The 102^nd Session of the ILC Address by Junichi Kaneko, Vice-Minister for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

　First of all, I would like to congratulate the Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder, on his inauguration.

　Mr. Ryder has proposed the Programme and Budget for 2014-15 and reformed the institution, keeping in mind that the ILO, which is soon to turn 100 years old, should be recognized as the expert in the world of work, providing its constituents with policy ad-vice and assistance based on its high-quality analysis and slotting its core subject into worldwide discussions concerning labour, society and the economy.

　I pay tribute to the Director-General’s swift and strong leadership and expect timely and appropriate outcomes to result.

　One of the most important functions of the ILO is the supervisory system. I very much respect the work of Workers and Employers, since at this Conference the Committee on the Application of Standards is fulfilling its mandate, which indicates the great efforts being made by both parties. I hope this social dialogue continues so that the supervisory system can be even better.

　Mr. Chair,
　The Government of Japan experienced a change of leadership last December, and we now have a package of policies to rebuild our economy that is called “the three arrows”. They include a bold monetary policy, a flexible fiscal policy and tactics to stimulate private investment. The measures on employment and human resources are contained within the third aspect.

　To revive our economy, it is important to assist employment and to establish a good environment for the work that drives it. I would like to mention some measures which Japan is currently examining.

　The Director-General, Mr. Ryder, has said that the ILO needs to be a key player in addressing world-wide issues concerning labour, social and economic policies. I am certain that our measures could serve as valuable reference points when addressing this.

　First, to shift human resources smoothly from mature industries to developing ones, the Government is strengthening the labour-matching function in partnership with the private sector by expanding subsidies on labour mobilization and making maxi-mum use of private employment agencies. This measure expands opportunities for people seeking employment to find appropriate jobs.

　Second, the Government is establishing new employment models so that workers have various options as to working styles, as in real society people have to choose between a model of regular employment that can provide sufficient money but is very rigid, and a model of non-regular employment.

　Third, and I know this is one of the critically important areas mentioned by Mr. Ryder, there is the realization of decent youth employment. The Government is making an effort to strengthen the partnership between the Public Employment Department and the universities and colleges, in order to support the employment of young people as regular workers. The Government also supports the organization of SMEs which train newly employed young people to enable them to have sufficient opportunities to develop their skills.

　Last, but not least, the Government is strengthening its efforts to promote women’s participation in society.
　The Government is providing childcare facilities which will cover 200,000 children in fiscal years 2013 and 2014, and another 400,000 by fiscal year 2017, when the need for childcare will reach its peak. This could enable all the children who need to be cared for to be covered, and would help women to enter the labour market again. Moreover, the Government supports skills development and measures to help women to stay in, or return to, the labour market smoothly.

　Mr. Chair,
　Economic policies and employment policies should go together if a country is to recover from a crisis and enjoy increased prosperity. We are convinced that this principle that the ILO commits us to is the right one and we are encouraged to make every effort to address the issue.

　Mr. Chair,
　I am glad that, when the Director-General came to Japan last May, it was reaffirmed that the partner-ship between the ILO and Japan should be further strengthened.

　With the international community in the midst of a worldwide financial and employment crisis, the relevance of the ILO, which seeks to bring about social justice, has been steadily growing.

　I would like to conclude my speech by mentioning that the Japanese Government makes the utmost effort to assist the activities of the ILO, which has an important mission. We support the Director-General’s initiatives in various areas and the establishment of an advisory panel on the future of work in the next century.

　Thank you very much.