Guidelines for Labour Inspection in Forestry

These ILO guidelines provide orientation to governments, employers and workers, about labour inspection in forestry. The guidelines were adopted unanimously by a Meeting of Experts held in Geneva from 24 to 28 January 2005. The good collaboration among all participants led to the achievement of a consensus on a comprehensive and practical set of guidelines, which, if widely applied, will be useful for all who work in forestry. The Governing Body of the ILO approved the publication of the guidelines at tit 292nd Session (March 2005). These guidelines begin with a background to forestry and its labour issues, followed by an introduction to managing labour standards in the sector. The main part of the publication includes two chapters, which focus on the implementation of the guidelines, the evaluation of what has been implemented, as well as the organization of labour inspections and how to assess compliance. The text is complemented by annexes, which includes sample checklists and aids-memoirs for forest managers and labour inspectors. Forestry provides an important contribution tot he economic development of many countries, generating foreign exchange and employment. Management is crucial for the development of this sector, which has brought in new technologies and cultivation practices, in order to remain competitive. Since the times of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the idea of sustainable forest management has been widely supported throughout the world. The ILO is actively involved in the development of social standards for sustainable forest management, with a focus on labour standards. The present guidelines are an important part of these efforts of the ILO.