Media advisory - ILO to mark the first World Day of Social justice

GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Office (ILO) will mark the first World Day of Social Justice on 20 February with a debate on the theme “The crisis: threat or opportunity for social justice?”.

The World Day of Social Justice was established by the U.N. General Assembly in November 2007, to be observed annually on the 20th of February. The ILO event will bring together representatives from academia, the financial sector, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the world of work for an exchange on international policies coming into effect in the context of the global crisis and their implications for the pursuit of social justice.

Panellists include ILO Director-General Juan Somavia; Raymond Torres, Director of the ILO’s International Institute for Labour Studies; Khalid Janahi, Chairman of Ithmaar Bank, co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Middle Eastern debates and Group Chief Executive of Dar al-Maal al-Islami Trust (DMI); Jean-Pierre Lehmann, Professor of International Political Economy at IMD International Institute for Management Development; Jack Lowe, President of Blue Orchard Finance; Anita Normark, General Secretary, Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI); Juliette de Rivero, Director of Advocacy, Human Rights Watch, Geneva; Rick Samans, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum; Karen Tse, Founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice; and Jean Ziegler, member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.

The panel discussion will be held on Friday 20 February from 3 to 5pm, at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Friday, 4 route des Morillons, in the Governing Body Room, Level R3 South. Simultaneous English, French, Spanish interpretation will be provided. The event is open to the public, building access requires photo ID.

For more information about the World Day of Social Justice, please visit the special web page at www.ilo.org/socialjustice or contact the ILO Department of Communication and Public Information at +4122/799-7912/7353 or e-mail communication@ilo.org.