GENEVA (ILO News) - The Governing Body elected Mr. Alain Ludovic Tou, Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Burkina Faso, as Chairman of its 2001-2002 Session. He replaces Mr. Celso L. Nunes Amorim, Ambassador, representative of the Government of Brazil, who served as Chairman during the 2000-2001 Session.
Born in 1952, Mr. Tou is the Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security of Burkina Faso. He was Minister of House and Urbanization in 1991-1992 and Minister of Health from 1997 to 2000.
Daniel Funes de Rioja, President of the Social Policy Department of the Argentinian Industrial Union and Chairman of the Employers Group of the Organization of American States from 1995 to 1998, was elected as Employer Vice-Chairman. He replaces Mr. Rolf Thüsing, member of the Executive Board of the Confederation of German Employers' Association. Lord Brett, former rmember of the General Council of the United Kingdom's Trade Union Council was re-elected as Worker Vice-chairman.
The three will serve as Officers of the Governing Body during its 2001-2002 Session. The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times annually in Geneva. It takes decisions on policy and establishes the programme and budget of the 175 member State Organization.
Ten of the government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States). Representatives of other member countries are elected by the government delegates at the International Labour Conference every three years, taking into account geographical distribution. The employers and workers elect their own representatives in separate electoral colleges.