"The World Day for Safety and Health at Work was commemorated around Myanmar in different states and regions. The ILO and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (MOLIP) through the Factories and General Labour Laws Inspection Department (FGLLID), employers’ and workers’ organisations held a morning event in Yangon to highlight the paramount importance of OSH for Myanmar’s sustainable development. Inspired by the ILO Centenary celebrations and discussions on the Future of Work, the World Day this year took stock of a 100 years of work in improving OSH and looked to the future for continuing these efforts through major changes such as technology, demographics, employment relations and climate change. “This is a day to think about the safety and health of workers and to highlight achievements such as the recent passage of the new OSH Law in Myanmar”, said Rory Mungoven, ILO Liaison Officer. “OSH has been a priority for the ILO from its very origins and is written into the ILO Constitution. The Centenary is an opportunity to raise awareness of the many Conventions and standards developed by the ILO on OSH, such as Convention No. 187 Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention that have served as guidance for Myanmar’s new OSH Law. Mungoven said, ‘The Centenary is also a time to reflect on the future and how the changes we are seeing in the world of work require new approaches to ensure safety and health.” Earlier this year, the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work issued a report recommending, amongst other things, that OSH be considered one of the fundamental rights and principles at work and become part of a “universal labour guarantee”. The third National Day on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) commemoration in Yangon provided an opportunity for showcasing good practices and exchanging knowledge and experiences to promote safe and healthy work for all in Myanmar. Panel discussions with entrepreneurs and workers touched upon the opportunities brought by technology and connectivity, and the challenges arising from disruptive employment relations and the changing nature of Myanmar’s labour market. ‘The Government of Myanmar is certainly committed in the right direction”, said Rory Mungoven. The Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan aims to “Introduce and enforce regulations and protections related to workplace safety, inclusivity and non-discrimination in all forms, and the practice of equal pay for work of equal value”. The ILO Decent Work Country Programme sets the priority of achieving an integrated and unified OSH system by 2021. The new OSH Law, adopted by Parliament in March, and the new OSH Profile to be launched on 6 May in Nay Pi Taw are two key pillars of this system. The ILO in Myanmar is currently implementing a portfolio of OSH-related projects, including the SafeYouth@Work Project promoting OSH among young workers, Vision Zero Fund targeting the agriculture and garment sectors, and activities under the ILO-Japan and ILO Korea programmes..."