Thank you Chair. I have the honor to speak on behalf of ASPAG.

1. ASPAG thanks the Office for preparing the Report of the 83rd Session of the Board of the Turin Center.

2. As a capacity development arm of the ILO and an advanced technical and vocational training institution, the Center has been playing a very important role in international labor field. ASPAG also acknowledges its crucial role in the implementation of the ILO Centenary Declaration and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

3. Under the strong guidance of the Board, effective leadership of the Director, and solid support of the ILO, the Italian Government and ILO constituents, the Center achieved tangible success in Biennium 2018-2019. ASPAG commends the Center for its robust performance and remarkable results in its three performance pillars, with fast growth in outreach, further improvement in service quality and a budget surplus. ASPAG is satisfied to note that the Center had strengthened its position as a globally competitive provider of IT-supporting training and learning services, particularly now on those related to the Future of Work. ASPAG congratulates the Center on its achievement and encourages it to continue to fulfill its important mandate.

4. ASPAG welcomes and appreciates the Center’s effective measures in response to the challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic. We support the Center’s shift in its portfolio of capacity development services in the wake of the Pandemic.

5. ASPAG notes with appreciation the efforts of the Office for its acknowledgement of the significant role of the Center and pro-actively involving the Center into significant capacity-building, research and knowledge sharing activities in line with the Centenary Declaration, the ILO’s Strategic Plan for 2022-2025, the P&B, the ILO Development Cooperation Strategy 2020-2025, with a view to meeting the needs of the tripartite constituents and challenges posed to the future of work.

6. The direction of the future development of the Center is a strategic matter. It relates to the future pathway of the overall development of the Center. Today, the Center is facing various challenges and constantly evolving external environment due to many factors. In this context , ASPAG supports the Center to carry out appropriate reform from long-term perspective. Considering the important role and function of the Center, we should keep the Center’s vision and mission unchanged. Any change or adjustment of the business model should be based on stable and sustainable development of the Center. To this end, in-depth and extensive consultation is needed to ensure that the pace of the reform fits for the changing reality, challenges and opportunities, as well as the actual need and expectation of all stakeholders. ASPAG is committed to engaging constructively in the future discussions on this very important issue.

7. Chair, it is our common goal to maintain the competitiveness and sustainability of the Center. ASPAG calls upon parties concerned to make joint efforts and take concrete and operational measures to help the Center remain fit for purpose, effective, transparent and accountable so as to respond to constituents’ needs and achieve new success. ASPAG looks forward to working closely with all GB members towards consensus for a bright and vibrant future of the Center.

I thank you, Chair.