All Director-General statements
International Day of Care and Support
ILO Director-General: Care workers deserve decent work, dignity and respect
Care is essential for our societies and economies – and care workers deserve decent work, dignity and respect. On International Day of Care and Support, the ILO calls for investment in comprehensive, rights-based care and support, and for all care...
ILO statement to the IMF/World Bank Group 2026 Annual Meetings
Making productivity growth work for people
In a statement to the Development Committee and International Monetary and Financial Committee at the 2026 Annual Meetings, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo calls for policies that ensure productivity gains, including those generated by AI,...
International Equal Pay Day 2026
Equal Pay for work of equal value — For everyone, everywhere
On International Equal Pay Day, the ILO reaffirms a fundamental principle: work of equal value deserves equal pay.
International Day of Cooperatives
Cooperatives for a Peaceful World: A message from the ILO Director-General
In his message marking the International Day of Cooperatives 2026, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlights the vital role of cooperatives in advancing peace through decent work, social justice and resilient communities.
MSME Day 2026
ILO Director-General's message for International Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
In his message for International MSME Day 2026, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlights the vital role of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in creating jobs and calls for policies that support entrepreneurship, decent work and...
Video
138 million children in child labour: ILO calls for urgent action
Nearly 138 million children are still in child labour, including 54 million in hazardous work. In this message, Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), calls for urgent action to change this reality.
114th Session of the International Labour Conference
Opening address by the ILO Director-General to the International Labour Conference
World day for safety and health at work 2026
Safe work, healthy workplaces: Tackling psychosocial risks at work
On World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlights the urgent need to improve psychosocial working environments.
World Bank / IMF Spring Meetings 2026
ILO Director-General statement to the World Bank Group Development Committee
Strengthening the foundations: Jobs, rights, and democratic values amid global conflict and uncertainty.
World Bank / IMF Spring Meetings 2026
ILO Director-General statement to the IMF International Monetary and Financial Committee
Strengthening the foundations: Jobs, rights, and democratic values amid global conflict and uncertainty.
International Women’s Day 2026
Turning commitments into action for women at work
On International Women’s Day, Gilbert F. Houngbo calls for urgent action to make women’s rights at work a reality everywhere. In this message, the Director-General of the ILO highlights the need to close the gender pay gap, ensure safe workplaces...
World Day of Social Justice
ILO Director-General urges action to shape a just future for all
On World Day of Social Justice, Gilbert F. Houngbo urges action, not just commitments: formalizing work, ensuring living wages, using artificial intelligence for social progress, and implementing the Doha Declaration to build a fair and inclusive...
16 Days of Activism
Protecting women from violence in the digital world of work
On the occasion of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo calls for urgent action to end online violence and harassment against women and girls. He highlights how technology-facilitated abuse is driving women out...
International Day of Care and Support
ILO Director-General urges bold investment in the care economy
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlights the care sector’s importance to families, communities, and economies, and calls on governments, employers, and workers to invest in quality, accessible care for all.
Second World Summit for Social Development
“Let us renew the promise to promote decent work and social inclusion”
On the eve of the Second World Summit on Social Development, to be held in Doha, Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, calls for joint efforts to renew the commitment made thirty years ago to reduce poverty,...
World Statistics Day 2025
Reliable data as the foundation of democracy and social justice: Statement from the ILO Director-General
World Bank / IMF Annual Meetings
ILO Director-General statement to the joint World Bank-IMF Development Committee
World Bank / IMF Annual Meetings
ILO Director-General statement to the IMF International Monetary and Financial Committee
ILO Director-General’s closing remarks to the 20th American Regional Meeting
ILO Director-General’s opening statement to the 20th American Regional Meeting