different government administrations.
It is essential that the tripartite balance of delegations be maintained throughout
the duration of the Conference, for the purpose of voting, which takes place on the last
days of the session.
Governments are also asked to bear in mind the resolution adopted at the
78th Session (1991) of the Conference, which calls on governments, employers’
and workers’ organizations to include more women in their delegations to the
International Labour Conference.
Total delegates and advisers

No. of women

Percentage of total

2002

2 460

500

20.33

2003

2 642

540

20.44

2004

2 753

640

23.24

2005

2 684

597

22.20

2006

2 712

670

24.40

2007

2 813

678

24.10

2008

2 834

728

25.70

2009

2 599

741

28.50

Since 2002, as the above table shows, there has been a trend of slight yearly
improvement in the proportion of women participating in the Conference. However,
2005 and 2007 both represent a decrease on the preceding year. Given the United
Nations target of increasing the proportion of women in decision- and policy-making
bodies to at least 30 per cent, the Credentials Committee at the 98th Session was once
again obliged to urge constituents to strive to meet this target.
Governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations are therefore strongly
urged to include a higher percentage of women in delegations to the International
Labour Conference, with a view to obtaining equitable representation at an early
date.

10

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Credentials
Credentials of delegates and their advisers must be deposited with the
International Labour Office at least 15 days before the date fixed for the opening
sitting, in line with article 26, paragraph 1, of the International Labour Conference
Standing Orders. The closing date for deposit of the credentials of all delegates and
advisers is therefore Tuesday, 18 May 2010. Participants cannot register for the
Conference unless their credentials have been previously deposited.
The form for the submission of credentials, attached to the letter of convocation,
is accompanied by an Explanatory note for national delegations on the importance of
depositing credentials with the secretariat, giving details on the various categories of
participants at the Conference, and the roles that they play. Contact details are given
both in the Explanatory note, and in Appendix I to this Conference guide.
Credentials may also be submitted electronically. Access codes will be sent to
permanent missions in Geneva in early 2010. These codes allow the form for
credentials to be downloaded from the Organization’s web site, and returned
electronically to the ILO after completion.

Representation of non-metropolitan territories
See Appendix II.

Representation of international
non-governmental organizations
See Appendix III. The deadline for applications this year is 11 February 2010.

11.

Health and safety
The International Labour Office will do all possible to safeguard participants’
health and safety during the Conference. Conference participants are requested to
report to the secretariat any situation they believe to be a health or safety hazard.
During the Conference, full medical services are available, but all participants must be
aware that the ILO does not provide insurance cover for accident or illness whilst
journeying to or from Geneva or during the period of the Conference. All participants
must therefore ensure that they have adequate insurance coverage in respect of illness
and accident.

12.

Practical arrangements
Practical information of use to delegates during their attendance at the Conference
can be viewed online by visiting the ILO web site (www.ilo.org) and following the link
to the “International Labour Conference”, and then to “Practical information for
delegates”. Further information concerning the day-to-day running of the Conference
can be obtained by following the link to the “Daily Bulletin”.

Delegates with a disability
The Conference premises are fully accessible to persons with a disability.

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Accommodation for delegations in Geneva
There is constant pressure for accommodation in Geneva in the month of June.
Delegations are therefore requested to make reservations well in advance. As the
International Labour Office does not have a hotel reservation service, delegations to
the Conference should request the diplomatic representations of member States in
Geneva, or where applicable, in Berne, to make the necessary reservations with hotels
in the Geneva area. Reservations may also be made through the:
Office du tourisme de Genève
18, rue du Mont Blanc
Case postale 1602
CH-1211 Genève 1
Telephone: +41 22 909 70 00
Facsimile: +41 22 909 70 11
Internet site: www.geneve-tourisme.ch

Entry visas for Switzerland and France
Entry visas for Switzerland are issued primarily by Swiss diplomatic
representations abroad. Delegates to the Conference who require an entry visa should
submit a request, well in advance, to the Swiss embassy or consulate in their country of
residence.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please note that Switzerland now applies the
European Schengen regulations concerning the issuance of visas. This has several
practical implications for the delegations at the Conference, that can be
summarized as follows:


The time for processing visa requests may vary from case to case and may be
longer than previously. Delegations are strongly encouraged to communicate
their credentials to the Office as early as possible and to take the necessary steps
for visa application well in advance (but at the earliest three months before the
departure date), so that the visa can be issued in a timely manner.



The members of the delegation must submit the following documents:



–

a travel document the validity of which exceeds that of the stay, and covers
the period necessary for the return journey;

–

a visa application form, together with two photos;

–

supporting documents concerning the purpose of the journey, e.g. a note
verbale from the Government duly initialled together with an order to
perform the mission, a copy of credentials, an invitation to the Conference,
etc.;

–

any other document that the representation considers necessary.

Except for holders of diplomatic or service passports, the Swiss authorities may
require that member States provide proof of sufficient travel insurance.

The visa issued will be valid for entering the territory of all States belonging to
the Schengen area. Likewise, persons already holding Schengen visas issued by other
Schengen States will be permitted to enter Switzerland.

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The main responsibility for obtaining entry visas for Switzerland lies with the
governments of member States for all delegates included by them in the delegation’s
official credentials.
The Office can only intervene with Swiss diplomatic representations if a visa
request has been refused by them. Such interventions may be made only on behalf of
the following categories of participants: delegates, persons formally designated as
advisers, and persons designated in accordance with article 2, paragraph 3(i), of
the Standing Orders of the Conference. For all other participants (“other persons
attending the Conference” and “support staff for the delegations”), member States
should contact the Swiss representation in their country directly and arrange their visas
without any ILO involvement. Please note that for the Office to intervene with
Swiss diplomatic representations on behalf of the categories of participants noted
above, their credentials must have been received in Geneva by 18 May 2010.
In order for the Office to intervene in relation to a visa application as stated in the
preceding paragraph, the following conditions must be met:


the first and last names of the person concerned must be included in the official
credentials of the delegation within one of the categories of participants referred
to above, as submitted to the International Labour Office by the Government;



the visa application must have already been processed by a Swiss diplomatic
representation;



the request for intervention must reach the Office at least a week before the
departure date, indicating the Swiss representation to which the visa application
is being made.

Delegates may wish to note that visas are issued upon arrival at the airport in
Geneva only in exceptional circumstances. When such circumstances so warrant (in
particular where there is no Swiss representation in the country of origin), the Swiss
authorities may authorize the issuance of a visa upon arrival in Switzerland, provided
that the request is made sufficiently in advance of the departure date. The Office may
intervene with the Swiss authorities regarding exceptional requests for a visa to be
issued on arrival, if the applicant is included in the official credentials of the
delegation, and the request reaches the Office at least one week before departure. The
following additional information must also be provided:


first and last name of the person concerned;



date of birth;



type and number of the passport and its issuance and expiry dates.

As the Office does not have the capacity to handle each request individually, it
will, where appropriate, transmit directly to the competent Swiss authorities its support
for any visa application within 24 hours of receipt of the request.
No request will be handled for persons who travel without having first obtained
a visa, or the necessary authorization to obtain it upon arrival in Switzerland. Any
person who travels to Switzerland without meeting these requirements may be denied
entry at the point of immigration.

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13

Registration on arrival
Delegates will be able to register and collect their badges at the ILO Pavilion, at
the entry to the International Labour Office (headquarters building), provided that
the Office has received their credentials. The registration desk will be open on
Monday, 31 May and Tuesday, 1 June from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and as from
Wednesday, 2 June, daily from 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., and Saturdays as necessary,
excluding Sundays.
Since the registration of delegates is the basis for calculating the quorum for
votes, only delegates who are actually attending the Conference should be registered.
Delegates are therefore encouraged to register in person upon their arrival and
requested to give timely notice of their departure if they leave before the end of the
Conference. Moreover, the Governing Body has requested the Office to restrict the
practice of allowing permanent missions to collect Conference badges for the whole
delegation of the member State. Permanent missions will in particular no longer be
allowed to collect badges for Employer and Worker representatives, unless they have
been specifically authorized in writing by the Employers and Workers concerned.
During the Conference all participants must be in possession of a personalized
badge issued by the ILO, and of an appropriate identity document, containing a
photograph, to gain access to the Palais des Nations complex. Badges must be worn
visibly at all times.

Meeting room reservations
Participants wishing to reserve rooms for the purpose of bilateral, multilateral or
group meetings on matters related to International Labour Conference business may do
so in advance by email, as of Tuesday, 6 April 2010, to the following address:
ilcrooms@ilo.org.

Visitors to the Conference
Visitors to the Conference may be issued with special visitors’ badges on
presentation, at the ILO Pavilion, of a national identity document bearing a
photograph. Visitors’ badges are valid for access to the Palais des Nations only if they
are accompanied by the aforementioned national ID, which may be kept as security on
a daily basis.
For access to the Palais des Nations, a dedicated visitors’ shuttle bus (specially
marked) will depart from the ILO and visitors will be required to alight upon arrival at
the main Palais des Nations gate to undergo UN security service scrutiny, prior to
admission to UN premises.
Visitors shall adhere at all times to instructions as may be issued by security staff.
They may observe public sittings only from the public gallery of the relevant meeting
room and are not permitted to sit in the main body of the hall. Visitors are requested to
ensure that they in no way interfere with the orderly conduct of meetings.

Other matters
A shuttle-bus service will be available to transport participants between the ILO
headquarters building and the Palais des Nations. The journey takes five to ten
minutes.

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Car parking space at the Palais des Nations will be limited, and participants are
consequently encouraged to use public transport, or ILO car parks and the shuttle-bus
service.

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Appendix I
Contact details
ILO web site: www.ilo.org
email address

Fax number

Telephone

By post to:
Office of the Legal Adviser
ILO
CH-1211 Geneva 22

credentials@ilo.org

+41 22 799 84 70

Registration of speakers

orateurs@ilo.org

+41 22 799 89 44

+41 22 799 77 30

Meeting room reservations

ilcrooms@ilo.org

Official Relations Branch
(for general inquiries)

RELOFF@ilo.org

+41 22 799 89 44

+41 22 799 77 32

Documentation

DISTR@ilo.org

+41 22 799 63 61

+41 22 799 80 40

Credentials

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Appendix II
Representation of non-metropolitan territories –
deadline 23 February 2010
Under article 3, paragraph 3, of the Constitution:
Each Member which is responsible for the international relations of non-metropolitan
territories may appoint as additional advisers to each of its delegates:
(a)

persons nominated by it as representatives of any such territory in regard to matters within the
self-governing powers of that territory; and

(b)

persons nominated by it to advise its delegates in regard to matters concerning
non-self-governing territories.

In line with the constitutional, political, economic and social development of any
non-metropolitan territory for which a member State is responsible, the non-metropolitan territory in
question may be invited, through the member State concerned, to participate by means of a tripartite
observer delegation in sessions of the Conference, with the rights and status accorded to observers
under the Standing Orders of the Conference.
Requests for invitations of non-metropolitan territories must reach the Office by
23 February 2010 to be submitted to the Governing Body for approval at its 307th Session
(March 2010).

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Appendix III
Representation of international non-governmental
organizations at the International Labour Conference
1.

Conditions to be met
Any international non-governmental organization (INGO) wishing to be invited to be
represented at the Conference should meet the following conditions. It should:

2.

(a)

demonstrate the international nature of its composition and activities by proving that it is
represented or has affiliates in a considerable number of countries and that it is active in those
countries;

(b)

have aims and objectives that are in harmony with the spirit, aims and principles of the
Constitution of the ILO and the Declaration of Philadelphia;

(c)

formally express a clearly defined interest, supported by its statutes and by explicit reference
to its own activities, in at least one of the items on the agenda of the Conference session to
which it requests to be invited;

(d)

submit its request, in writing, to the Director-General of the International Labour Office
as soon as possible and at least one month before the opening of the session of the
Governing Body preceding the session of the Conference, 1 i.e. by 11 February 2010.

Documents and information to be submitted
In order for the Office to verify that the conditions set out in subparagraphs 1(a), (b) and (c)
above are met by the organization submitting the request, the latter must send with its request:
–

a copy of its statutes; 2

–

the names and titles of its Officers;

–

a description of its composition and the aggregate membership of the national organizations
affiliated to it;

–

a copy of its latest report;

–

detailed and verifiable information about its sources of financing.

If, following the examination of the documents and information, the Office considers that the
organization submitting the request meets the prescribed conditions, its request will be submitted to
the Officers of the Governing Body for decision. 3
Organizations having regional consultative status, those on the ILO special list of INGOs,
those invited to previous sessions of the General Conference are considered to have satisfied the
conditions set out in subparagraphs (a) and (b) and are exempt from submitting once again the
documents and information indicated above.
Any request submitted less than one month before the opening of the session of the
Governing Body preceding the session of the Conference will not be examined.
Organizations which have been invited to be represented at the Conference may appoint one
representative only for each of the agenda items in which they have expressed a particular interest.
The participation of INGOs in the work of the Conference committees dealing with the technical
items in which they have expressed a particular interest is subject to a decision of the Selection
Committee (article 56.9 of the Standing Orders of the Conference).

1

ILC Standing Orders, article 2(4).

2

In English, French and Spanish, if these versions exist.

3

At its 256th Session (May 1993), the Governing Body delegated to its Officers the authority to
invite INGOs wishing to be represented at sessions of the General Conference.

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