GENEVA (ILO News) - In his first address to a United Nations organization since becoming President of Brazil, Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva told the International Labour Organization (ILO) today the industrialized countries were failing to reconcile "words and deeds", and that "the war against hunger and poverty is the only one we are interested in".

"The international economic situation is not reassuring", he said in an address to tripartite delegates to the ILO as well as representatives of the Swiss and Geneva governments.

Mr. Lula da Silva warned of a growing worldwide "deficit as far as solidarity and economic cooperation, protection of the environment, promotion of justice and peace building are concerned".

In face of this reality, Mr. Lula da Silva said it was necessary to seek a renewal of the international system, including "reform of the (UN) Security Council and to give more powers to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC)".

"All of us must help to preserve and improve multi-lateralism, independently of our economic, financial or military power", he said in the special address to the ILO. "For this to happen, we have to reduce the enormous gap between international treaties and their effective implementation."

During his visit to the ILO, Mr. Lula da Silva and Mr. Somavia signed a memorandum of understanding pledging cooperation between Brazil and the ILO on establishing a cooperation programme to promote a "decent work" agenda for generating jobs, micro-credit, employment for youth, improving of social security systems, tripartism and social dialogue and combatting child labour and the sexual exploitation of children, forced labour and workplace discrimination.

"These words reflect the humanistic spirit which is the base for national and international mobilization", said Mr. Lula da Silva.

The President was accompanied at the ILO by Celso Amorim, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jacques Wagner, Minister of Labour, Antonio Palocci, Minister of Finance, and Luis Fernando Furlan, Minister of Industry, Development and Foreign Trade.

The Brazilian President addressed the ILO after participating in the meeting of the G8 in the French town of Evian on Sunday. He qualified his participation in the G8 meeting as "very useful" because "we had something to say in this forum" and that his government was working for a "more just, egalitarian and democratic order" because "we cannot just passively acknowledge the disparity between the islands of plenty and the oceans of poverty".

Mr. Lula da Silva was welcomed by ILO Director-General Juan Somavia and said he felt at home in the ILO as a former trade union leader. "It is not just coincidence that I hold my first speech in the United Nations system today before the ILO in the name of a new Brazil", he said.

"I was a child labourer. I know the word exclusion from which millions of Brazilians, women, men and children suffer", said Mr. Lula da Silva, who was elected President in 2002 with more than 50 million votes. "I always fought to get where I wanted to be", he said.

In reference to discussion of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization convened by the ILO, Mr. Lula da Silva said globalization benefits only "a small part of society", adding that it was time to join together in promoting "real change" in such areas of international trade. Mr. Lula da Silva said he hoped the Commission's conclusions "contribute to a lucid and rational approach to such a complex phenomenon".

The Brazilian President said he thought it was unacceptable that competitive industries in developing countries were subject to protectionist measures by the industrialized countries. He also criticized the unwillingness of developing countries to eliminate multimillion dollar agricultural subsidies. "This incoherence between words and deeds leads to scepticism and distrust."

Mr. Lula da Silva said it was necessary to show the political will to initiate changes and that even though "it was obvious" that good intentions very often did not lead to concrete results, "there was a growing coalition of governments, non governmental organizations, trade unions, professional bodies and representatives from civil society who strive for a new model".

In his comments, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia referred to the President's career as a trade union leader, saying that "work was right in the heart of the globalization hurricane".

The visit of the Brazilian President to the ILO came on the eve of the 91 st International Labour Conference, which begins Tuesday 3 June. Mr. Somavia is to present a new strategy for eliminating poverty, entitled "Working out of Poverty".

"The ILO is the home of tripartite dialogue within the multilateral system and we want to play this card", said Juan Somavia in his welcome speech.