Four lawyers from our Global Labor, Employment & Employee Benefits Practice Group were appointed as delegates to the recently concluded 98th session of United Nations International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland. Partners Kevin Coon (Canada), Jorge De Regil (Mexico), John Raudabaugh (US) and Tatiana Garces (Colombia) joined the tripartite delegations of their respective countries.
The annual ILC discusses international labor standards and provides guidelines on the policies and activities of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a tripartite United Nations agency.
At the event, Mr. Coon, head of our Toronto Labor and Employment practice, collaboratively worked with a committee to develop an international labor standard on HIV/AIDS. He was also appointed to a team tasked with the drafting of the committee’s recommendations for a framework to address HIV/AIDS in the workplace. With a commitment to addressing social policy issues, Mr. Coon has served on previous ILC committees on international labor standards, informal economy and corporate social responsibility.
Representing the Confederation of Industrial Chambers of Mexico (CONCAMIN), Mr. De Regil contributed to discussions on social protection and social security issues, which have a direct financial impact on governments and enterprises. Mr. De Regil has been a delegate to ILC for several years and has been on the ILO Governing Body since 1986.
Mr. Raudabaugh participated in a new committee that explored ways to address the impact of the global economic crisis on employment. The committee worked on a Global Jobs Pact, which "responds directly to the everyday worries of working women and men," according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Mr. Raudabaugh has addressed the plenary committee on forced child labor in the past, citing our year-long pro bono engagement with the UN Development Program.
A member of the Colombian tripartite delegation, Ms. Garces was one of the advisers of the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI). In the past, Ms. Garces successfully defended the Colombia employer perspective before the Applications of Standards Committee.