The ILO Summit on the Global Jobs Crisis was held at the end of the International Labour Conference, from the 15 to the 17 June 2009. Heads of state and government, vice-presidents and ministers of labour, worker and employer representatives and other leaders attended this Summit and participated in the drafting of the Global Jobs Pact, adopted by the ILC on June 19.

This Pact, designed to guide national and international policies, is aimed at stimulating economic recovery, generating jobs and providing protection to working people and their families. "The Global Jobs Pact proposes a range of crisis-response measures that countries can adapt to their specific needs and situation. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a portfolio of options based on successful examples, also designed to inform and support action at the multilateral level."

Now that the Pact has been adopted, it needs to be enforced at the national level with the support of employers' and workers' organizations and governments. "We need to give life to this commitment […], we all have a collective responsibility to the future. Together we can make good on our common aspirations. We have a mandate to act now, and working together we will certainly succeed," said Juan Somavía, ILO Director-General.