The 5^th Gathering of the National Committee for the Implementation of the Seoul Declaration

Promoting the Seoul Declaration through Activities in Overseas

April 20, 2011

On April 20, 2011, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA; President: Min-Ki Noh) hosted the 5^th gathering of the National Committee for the Implementation of the Seoul Declaration in KOSHA headquarters. The National Committee is comprised of representative tripartite organizations (workers, employers, and the government) in the field of safety and health in Korea.

The National Committee for the Implementation of the Seoul Declaration, formed in April 2009, was launched to promote the “Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work.” The Seoul Declaration is the first universal charter on safety and health of workers.

At the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in 2008, the Seoul Declaration was signed by 46 representatives of workers, employers, and government groups. The signatories of the Seoul Declaration promised to protect workers’ safety and health.

The National Committee for the Implementation of the Seoul Declaration is comprised of 21 members, including the President of KOSHA, and representatives of Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the Korean Employers Federation (KEF), and other workplaces.

During the meeting, the past three years’ activities since the adoption of the Seoul Declaration were briefed. In addition, discussions were made to further promote the Seoul Declaration through the Korean OSH organizations activities in overseas.

To that end, the participants of the gathering talked about ways to promote the Seoul Declaration during the XIX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work to be held in Istanbul, Turkey later this year. Furthermore, they shared thoughts on encouraging more organizations to join in the activities of ISSA’s Special Commission on Accident Prevention, which KOSHA serves as the President of one of its International Sections.

“It is encouraging that the representatives of the tripartite organizations are working to promote prevention culture, highlighted by the Seoul Declaration. They recognize occupational safety and health as the basic right of workers, as well as the important means to achieve economic development. I hope with more active collaboration with workplaces, the principles and significances of the Seoul Declaration become widely spread,” said an official from KOSHA.

<Photo: President Min-Ki Noh of KOSHA (3^rd person from the left in the front row) and participants renewed their commitments to promote the Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work>