International Labour Conference Provisional Record 108th Session, Geneva, June 2019 8D Date: Friday 5 July 2019 Plenary sitting High-level section: Visits by Heads of State and Government and other distinguished guests on the occasion of the Centenary of the International Labour Organization Contents Page High-level section ................................................................................................................... 1 Statement by His Excellency Mr Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar ............................................................................................... 1 Statement by His Excellency Mr Youssef Chahed, Chief of the Government of the Republic of Tunisia.................................................... 3 Statement by His Excellency Mr George Vella, President of the Republic of Malta ............................................................................... 6 Statement by Her Excellency Ms Mercedes Rosalba Aráoz Fernández, Vice-President of the Republic of Peru ........................................................................ 9 Statement by His Excellency Mr Marjan Šarec, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia ................................................................. 12 Statement by His Excellency Mr Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg .................................................... 14 Statements by Their Excellencies Mr Nicola Selva and Mr Michele Muratori, Captains Regent of the Republic of San Marino ...................... 19 Statement by Her Excellency Ms Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ............................................................................................................ 21 ILC108-Rec8D-En.docx Tuesday, 11 June 2019, 3.40 p.m. President: Ms Izata, Government Vice- President of the Conference, followed by Mr Dimitrov, Worker Vice-President of the Conference High-level section The President I call to order the fourth plenary sitting of the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference. In order to mark the Centenary of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Conference will be addressed by Heads of State and Government and other distinguished guests, who will gather to reaffirm their commitment to the principle of social justice upon which the ILO was founded 100 years ago and to share with the Conference their own experiences and their vision for the future of work. To begin this high-level section, we have the honour and privilege today to receive the visits of nine of these guests. Without further ado, I give the floor to the first of them, His Excellency Mr Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar. Statement by His Excellency Mr Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar Mr Rajoelina President of the Republic of Madagascar (Original French) The International Labour Organization has been tirelessly defending the values of justice and respect for dignity for a century, giving a human face to globalization. My first comments will be words of thanks. In this Centenary year, Madagascar salutes the men and women from all backgrounds who fought with all their might, with belief and conviction, to build a fairer and more decent world of work that values the individual and has favoured the fulfilment and well-being of every successive generation since 1919. I thank those thousands of anonymous people, as well as the big names, all of them benefactors of humanity. Since 1919, the ILO has contributed a great deal to the establishment of a world of work that values the individual and respect for human rights, and is mindful of the non- discrimination principle and equality of treatment. The ILO has worked to combat the worst workplace abuses. It has enabled great progress to be made in improving labour conditions all over the world. However, in spite of this century of activity, we must recognize that much remains to be done. There are numerous challenges: ending workplace violence and harassment; eradicating all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery; guaranteeing equality with regard to gender and background; and working to ensure that wages and labour conditions are respectful of human dignity. I solemnly declare here today that Madagascar stands ready to help the ILO in this task that is difficult, but nonetheless essential for the development of our world and the fulfilment of future generations. ILC108-Rec8D-En.docx 1 Since it joined in 1960, Madagascar has worked resolutely alongside the ILO to implement social justice and establish universal peace for the protection of workers from all countries. Today, we renew our commitment, in a specific and meaningful way, to greater social justice and to placing Madagascar on the path of inclusive development. We want to guarantee all Malagasy people a decent wage that can cover their basic needs and offer them a decent quality of life. In order to do that, on 1 May this year, on the occasion of International Labour Day, I announced a 19 per cent increase in the minimum wage. This followed a tripartite meeting attended by representatives of employers, trade unions and the government. In the same way, we are working ceaselessly to implement a system of social protection for independent workers and vulnerable populations. With a young population, 70 per cent of whom are aged under 25, we cannot imagine Madagascar in the future without taking into account young people today. Every year, 400,000 young Malagasy people enter the labour market. Without any prospects or openings, many find themselves unemployed and become a burden on society. To alleviate this, we have established a national entrepreneurship programme, called Fihariana, which means to free yourself or take control of your own destiny. With a budget of €50 million, this programme offers rapid financing, ranging from €300 to €50,000, for young people, women, farmers, farm workers, and even start-ups, which is a big first in the history of Madagascar. Through this national programme, we want to encourage young Malagasy people to train themselves, to take a risk and take control of their own future, while also helping the development of the country. We believe that the promotion of employment for all concerns more than simply ensuring employee status. Creating your own work and your own company can help to overcome the problems of underemployment and unemployment and to put an end to violence, insecurity and extreme poverty. Could one imagine that slavery would still be claiming new victims in 2019? No, this is unacceptable, it is a reality and it must be stopped. Did you know that more than 4,000 women are currently confined and held against their will in inhuman conditions in the Middle East? This is a cause that is particularly close to my heart, because, in accordance with our international commitments, and also because it is the duty of the State to protect its fellow citizens without exception, at the end of March, I sent a delegation to repatriate some of our citizens who had sent a distress call from Kuwait. These women had been physically and psychologically abused, beaten and even raped. Many of them came home pregnant. This modern slavery is rampant and its effects are irreversible. I therefore call on all here present in this assembly and on all who hear this message: let us take responsibility for our actions. Let us work together to put an end to modern slavery, to human trafficking. Let us end the silence and indifference that enable this evil to persist. Madagascar has faced up to its responsibilities and will continue to do so. We are also taking measures to combat gender-based violence and the different forms of violence against women and children, as well as forced child marriage. At my instigation, we have substantially increased the budgets of the ministries responsible for social issues. To do this, Madagascar has set the goal of eradicating forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking within ten years and banning all forms of child labour. Through its willingness to go further and faster with regard to respect for fundamental labour rights and principles, I am proud to say that our country is now the first pathfinder country in Alliance 8.7, which aims to combat human trafficking, abolish forced labour and eliminate all forms of child labour. Madagascar is aware of the challenges that we need to overcome in our development. However, I will never prioritize economic growth to the detriment of the social well-being of the Malagasy people. To this end, I have designated decent work for all as one of the priorities of our general Government policy, particularly for the most vulnerable: young people, women, craft workers and agricultural workers as well as herders. We must create a 2 ILC108-Rec8D-En.docx sense of usefulness and non-expendability and give each citizen back their dignity by restoring the true value of work. By working alongside the ILO, we believe that we will achieve our goal to guarantee decent work for all, which is a crucial step in moving towards a better future. Today, I have personally delivered to the Director-General six instruments of ratification, as a demonstration of our continued engagement within the ILO. These concern the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143); the Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151); the Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981 (No. 154); the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No.