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The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization has passed a resolution on the ‘Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the International Labour Organization.’
Draft resolution1 ( revised on 22 March 2022)
Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine from the perspective of the mandate of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
The Governing Body of the International Labour Office
Recalling the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution (A/RES/ES-11/1) entitled
Aggression Against Ukraine on 2 March 2022, and the UN Human Rights Council resolution
(A/HRC/49/L.1) on 4 March 2022, on the situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from
the Russian Federation’s aggression;
Welcoming the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry under the above-referenced UN
Human Rights Council resolution;
Welcoming the legally binding provisional measures ordered by the International Court of
Justice ordering the Russian Federation to immediately suspend the military operation that it
commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine;
Solemnly reaffirming the principle enshrined in the ILO Constitution that universal and
lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice;
Recalling that the Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work considered “that the
experience of the past century has confirmed that the continuous and concerted action of
governments and representatives of employers and workers is essential to the achievement
of social justice, democracy and the promotion of universal and lasting peace”;
Recalling the Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation,
2017 (No. 205), particularly in regard to considering the long-lasting impact and consequences
of conflicts for poverty and development, human and labour rights and dignity, decent work
and sustainable enterprises;
Recalling also that the Centenary Declaration considered that persistent poverty,
inequalities and injustices, conflict, disasters and other humanitarian emergencies in many
parts of the world constitute a threat to economic and social progress and to securing shared
prosperity and decent work for all;
Endorsing the ILO Director General’s statement of 3 March 2022, in which he affirmed that
the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is a brutal repudiation of the
the organization’s mission is to promote peace through social justice, and that among its first victims
will be working people;
Expressing grave concerns at reports of civilian casualties and attacks on civilian facilities,
and the severe impact on workers and employers risking their lives to continue working and
operating, including during attacks on hospitals, schools, transportation, businesses and
nuclear power plants, further worsened by the lack of humanitarian access;
Also expressing grave concerns about the devastating impact and tragic consequences of
the aggression on the safety and the livelihoods of employers, workers and their families in
Ukraine, and about the long-term detrimental impact to Ukraine’s labour market and economy
caused by the forced displacement of the workforce and the destruction of workplaces, critical
civilian infrastructure and schools;
Recognizing the serious impact on the capacity of employers in Ukraine to provide for
decent work and the sustainability of their enterprises and commending employers for their
ongoing volunteering efforts;
Commending trade unions and civil society groups for their generous and massive
supporting and volunteering efforts to reach out to those in need;
Expressing its unwavering support for the tripartite constituents in Ukraine – workers,
employers and its democratically-elected Government – at this most difficult time;
Deploring the impact on the ILO’s staff in Ukraine and their work to implement Decent
Work Country Programme and development cooperation programmes;
Recognizing the enormous scale of internally displaced persons and refugees, mostly
women, children and elderly people forced to flee their homes, workplaces, enterprises,
communities and country, seeking safety, resulting in a humanitarian disaster significantly
impacting neighbouring countries of Ukraine and others around the globe;
Expressing strong concerns about the potential impact of this aggression on increased
global food insecurity and energy insecurity, with rising food- and energy prices and risks of
increasing poverty and inequalities in several regions in the world;
Declares that the continuing aggression by the Russian Federation, aided by the
Belarusian Government, against Ukraine, is grossly incompatible with the aims and purposes
of the Organization and principles governing ILO membership;
Calls upon the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally cease its
aggression, withdraw its troops from Ukraine, end the suffering it is inflicting on the people of
Ukraine, as well as refrain from any further unlawful threat or use of force against any Member
State and take the path of peaceful resolution consistent with the UN Charter and international
law;
Requests the International Labour Office to join with the rest of the United Nations system
in providing all possible assistance within the remit of the ILO to tripartite constituents in
Ukraine;
Demands all parties allow safe and unhindered passage to safe destinations outside of
Ukraine, including seafarers, urges immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian
access for those in need;
Urges all Members to take measures, in accordance with national and applicable
international law, to protect and ensure labour rights and a safe environment for all those
fleeing Ukraine, in particular, all those in vulnerable situations;
Requests the International Labour Office to work with constituents in developing
programmes relevant to the ILO’s mandate to support those who fled Ukraine and tripartite
constituents in Ukraine;
Makes a pressing appeal to all constituents, to consider the adoption of appropriate
measures to urge the Russian Federation to respect in full its duties and obligations arising
from ILO membership, as well as cease violations and abuses preventing fulfilment of labour
rights in Ukraine;
Decides, while safeguarding the ILO’s technical cooperation or assistance to all other
countries within the purview of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country
Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, to temporarily suspend technical cooperation or
assistance from the ILO to the Russian Federation, except for the purpose of humanitarian
assistance, until a ceasefire, is agreed and a peaceful resolution is implemented;
Requests the International Labour Office to explore options to safeguard the technical
cooperation or assistance to all other countries in the aforementioned region, including the
possible relocation of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for
Eastern Europe and Central Asia to an area outside of the Russian Federation;
Decides to suspend invitations to the Russian Federation to attend all discretionary
meetings, such as technical meetings and meetings of experts, conferences and seminars
whose composition is set by the Governing Body; and
Decides to remain seized of this matter and requests the Director-General to follow the
the situation in Ukraine and to submit for the consideration of the 345th Session (June 2022) of the
Governing Body a report on the application of the present resolution including any necessary
recommendations with a view to addressing the impact of the Russian Federation’s continuing
aggression on the ILO’s work, mandate and tripartite constituents in Ukraine.
#ILO; #DraftResolution; #GoverningBody; #UkraineCrisis
