Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 18 / Trend A.Akhundov /
Azerbaijan will chair the Regional Alliance of Labor Inspectorates (RALI) next year, Azerbaijani Labor and Social Protection Minister Fizuli Alakbarov told journalists in Baku at the Third RALI Conference on the Role of Labor Inspectorates in the National OSH System.
"Developing international relations, we seek to improve the working conditions of Azerbaijani employees," he said. "Three years ago, the State Labor Inspectorate became a member of the International Association of Labor Inspectorate (IALI). Thus, we will chair RALI in 2011. As you see, we are hosting the third conference today."
Alakbarov added that the issues discussed at the conference are relevant for Azerbaijan.
"International labor inspectorates are focused on creating safe and healthy working conditions," he said. "All of this is important for Azerbaijan. We do enough work in this direction - both in preparing a legal framework and developing national standards for improving work conditions."
Meanwhile, IALI President Michele Patterson told journalists that Azerbaijan has seen a great deal of success in the field of labor safety.
"Three factors should be observed to ensure labor safety," Patterson said.
The construction, extractive industries and transportation sectors are the spheres with the highest number of accidents, injuries and fatalities, he added.
The conference is being held in Baku on Nov. 18-19. It is organized by the Azerbaijani Labor and Social Protection Ministry, IALI and the International Labor Organization under a project to strengthen the Azerbaijani State Labor Inspectorate's capacity. The project is implemented together with the World Bank and AETS - a consortium of German and French companies.
The conference is attended by representatives of state labor inspectorates from Australia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey and other countries, as well as international experts and senior officials from relevant Azerbaijani institutions and organizations.
The conference plans to adopt an RALI action plan for 2010-2011.