Published on 6th June 2017
The OECD Forum hosts today in Paris nearly 80 debates organized around three cross-cutting themes: inclusive growth, digitalization and trust and will highlight the importance of continuing to develop more integrated and inclusive economies. The World Employment Confederation was represented by Annemarie Muntz (President) and Denis Pennel (Managing Director). Ms Muntz has been the voice of the employment industry during a crucial panel given the current backlash against globalization: “Responsible business conduct and globalization”.
To the audience bringing together government ministers and key figures from the worlds of academia, business and civil society, Ms Muntz said the employment industry is uniquely placed to contribute to progress in areas such as labour conditions and human rights. Indeed, private employment companies make a powerful contribution to the defeat of poverty by creating wealth and jobs and promoting technological progress. The WEC has been delivering a sound awareness-raising action to shape up the dialogue on fair recruitment for almost 50 years now and can serve as an example in the area of responsible business conduct. Ms Muntz praised the OECD guidelines for multinational entreprises, to which the World Employment Confederation’s corporate members acknowledge adherence to.
She reminded the active cooperation of the World Employment Confederation with the ILO in promoting ethical recruitment embodied in the Fair recruitment initiative and voiced the need to embrace the fair recruitment model and adopting higher quality standards that lead to a successful and sustainable business. She also called for countries to ratify and implement Convention 181 on private employment agencies which establishes the internationally agreed standards for the employment industry, including the prohibition of charging recruitment fees to workers. Finally, in the context of labour migration accelerating at increasing pace, Annemarie Muntz reaffirmed the WEC’s support for IRIS’ certification system for labour recruiters, developed to support ethical recruitment of migrant workers. To conclude, she recalled companies are prime movers in making globalisation happen and it is vital for them that private employment agencies maintain the highest standards of honest dealing and integrity in their practice.
The OECD Forum will continue tomorrow the 7th of June and will be followed on Thursday by the Ministerial Council Meeting chaired by Denmark, with Australia and the United Kingdom as Vice-Chairs.
