News

February 2010

1. 

   “Voices on Social Justice” campaign launched by the ILO

   19 February 2010

   The International Labour Organization has launched a new global campaign Voices on Social Justice, to provide a global platform for perspectives on social justice today and how it might be achieved particularly through the world of work.

2. Decent work approach to recovery urged by Pacific Island labour ministers and social partners

   09 February 2010

   Pacific Island Labour Ministers and social partners have reached an agreement to support a jobs-led recovery by promoting decent work in the Pacific region by adopting the Port Vila Statement on Decent Work and its accompanying ‘Pacific Action Plan for Decent Work’.

3. 

   EU Presidency holder Spain becomes first EU state to ratify key ILO Maritime Labour Convention

   05 February 2010

   Spain, which currently holds the European Union Presidency, has become the first EU member state to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, in a major step toward bringing into force a new, comprehensive “bill of rights” for seafarers.

4. 

   Z Zurich Foundation supports the ILO to improve microinsurance's efficiency and scale

   02 February 2010

   The Zurich Foundation has donated 3 million Swiss Francs (USD 2.8 million) to the ILO's Microinsurance Innovation Facility to increase insurance coverage among low-income families. The ILO's Microinsurance Innovation Facility - created in 2008 with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - will use the funds to launch a new round of innovation grants to promote projects that combine scale and efficiency through the use of technology.

January 2010

1. 

   ILO Director-General welcomes Business Leaders’ Declaration on International Trade and Economic Recovery at Davos

   29 January 2010

   ILO Director-General Juan Somavia welcomed a statement adopted by the International Business Council (IBC) of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Business Leaders’ Declaration on International Trade and Economic Recovery urges heads of government to follow through on commitments made at recent high-level meetings, including the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh and support the need for 'a concerted effort to put decent jobs at the heart of the recovery'.

2. 

   Unemployment reached highest level on record in 2009: Somavia calls for the same policy decisiveness that saved banks to save and create jobs

   26 January 2010

   The number of jobless worldwide reached nearly 212 million in 2009 following an unprecedented increase of 34 million compared to 2007, on the eve of the global crisis, the International Labour Office (ILO) said in its annual "Global Employment Trends" report.

3. 

   ILO mobilizing resources as part of international response to earthquake in Haiti

   15 January 2010

   The Organization will assess the impact of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on key services, industries and other facilities and mobilize its resources to support job-creation and reconstruction efforts as they develop, working in close cooperation with United Nations and other partners.

4. 

   ILO mourns death of former Governing Body chair Philippe Séguin

   07 January 2010

   ILO Director-General Juan Somavia expressed his deep sorrow at the death of Philippe Séguin, government representative of France in the ILO Governing Body from 2002 to 2005.

December 2009

1. International Labor Organization appoints Nancy Donaldson as New Director of ILO’s Washington Office

   23 December 2009

   The International Labor Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, has appointed Nancy Donaldson to head its Washington Office.

2. ILO and Denmark join forces to generate decent jobs for youth in Africa

   23 December 2009

   The Government of Denmark and the International Labour Organization (ILO) signed a cooperation agreement with a total value of approximately US$40 million to fund initiatives aimed at generating more decent jobs for young women and men in Africa.