Rafael Diez de Medina, Director of the ILO Statistics Department, opened the Conference by giving a general overview of the usefulness of statistical standards. He underscored the importance of aligning, ensuring accuracy, and promoting transparency in labour statistics that are both valid and reliable. This is particularly crucial at a time when governments, employers, and workers are engaged in discussions on pertinent issues to attain social justice in their respective countries.
The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) participated in the Conference, emphasising the importance of policy analysis and reform in the gradual transition from informality to formality and working with other constituents and international partners to achieve this important outcome.
A resolution on the informal economy was adopted, clarifying the concepts of employment and the informal sector to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date framework for current situations in the various countries. It also offers new standards on working conditions and other work characteristics in the informal economy.
Three resolutions were passed on statistics on the measurement of employment-related income, household income and expenditure, and statistics on work, employment, and labour under-utilisation.
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Over the years, the ICLS has established statistical standards and adopted numerous resolutions, recommendations, and guidelines on essential trends in the world of work.
Most recently, it adopted the Resolution on Labour, Employment, and Labour Underutilisation Statistics in 2013 and the Resolution on Labour Relations Statistics in 2018.