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Employment of people with disabilities – ILO initiatives and the wider international perspective

Employment of people with disabilities – ILO initiatives and the wider international perspective. Rudi Delarue, Director, ILO Office for the European Union and the Benelux countries Joint AOPD & EDFconference at EESC Brussels, Belgium 14.12.2012. Overview.

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Employment of people with disabilities – ILO initiatives and the wider international perspective

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  1. Employment of people with disabilities – ILO initiatives and the wider international perspective Rudi Delarue, Director, ILO Office for the European Union and the Benelux countries Joint AOPD & EDFconference at EESC Brussels, Belgium 14.12.2012

  2. Overview • Whatis the International Labour Organization? • What does ILO do to promote inclusion and job opportunities for people with disabilities? • Longstanding ILO committment(first instrument already in 1925, Recommendation N° 22) • Whatopportunities are there for people withdisabilitiesaround the world? • At least 785 million personswithdisabilities are atworkingage • Estimatedloss of exclusion of personswithdisabilities: between 3 and 7 % GDP in some countries (ILO studies) • Wider international context and integration of humanrights in EU externalpolicy and action

  3. International Labour Organization • Specialized Agency of the United Nations • Set up in 1919, over 90 years ago • 185 Member States • Tripartite in Structure • Involves employer and worker representatives as well as governments • Decent Work Agenda • Employment, including skills and vocational training • Social protection • Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work • Social dialogue

  4. How ILO promotes decent work and inclusion for people with disabilities • ILO Standards onDisability • Developing Knowledge on Good Practice • Research, Evaluation • Publications • Advocacy • Policy Advice • Meetings and seminars • Training programmes • Long standing cooperationwith social partners and wider civil society • ILO Global Business and Disability Network: 40 MNEs and 18 national employers organisations and business associations • Tacklingdisabilityincluded in almost 50% of DecentWork Country programmes • Technical Cooperation Services

  5. What are ILO Standards? Conventions - Similar to international treaties - They set down international Labour standards - Are legally binding on States which ratify them Recommendations Non -binding guidelines on labour standards, which Guide national policy and practice They may accompany a convention, or stand alone Codes of Practice - These are agreed, non-binding, rules and procedures, which are usually written in legal language, to support the implementation of law

  6. ILO Standards on Disability • Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), 1983 • ILO up to date convention • Ratification promoted • More and more ratified: • 82 ratifications in 2012( from 59 in 1998) thanks to ILO efforts supported by limited resources only!!! • most EU member states have ratified • more ratifications in other parts of the world • in MENA e.g.: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen • Strongly influenced CRPD • Renewed support by ILO Governing Body, November 2012 • http://www.ilo.org/gb/GBSessions/GB316/pol/WCMS_191384/lang--en/index.htm • Recommendation 168, 1983 • Recommendation 99, 1955 • Code of Practice – Managing Disability in the Workplace, 2001

  7. What ILO Convention No. 159 requires • States should develop policy based on • Equality of opportunity for disabled persons • Equality of treatment of women and men with disabilities • Promoting access to general programmes and services, alongside non-disabled persons, where possible (Mainstreaming ) • Introduce special positive measures to compensate for disadvantages • Underlying convictions • Obstacles faced by disabled persons arise largelyfromsocietalbarriers, ratherthansolelyfromimpairments • People with disabilities represent great potential, yet to be fully unlocked

  8. Advocating Equal Opportunities • Example - Conference in Lusaka, Zambia, March 2010 • OpeningPathways to Training and Employmentfor People withIntellectualDisabilities in the African Region • Attendedbygovernment, employer, tradeunion and civil society • Looked at whatisworking, to enable people withintellectualdisabilities to get good jobs. • Addressedby people withintellectualdisabilitiesfrom 5 countries • ParticipantsadoptedLusaka Declaration

  9. Technical Cooperation Projects • Example • Promoting rights and opportunities for people with Disabilities through legislation 2012 – 2013 • Will provide technical advice and training for decision-makers and service providers in China • Aim: People with disabilities benefit from decent work opportunities

  10. Employment opportunities for people with disabilities around the world • High income countries • Sheltered workshops • Still widespread, but no longer popular with policy-makers • Supported employment • Involves on-job-training in ordinary workplaces • Job-coach provides support as long as needed • Growing emphasis on this option in many countries • Social firms • Businesses trading for social or environmental purpose • Over 25 percent of employees – disadvantaged people • Reasonable accommodations made for employees, relevant to their needs. • Community economic development initiatives

  11. Employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities around the world (2) • Low income countries • Village-based industries • Including farm work • Self-employment, small business enterprises • May be in family-run businesses • Could involve Community Economic Development initiatives • Supported Employment • Has been tried in some countries in the form of pilot projects • Limited application, as most new jobs in the informal economy

  12. What needs to be done next, by whom? • Governments • Gather information on current employment situation of people with disabilities, as well as barriers to employment and success factors • Develop a national policy on integrated employment for people with disabilities • Develop a national implementation strategy • Track progress through effective data collection • Widely disseminate positive results of pilot projects

  13. What needs to be done next, by whom?(2) • Service providers • Programmes should aim at inclusion in the mainstream • provide on-going formal and in-formal supports • Ensure well-planned transition from school to work • Effective data systems needed, to inform programme monitoring and development • Career guidance and planning important to ensure progression beyond entry-level jobs • Adequate training required for Supported Employment job coaches • Success stories should be gathered and publicized • Role models for job-seekers with intellectual disabilities • Way of convincing potential employers that people with intellectual disabilities can be loyal, productive workers.

  14. Promoting decent work opportunities for people with disabilities in their communities • Fundamental Changes required - including in • Roles of • special disability agencies, service providers • mainstream agencies, service providers • disability advocates • Involvement of social partners • Employers • Trade unions • Civil society • Certain types of services and programmes • Sheltered Employment • Vocational training

  15. Wider international context and integration in EU external policy and actions • ILO part of Inter-Agency Support Group for the CRPD • More attention for human rights in external policy and actions, including in EU development cooperation ? • New function of special EU representative for human rights in EU external action: highligthed importance of socio-econmic rights • ILO contributed to EC consultation on EC guidance note on disability in development cooperation • but no practical EC support yet for ILO related actions on disability (but e.g. very significant support by Ireland) • More attention to human rights in renewed EU neighbourhood policy • EU part of CRPD and part/involved in other human rights discussions (e.g. also within ILO)

  16. Wider international context and integration in EU external policy and actions • Post 2015 developmentframework and sustainabledevelopments goals offersopportunities • to move towards an integrated and more comprehensiveapproach • less top down approach: role for workers, employers and other parts of civil society • for betterintegratingeconomic, social, employment and environmental goals with a rightsbasedapproach • But administration and management of EU assistance based on so-calledsectors or themes(2, max 3 by country with exception of ENP): how canthis support integrated social and economicdevelopment? • Why not supportingintegrated national/regionaldevelopmentstrategies

  17. Read more about ILO including its work for Persons with Disabilitieswww.ilo.org/disabilitywww.ilo.org/inclusionwww.ilo.org/brussels

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