Istanbul Gears Up for Safety World Congress XIX
The Congress is held every three years and is one of the largest global events promoting efforts to reduce work-related accidents and diseases in the workplace.
Nearly 3,000 policy-makers, experts, industry, and labor leaders from more than 100 countries are set to convene in Istanbul, Turkey, from Sept. 11-15, 2011, for the 19th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.
The XIX World Congress is co-organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Turkey, on the theme “Building a Global Culture of Prevention for a Healthy and Safe Future.”
The Congress is held every three years and is one of the largest global events promoting efforts to reduce work-related accidents and diseases in the workplace. In its report to the Congress, ILO will assess the global impact of occupational accidents and diseases, and examine national and international strategies to improve safety and health at work.
The Seoul Declaration on Safety and Health at Work, adopted at the XVIII World Congress in 2008, states the right to a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental human right. The upcoming World Congress aims at strengthening global commitment in promoting a preventive safety and health culture and will report and build on what has been achieved since 2008.
Congress participants will focus on the importance of building and maintaining a preventive safety and health culture by discussing comprehensive and proactive approaches to safety and health at work; the introduction and implementation of a systems approach for occupational safety and health at the national level; developing mutually beneficial partnerships and innovation for occupational safety and health through social dialogue; new challenges in a changing world of work and the global economy; and a wide range of other topics.
The Congress includes an International Film and Multimedia Festival organized by ISSA, which will feature more than 200 short films and multimedia presentations on occupational safety and health. An International Safety and Health Exhibition will run in parallel to the Congress, and will showcase safety and health technologies and products from a wide range of companies.
Technical visits will also be organized for participants to see how safety and health issues are managed in major industries and sectors.