Decision on the tenth item on the agenda: Reports of the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee First report: Financial questions

Record of decisions | 25 March 2011

Decision on the tenth item on the agenda: Reports of the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee

The Governing Body took note of the report and adopted the following decisions.

Use of the 2008–09 Special Programme Account

The Governing Body authorized the Director-General to use US$14.4 million of the 2008–09 Special Programme Account as detailed in document GB.310/PFA/3 and summarized in its paragraph 5, and requested the Director-General to submit proposals on the use of the remaining $4.2 million to the Governing Body in November 2011.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 35)

Evaluations

(a) Results-based strategies 2011–15: Evaluation strategy – Strengthening the use of evaluations

The Governing Body requested the Director-General to implement the “Results-based strategies
2011–15: Evaluation strategy – Strengthening the use of evaluations” after amendment of the text to incorporate the following considerations:

(a) a process of informal consultations including governments, through regional coordinators, and the secretariats of the Employers’ and Workers’ groups on the topics for high-level strategic evaluations and their terms of reference;

(b) the inclusion of high-level strategic evaluations in the measurement criteria of outcome 1;

(c) when developing and refining appropriate evaluation standards, EVAL should draw upon existing best practices for evaluation in the ILO, in particular those of IPEC; and

(d) the independent and external nature of the review of the 2011–15 evaluation strategy mentioned in paragraph 33.

The amended evaluation strategy 2011–15 should be distributed to constituents for information.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 61)

(b) Independent external evaluation of the ILO’s evaluation function

The Governing Body requested the Director-General to implement the IEE recommendations within available resources, and in accordance with the attached table, after amendment of the text in recommendation 3 to read as follows:

    The evaluation function will be organizationally consolidated into an entity that reports directly to the Director-General and through this position to the Governing Body. The Director of EVAL will henceforth be appointed according to UN system best practices for heads of evaluation. Any necessary changes to the Staff Regulations will be submitted to the Governing Body for adoption in November 2011.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 80)

Audit questions

Appointment of the External Auditor

The Governing Body decided that the holder of the office of the Auditor General of Canada be reappointed as External Auditor for a period of four years from 1 April 2012.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 130)

Delegation of authority under article 18 of the Standing Orders of the International Labour Conference

The Governing Body decided to delegate, for the period of the 100th Session (June 2011) of the Conference to its Officers (i.e. the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairpersons of the Employers’ and Workers’ groups), the authority to carry out its responsibilities under article 18 of the Conference Standing Orders in relation to proposals involving expenditure in the 72nd financial period ending 31 December 2011.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraphs 157)

Other financial questions

Financial arrangements for a Commission of Inquiry concerning the non-observance by Myanmar of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98)

The Governing Body, should it decide to establish a Commission of Inquiry concerning Myanmar, decided that:

(a) an honorarium at the rate of US$300 per day be paid to each member of the Commission of Inquiry; and

(b) the cost of the Commission, which is estimated at $735,754, be financed from the appropriate budgets for 2010–11 and 2012–13. In the first instance, this would be from savings that might arise under Part I of the budget or, failing that, through the use of the Provision for unforeseen expenditure, Part II. Should this subsequently prove impossible, the Director-General would propose alternative methods of financing at a later stage in the biennium.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 162)

Financial arrangements for a Commission of Inquiry concerning the non-observance by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98)

In light of the decision that the Governing Body had taken on item 7 of its agenda, concerning non-observance by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), and noting the recommendation made by the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee in paragraph 190 of its first report, the Governing Body:

(a) decided that the high-level tripartite mission would be financed, within the financial limit mentioned in the report of the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee, from savings that may arise under Part I of the budget or, failing that, through the use of the Provision for unforeseen expenditure, Part II. Should this subsequently prove impossible, the Director-General would propose alternative methods of financing; and

(b) requested the Director-General to submit to the Officers for their approval an estimate of the costs prior to the commencement of the mission.

(Document GB.310/10/1, paragraph 190)