ILC114 - EU Statement - Committee on Application of Standards - Closing Discussion
International Labour Conference
114th session
Geneva, 11 June 2026
Committee on Application of Standards
Closing Discussion
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Ukraine, the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.
We would like to start by warmly thanking you, Chair, for your experienced, efficient, calm leading of the discussions and your very good time management. We extend our warm thanks to the Vice-Chairs and the Rapporteur for their constructive spirit, contributions and efficiency. We also thank the representative of the Secretary-General, Ms Corinne Vargha, and her team for their dedicated support and guidance throughout the sittings. Last but not least, we would like to thank our interpreters and translators.
We welcome the discussions and the Constituents’ positive approach and engagement in the process. [However, we regret that once again not all conclusions could be adopted by consensus, thus going against the long-established practice of our Committee. Two governments insisted on a vote on the conclusions regarding their case, one of them for the third time]. However/Moreover, we note that, pursuant to document D.1 on the working methods of the CAS, the discussion of individual cases was to be structured so that “double-footnoted cases” would be grouped and examined first. We regret that one government was not in a position to make itself available to engage with the Committee’s work as foreseen.
Nevertheless, we are pleased to have again reached concrete conclusions, in this centenary CAS session. They will provide guidance on the way forward to effectively implement international labour standards, in law and practice.
We appreciate the hard work by the officers and the ILO office to ensure that all the cases on the agenda were examined this year. We would like to emphasise the importance of the countries on the final list responding promptly to the invitation to appear before our committee for a discussion within a tripartite framework. This is essential for the effectiveness and smooth running of our work.
We strongly believe in the fundamental importance of international labour standards, their ratification, and the effective, independent, and authoritative supervision of their implementation. We share the view that human rights, including labour rights, are fundamental for relations between peoples and nations.
The Committee on the Application of Standards is a crucial pillar of the ILO supervisory system and embodies the core values of the ILO, based on social dialogue and tripartism. It enables all constituents to discuss the implementation of ILO Conventions in a constructive, respectful and tripartite manner.
We highly appreciate the analysis and expertise of the Committee of Experts, which provides a solid basis for the work of our Committee. We value and continue to maintain confidence in the guidance provided by the Committee, which is key in the implementation of international labour standards. We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Committee’s independence, objectivity, and impartiality.
We are pleased that the Committee of Experts continues to deepen its cooperation with the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies. This collaboration is crucial to enhance the effective fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights, and it needs to feed into the UN80 process. It provides scope for synergies and streamlined reporting burdens, while respecting the autonomous mandates of all bodies.
We attach great value to the General Survey of the Committee of Experts. We are compelled to acknowledge the sad reality of the timeliness of this year’s survey on “Employment and decent work for peace and resilience”, in the context of multidimensional and interlocking crises. It reminds us of the continued relevance of ILO’s mandate, based on the principle that universal and lasting peace can only be achieved through social justice.
The survey illustrates how employment policies that seek to promote freely chosen employment and decent work can help prevent or mitigate crises and enable job-rich recovery. The survey also serves to remind us that social dialogue mechanisms are the foundation for inclusive and lasting recovery and resilience.
Chair,
The centenary has enabled us to highlight the significant contribution made by the ILO’s supervisory system in advancing social justice and decent work. Looking ahead, we wish to reaffirm our strong commitment to supporting and strengthening this system. We remain convinced that it is one of the most comprehensive and valuable elements of the multilateral rules-based order.
Our Committee’s discussions and conclusions remain an invaluable contribution to improving our implementation of the international labour standards. We are looking forward to a constructive engagement with the ILO Office and the tripartite constituents in the follow-up to the conclusions of the Committee.
Thank you Chair.
- ^ North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.