Conference on Labour and Social Rights

A Conference on Labour and Social Rights was organized in St. Petersburg at the beginning of December.

It was held in the moment when the International Labour office started preparation of the first Global Report on activities to apply the basic norms and rights, containing in the ILO Declaration, adopted by the 86 Session of the International Labour Conference in 1998.

The objective of the Report, as stated in the annex to the Declaration is «to present dynamics of the overall situation in every category of the basic norms and rights … and to shape the basis for evaluation of assistance efficiency provided by the Organization».

Given the above, the Conference sought to examine the possibilities of the participating countries to provide for a more efficient implementation of the basic principles and rights in labour and social sphere, contained in the Declaration and the ILO Conventions ratified or not by the CIS.

The latter also contain norms related to the labour and social rights. The Conference made it possible to identify constraints in application of the internationally recognized norms in labour and social sphere in the CIS and to find the ways to resolve them.

The participants positively assessed steps of the government, employers and employees associations in application of the international ILO legal documents. The role of each party in this tripartite partnership was clarified.

The role of the national parliaments has been also identified in this process, as well as the activities to ratify the most important ILO conventions.

The results of participation of the organizations, which are interested in effective application of the internationally recognized ILO norms, including NGOs, universities in the arrangements together with ILO and ILO in Moscow were discussed to facilitate application of the international norms and development of the national labour legislation.

Further in-depth discussion on priority directions for the future joint activities with the ILO in Geneva and ILO office in Moscow has taken place during the Conference. It turns to be even more important given the fact that the projects drafting for the future ILO cooperation with the national partners for 2000 – 2001 started.

ILO/IPEC Project on Street Children in St. Petersburg

In June 1999 the joint project on «Street Children in St. Petersburg: from Exploitation to Education», initiated by ILO and IPEC (International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour) was approved for funding by the Finnish Government. The main objective of this three-year project is to contribute to the progressive elimination of child labor on the streets through the efforts of local governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The target group will be children working in the streets of St. Petersburg and their families with priority given to very young children at risk and girls. Due to the complex nature of the problem an integrated multi-sector intervention approach will be implemented, including family, school, clinics, law enforcement and protection. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of working street children’s and their families’ lives and have a considerable number of street children withdrawn from the streets and provided with education, counseling, vocational training, health services and nutrition.

• «World Employment Report»;

• «Social Dialog in Russia»;

• «Employment and Policy on the Labor Market in a Number of Countries with Transition Economies»;

• «Cooperatives in Tran-sition»; and

• «Documents and Materials of the Conference on Social Policy».

Fritz Lherisson Has Been Assigned to Special Mission in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus

Fritz Lharisson began his United Nations career in April 1962. He joined UNICEF in 1964. During his career of almost thirty years in service to the UNICEF, Fritz Lherisson acquired an excellent knowledge of the UN system in general and particular, UNICEF. His career led to service in many important positions, notably Representative in Laos (1973 - 1976), Representative in Jamaica (1976 - 1982), and Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean in Bogota, Colombia. Fritz Lharisson has continued to serve the Organization after his retirement in 1990. He has been assigned to special missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Rwanda, Colombia, Algeria and Mexico.

A Decade of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

On 20 November 1999 it was a decade since adoption by the UN General Assembly of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

The need for the children’s right to obtain the statute of an international law became evident during preparatory activities to the International Year of Child in 1979. During this year the UN Commission on Human rights drafted the Convention. Poland initiated this activity, and the working group which drafted the Convention was headed by a Polish professor Adam Lopatka.

The Convention was put into force on 2 September 1990 following its ratification by the twentieth state. Today 140 countries of the world signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child and 191 state became a part of the Convention. The Convention came into force in Russia in September 1990. Adoption of the Federal Law «On Basic Guarantees of the Rights of Child in the Russian Federation» in 1998 became an important landmark in implementation of the Convention in Russia.

Together with its partners, government and non-governmental organizations and institutions UNICEF consistently implements provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in its practical everyday work. First Ombudsman on child rights appeared in Russia on the initiative of UNICEF. At present they work in five regions, during the passed year about a thousand children and adults applied to them for assistance and support. Ministry of Public Education of the Russian Federation organized at the Russian Peoples Friendship University an international research practical conference on the issues of educational legislation. Two laws have been drafted and forwarded for consideration of the government of the Russian Federation, i.e. «On Amendments and Changes to the Law of the RF »On Education» and «On Amendments and Changes to the Federal Law »On Higher and Post Graduate Professional Education». At present two other drafts are in the pipe-line: «On Basic Professional Training» and «On Secondary Professional Training».

Besides the legal aspect of the harmonization of the national legislation with the Convention principles, it is very important to bring them to the governmental institutions, to the minds of parents and, certainly, children. To mark the first decade of the Convention UNICEF implemented several projects targeted to create public awareness about children’s rights in the society.

During the last year together with the Guild of Film Makers of Russia UNICEF organized a Cinema Forum «Cinema and the Convention on the Rights of the Child». Round table discussions and film shows were organized in Vladimir, Bryansk, Kursk, Veliky Novgorod and Ivanovo.

About 80 amateur films, produced by the children studios participated in the contest. It demonstrated that children are concerned about such problems as social inequality, right for education, racial discrimination, and they dedicated their films to these subjects. Final results were announced during the Fifth International Human Rights Protection Film Festival. UNICEF presented special awards to the best works of young film - makers.

Drawings contest organized in Moscow and the Moscow Region was also dedicated to the jubilee. The best drawing by 16-years old Maria Averianova was used as a design for the UNICEF poster.