Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    The “China Employment Forum”, jointly held by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of China and the International Labour Organization is due to be closed today. In these days of meetings, extensive, in-depth and warm discussions concerning global employment issues, especially employment issues in China have been conducted among over 300 delegates from China and other countries, International Labour Organization and other international organizations. Here, I would like to specially stress that the theories and practices put forward by the delegates are of great referential significance to China’s employment. And, the “Consensus of the China Employment Forum 2004” is an important symbol of success of the Forum. On behalf of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, I would like to express my sincere thanks to delegates from the International Labour Organization and other international organizations and other countries, and to our social partners and colleagues in China, for their contributions to the successful forum.

    China is a developing country with largest population and richest labour resources. Today, China is facing sharp employment contradictions because China’s employment is challenged by facts like globalization, restructuring domestic economy, declining stipulation to employment by economic growth, new labour-booming and mass diversion of rural workforce to cities and non-agricultural sectors. To realize adequate employment and control of unemployment is one of the important content of building a well-off society in an all-round way and conforms to the state development concept of “Put people first and promote the comprehensive and coordinated development of economy and society”.

    As a mass organization formed by the Chinese working class and an important active social partner in employment promotion in China, the Chinese trade unions will continue to make unremitting efforts to solve the employment issues within a tripartite framework. The Chinese trade unions will continue to participate actively in the planning and implementation of labour laws and labour-market policies, so as to make the employment rights of workers fully incorporated and implemented in the state legal and policy system. The Chinese trade unions would further strengthen their corporation with domestic social partners by conducting extensive and in-depth employment social dialogue, so as to promote the real solution of some major employment issues like job opportunities’ growth, human resources development, wage distribution, social securities and occupational health and safety. The Chinese trade unions will continually provide employment services for their members and workers and do concrete things for the promotion of employment and reemployment by taking good advantages of unions’ strengths and resources. And, the Chinese trade unions will continue to keep close cooperative relations with International Labour Organization and its members, actively promote the ratification of International Labour Conventions that fit China’s national conditions and promote the implementation of International Labour Standards.

    We have noticed that, under the context of globalization, different countries are adopting different employment-promotion policies to meet employment challenges of their own. It is the difference that makes us find the necessity of communication, dialogue and cooperation at international levels. We therefore appeal that all countries should enhance the dialogue and cooperation between them, fulfill their due obligations and make concrete contributions to the solution of global employment issues and the realization of workers’ rights and interests.