PCHR Meets ILO Delegation via Zoom

Ref: 22/2021

Date: 15 March 2021

Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Raji Sourani, along with Head of PCHR’s Economic and Social Rights Unit, Fadel al-Muzaini, hold a meeting with the International Labour Organization (ILO) mission. The meeting was headed by Frank Hagman, regional VP for Arab states in the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Beirut, Mr Konstantinos Papadakis, Specialist at the ILO’s Social Dialogue, and Lisa Tortell, Legal Specialist at International Labour Standards (ILS) Department. The meeting was held to discuss information gathered and evaluated by the ILO mission regarding workers’ situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

During the meeting, Mr. Raji Sourani reviewed workers’ situation in the oPt in the light of Coronavirus pandemic, the impact of the Israeli-imposed closure lasted for 15 years on the Gaza Strip’s workers and the repercussions of the internal division on workers’ situation.

Fadel al-Muzaini, presented PCHR’s report: “The Situation of Gaza’s Workers at Various Economic Sectors Under Coronavirus Pandemic”.  He also talked about the governmental interventions to help affected workers during the pandemic, stressing that the governmental aid was limited and did not meet the minimum needs of workers.

It should be noted that the ILO representatives are guided by the principles and objectives enshrined in the ILO Constitution, including the Philadelphia Declaration, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization. The ILO representatives are also guided by resolutions adopted by the International Labour Conference and the principles set out in the relevant ILS, as well as by those proclaimed by the ILO supervisory bodies.

The findings of the mission will be published within the annex of the ILO Director-General’s annual report on Situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories. The report will be discussed in the International Labour Conference scheduled to be held between 7 and 18 June 2021.