On 10 June, the International Labor Organization (ILO) marked the anniversary of its 100-year existence; it brought together the world leaders to “reaffirm their commitment to the principle of social justice.” The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili attended the conference and spoke about her country’s current achievements and challenges regarding the activities of the ILO, reported civil.ge.

She began her speech saying that Georgia’s new constitution guarantees economic and labor rights of its citizens, and that the Labor Code is also “continuously improved to harmonize with the principles of ILO and EU regulations and best practices.”

The adoption of the new Law on Occupational Safety was among the most recent achievements of her country in that regard, which “establishes high standards of protection, effective sanctions, enhances the mandate of labor inspection and aims to change the working culture.” She also hailed Georgia’s adoption of the Law on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination as well as the introduction of the definition and institutional prohibition of sexual harassment.

Zourabichvili named Georgia’s high unemployment rate, the lack of skilled workers, work safety as well as illegal migration as some of the main challenges of her country. She also referred to the “severe security, human rights and humanitarian situation” in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, where labor rights are being severely violated. “There is an ongoing military build-up, closure of the so-called crossing points, illegal detentions and kidnapping along the occupation line; intensified ethnically-targeted human rights violations, deprivation of the right to life, prohibition of education in the native Georgian language, as well as Abkhaz or Ossetian languages through an active policy of Russification, restriction of rights to freedom of movement, residence, and property,” she told the audience.

On the sidelines of the conference, Zourabichvili also had met with President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, the Director-General of ILO Guy Ryder, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency whose main goal is to promote social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights. It was the first agency established by the UN (League of Nations at that time) and works under a tripartite format that brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. The ILO even received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 for improving fraternity and peace among nations, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations.