Iran elected head of ILO Asia-Pacific group
In a meeting of the labor ministers of member countries of the Asia-Pacific region, Iran was elected as head and coordinator of Asia-Pacific Group (ASPAG) at the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In this expert-level meeting, headed by the Philippines as the current coordinator of the region, the candidacy of Iran was raised for this position and it was unanimously approved by the member countries, according to mcls.gov.ir.
In the tripartite system of the International Labor Organization, the governments are organized within the framework of four regional groups: Asia and Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, and play a key role in the decision-making assemblies.
The regional coordinators are responsible for forging relations of the organization with member states and also representatives of countries of respective regions in decision-making meetings including screening group meetings, the Board of Directors’ meetings, and specialized meetings of the International Labor Conference.
Multilateralism
priority
Meanwhile, Ali-Hossein Raeiati-Fard, the deputy labor minister, said realizing social justice in the world requires respect for multilateralism and relying on cooperative and collective approaches.
Speaking at the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, Raeiati-Fard added that the devastating effects of COVID-19 have emerged in the areas of work, economy, unstable supply chains, insufficient social security and support systems, poverty and inequality.
Stating that according to the global employment and social outlook report, the Asia-Pacific region’s labor market is still far from the pre-crisis situation, Raeiati-Fard said the employment rate per population and the total working hours in the region are still lower than the pre-COVID period in 2019.