On Tuesday, 1st of June the ILO opened its 92nd annual International Labour Conference.

Noting that the ILO was marking its 85th anniversary as well as the 35th anniversary of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the Director-General of the International Labour Office, Juan Somavia, said the ILO's search for a new role in shaping a fair and equitable globalization for all is "a new opportunity to be meaningful" and added, "We should seize it".

During the opening of its session, the Conference elected Milton Ray Guevara, Secretary of State for Labour of the Dominican Republic, as its President. The Conference elected as Vice-Presidents Mr. Youssoufa Wade (Employers), Mr. Guillaume Attigbe (Workers) and Mr. Maatough Mohamed Maatough (Governments). Mr. Maatough is the government delegate of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mr. Wade is the employers' delegate from Senegal, and Mr. Attigbe is the workers' delegate from Benin.

Delegates to the International Labour Conference are to consider a wide range of issues. In addition to discussing a new role for the ILO in shaping a fair and equitable globalization, they will consider new programme of action for migrant workers, a new standard on human resources development, the situation of workers in the Occupied Territories, Myanmar and other countries, fundamental rights of workers and employers and the working conditions in the world's fishing sector.

The annual Conference draws some 3,000 delegates, including heads of State, labour ministers and leaders of workers' and employers' organizations from most of the ILO's 177 member States. Each member country has the right to send four delegates to the Conference: two from government and one each representing workers and employers, each of whom may speak and vote independently.