The President of the Swiss Confederation reinforces Switzerland’s engagement at the International Labour Organization (ILO)

The Federal Council

Bern, 30.05.2016 - The President of the Swiss Confederation, Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the International Labour Conference (ILC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guy Ryder, the ILO’s Director-General, which seeks a reinforced development cooperation between Switzerland and the ILO. In his speech to the plenary session of the ILC, the President called on the tripartite constituents of the ILO (governments ; employers ; workers) to rise to the challenges of the future of work and to endeavour to establish framework conditions which favour the creation of decent employment.

The MoU signed with the ILO strengthens Switzerland’s engagement in combating poverty and the promotion of decent work in the service of peace and social partnership. Switzerland finances ILO projects which notably promote economic productivity and guarantee decent employment conditions for migrants in developing countries and emerging markets. The MoU allows for the support of sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises and their thorough preparation in facing international competition. It also aims to actively promote ILO programmes regarding labour migration and fair recruitment, as well as to support the contribution of labour migrants to sustainable development. By signing this recent MoU, Switzerland intends to contribute to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On the occasion of his encounter with Director-General Guy Ryder, the President highlighted the good relations between Switzerland and the ILO, by underlining, among other things, the important role played by the ILO in the global governance stemming from international Geneva. The President of the Swiss Confederation also assured the Director-General of Switzerland’s fullest support regarding the commemoration of the ILO’s centenary in 2019. Subsequently, the President held a meeting with the Swiss tripatite delegation to the ILC in order to address the items of the agenda of the ILC and discuss questions related to the ILO and social partnership.

In his speech to the plenary session of the ILC, the President paid homage to the ILO‘s work in favour of social justice and invited the tripartite constituents to resolutely meet the challenges of the future of work. Recalling the common values of Switzerland and the ILO, namely peace, democracy and human rights, the President put the emphasis on macroeconomic, institutional and social stability, education and innovation, as well as social partnership. Finally, he pleaded for economic and social progress in the long run to pave the way for the digital economy and for establishing the foundation for a new industrial world by means of reinventing social partnership for the promotion of decent work.

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Erik Reumann, Press officer EAER, 079 303 81 53
erik.reumann@gs-wbf.admin.ch

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The Federal Council
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Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
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