“Belarusian issue” to be considered by ILO in November

“The Belarusian issue” will be discussed during a regular session of the Administrative Council of the International Labour Organization in November, 2007.  The executive director of the International Labour Bureau Kari Tapiola informed about it at a meeting with journalists in Minsk on June 23. K.Tapiola stressed that the main issue was following the 12 recommendations of the Investigation Commission of ILO.  “The government followed some of the recommendations or is trying to do it, - noted K.Tapiola. – But the main recommendations – in particular, the ones concerning registration of associations – still need to be worked on”. Kari Tapiola added: Belarus can never be excluded from the ILO because such a possibility is not mentioned in the statute of the organization. At the same time there is art. #33 according to which member-states of ILO are allowed “to influence any state that is rudely violating working standards” by imposing economic sanctions. Article #33 was used only once – when Burma was practicing forced labour.