Pretoria - Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant is to lead a high-powered delegation to attend the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva.
The South African delegation will include representatives from government, business and organised labour. It will also include members of Parliament who serve in labour-related committees.
The week-long conference will be held under the theme: "Building a future with decent work".
The Governing Body of the ILO has placed the issue of youth employment on the agenda due to its global significance and a "renewed sense of alarm at the unprecedented proportion that the youth employment crisis has acquired".
It said the global economic and financial crisis had exacerbated the situation and the current global outlook for growth was gloomy. "The risk remains that youth labour markets will be further adversely affected," the ILO said.
Meanwhile, the minister has welcomed the appointment of the new ILO Director General, Guy Ryder. She was confident that he would propel the decent work agenda to a higher level.
Coming from the United Kingdom, Ryder is currently the ILO's Executive Director for International Labour Standards and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. He was elected by secret ballot by the ILO's Governing Body. He will begin his five-year term in October.
Ryder said he was excited. "This is a tremendous opportunity, in the middle of this global crisis, to make a difference to the lives of millions of people, including those who've never heard of the ILO, to change their lives for the better."
Ryder replaces Chilean Juan Somavia who announced last year that he was to depart at the end of September 2012, eighteen months before the end of his third mandate. Somavia said he would give his full support to the incumbent to ensure a smooth and helpful transition until October.
