Informal copy of ILO invitation: Technical Meeting on decent work in the railways sector (Geneva, 1-5 September 2025)

R: IC 1-0-15-02-100

TO ALL MEMBER STATES OF THE ILO 24 June 2025

Technical Meeting on decent work in the railways sector (Geneva, 1-5 September 2025)

Dear Sir or Madam,

In accordance with the decision taken by the Governing Body at its 352nd Session (October-November 2024), it is my pleasure to invite your Government to nominate a representative to participate in the Technical Meeting on decent work in the railways sector. The meeting will be held at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, from Monday, 1 to Friday, 5 September 2025.

Agenda

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss current and emerging issues related to the realization of decent work in the railways sector, with an emphasis on safety and sustainability, and with the aim of adopting conclusions, including recommendations for future action by the International Labour Organization and its Members. The meeting is to consider the promotion of the fundamental principles and rights at work, including equal opportunities, particularly for women and young persons, as well as the promotion of sustainable enterprises, a just transition, social dialogue frameworks and skills gap reductions.

Background documents

The Office is preparing a report for discussion in English, French and Spanish, which will serve as a basis for the meeting’s deliberations. The first part of the report reviews trends and developments in the railways sector. It highlights relevant international issues and governance frameworks, as well as industry composition, structure, and trends in employment. The following parts will provide current and emerging issues impacting the sector. Prioritizing sustainable frameworks will require identifying opportunities and tackling challenges in terms of financing, innovation, just transition and safety. The final section of the report discusses key labour aspects and practices in terms of realizing decent work to revitalize and make railways more sustainable. These include enabling rights and enabling environments, and investments in human capital and safety.

The report will be shared electronically with all representatives, advisers and observers five weeks prior to the start of the meeting, and will be posted on the meeting webpage, where other meeting documents will also be made available.

2. Composition

The meeting will bring together governments of ILO Member States, eight Employer representatives and eight Worker representatives nominated by the Employers’ and Workers’ groups of the Governing Body, as well as advisers and observers.

In accordance with the Standing Orders for technical meetings,1 each government interested in attending the meeting may appoint one representative, who may be accompanied by one adviser. Alternatively, governments may participate as observers.

Selected official international organizations, as well as non-governmental international organizations, will also be invited to participate in the meeting as observers.

Accreditation

If your Government wishes to participate in this meeting, kindly send a letter of nomination, before Friday, 15 August 2025, with the name, title and e-mail address of your Government’s representative and adviser by e-mail to [email protected]. Please indicate in the communication whether the participant will attend in-person or remotely.

Should your Government wish to participate in the meeting as an observer, please specify so in the aforementioned letter, with the name, title and e-mail address of the person nominated.

When making these nominations, your Government is invited to bear in mind the resolutions adopted by the International Labour Conference, calling upon members to include a greater number of women in their delegations to ILO meetings, as well as the applicable resolutions and targets of the United Nations concerning the promotion of gender balance.

Interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish. Should your Government wish to request interpretation in other ILO working languages, 2 please indicate this by 18 July 2025.

Travel arrangements

In keeping with the Standing Orders for technical meetings, travel and subsistence expenses of government participants will be payable by the governments concerned. Please note that the Office neither supplies insurance coverage nor accepts any liability for a participant’s claim in connection with an accident or a medical disorder arising before, during or after the meeting. Participants are therefore responsible for obtaining adequate insurance coverage before travelling for the entire duration of the meeting, including time spent travelling to and from the event. Participants are kindly advised to only travel when in good health.

Visas and accommodation

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that if participants require entry visas for Switzerland, which is part of the Schengen area, they will need to be obtained in their respective countries well in advance of their departure.

1 Standing Orders for technical meetings, adopted by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 334th Session (October-November 2018). 2 Information on the conditions of the use of Arabic, Chinese, German and Russian can be provided upon request.

3. Regarding accommodation, please note that the Office is not equipped to make reservations for hotel accommodation. A list of hotels offering preferential rates for participants in ILO meetings can be furnished upon request to the Office.

Delegates with disabilities

The ILO recognizes that social justice and decent work for all can be realized only if persons with disabilities are fully and meaningfully included in the world of work. In this context, the ILO strives to lead by example at the meetings it hosts and organizes. Should your nominated participant(s) require any assistance in this regard, kindly address your request to [email protected].

We look forward to receiving a positive reply from your Government.

Yours sincerely, For the Director-General:

Frank Hagemann Director Sectoral Policies Department

R: IC 1-0-15-02-100

TO ALL MEMBER STATES OF THE ILO 24 June 2025

Technical Meeting on decent work in the railways sector (Geneva, 1-5 September 2025)

Dear Sir or Madam,

In accordance with the decision taken by the Governing Body at its 352nd Session (October-November 2024), it is my pleasure to invite your Government to nominate a representative to participate in the Technical Meeting on decent work in the railways sector. The meeting will be held at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, from Monday, 1 to Friday, 5 September 2025.

Agenda

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss current and emerging issues related to the realization of decent work in the railways sector, with an emphasis on safety and sustainability, and with the aim of adopting conclusions, including recommendations for future action by the International Labour Organization and its Members. The meeting is to consider the promotion of the fundamental principles and rights at work, including equal opportunities, particularly for women and young persons, as well as the promotion of sustainable enterprises, a just transition, social dialogue frameworks and skills gap reductions.

Background documents

The Office is preparing a report for discussion in English, French and Spanish, which will serve as a basis for the meeting’s deliberations. The first part of the report reviews trends and developments in the railways sector. It highlights relevant international issues and governance frameworks, as well as industry composition, structure, and trends in employment. The following parts will provide current and emerging issues impacting the sector. Prioritizing sustainable frameworks will require identifying opportunities and tackling challenges in terms of financing, innovation, just transition and safety. The final section of the report discusses key labour aspects and practices in terms of realizing decent work to revitalize and make railways more sustainable. These include enabling rights and enabling environments, and investments in human capital and safety.

The report will be shared electronically with all representatives, advisers and observers five weeks prior to the start of the meeting, and will be posted on the meeting webpage, where other meeting documents will also be made available.

2. Composition

The meeting will bring together governments of ILO Member States, eight Employer representatives and eight Worker representatives nominated by the Employers’ and Workers’ groups of the Governing Body, as well as advisers and observers.

In accordance with the Standing Orders for technical meetings,1 each government interested in attending the meeting may appoint one representative, who may be accompanied by one adviser. Alternatively, governments may participate as observers.

Selected official international organizations, as well as non-governmental international organizations, will also be invited to participate in the meeting as observers.

Accreditation

If your Government wishes to participate in this meeting, kindly send a letter of nomination, before Friday, 15 August 2025, with the name, title and e-mail address of your Government’s representative and adviser by e-mail to [email protected]. Please indicate in the communication whether the participant will attend in-person or remotely.

Should your Government wish to participate in the meeting as an observer, please specify so in the aforementioned letter, with the name, title and e-mail address of the person nominated.

When making these nominations, your Government is invited to bear in mind the resolutions adopted by the International Labour Conference, calling upon members to include a greater number of women in their delegations to ILO meetings, as well as the applicable resolutions and targets of the United Nations concerning the promotion of gender balance.

Interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish. Should your Government wish to request interpretation in other ILO working languages, 2 please indicate this by 18 July 2025.

Travel arrangements

In keeping with the Standing Orders for technical meetings, travel and subsistence expenses of government participants will be payable by the governments concerned. Please note that the Office neither supplies insurance coverage nor accepts any liability for a participant’s claim in connection with an accident or a medical disorder arising before, during or after the meeting. Participants are therefore responsible for obtaining adequate insurance coverage before travelling for the entire duration of the meeting, including time spent travelling to and from the event. Participants are kindly advised to only travel when in good health.

Visas and accommodation

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that if participants require entry visas for Switzerland, which is part of the Schengen area, they will need to be obtained in their respective countries well in advance of their departure.

1 Standing Orders for technical meetings, adopted by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 334th Session (October-November 2018). 2 Information on the conditions of the use of Arabic, Chinese, German and Russian can be provided upon request.

3. Regarding accommodation, please note that the Office is not equipped to make reservations for hotel accommodation. A list of hotels offering preferential rates for participants in ILO meetings can be furnished upon request to the Office.

Delegates with disabilities

The ILO recognizes that social justice and decent work for all can be realized only if persons with disabilities are fully and meaningfully included in the world of work. In this context, the ILO strives to lead by example at the meetings it hosts and organizes. Should your nominated participant(s) require any assistance in this regard, kindly address your request to [email protected].

We look forward to receiving a positive reply from your Government.

Yours sincerely, For the Director-General:

Frank Hagemann Director Sectoral Policies Department