All Director-General statements

Address by the ILO Director-General to sectoral meeting on financial crisis and finance sector workers

Statement of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia

After the Meltdown: Advancing Living Standards around the Globe in the Wake of the Financial Crisis

Failing financial institutions, frozen credit, volatile stock markets, mounting job losses, and painful cuts in wages are impacting the lives of struggling citizens worldwide. Speaking at the Centre for American Progress, in Washington D.C. (USA),...

Message by Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office on the occasion of World Environment Day

Tackling climate change and protecting the environment are workplace issues, says ILO Director-General Juan Somavia in a statement for World Environment Day. The statement says green growth can become a strong driver for sustainable development if...

ILO Director-General Addresses G8 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting on sustainable development and green jobs

ILO Director-General Juan Somavia addressed the GB Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting in Niigata, Japan, 11-13 May, on "Global challenges for Sustainable Development Strategies for Green Jobs. Read the complete text of the address.

Message by Mr. Juan Somavia on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April 2008)

Message by Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office, on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work,...

Labour is not a commodity and markets must serve people. Nearly 90 years ago the protection of workers’ lives and health was set out as a key objective in the founding charter of the Organization. Today, rapid technological change and a fast-paced...

Remarks of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia: 35th Session of the Arab Labour Conference

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, 23 February 2008

Statement of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia : Investing in Green Growth and Decent Work

10th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum - UN Environment Program (UNEP), Monaco, 20 February 2008.

U.N. Summit on Climate Change

"Making a deal on climate change work" - Statement of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia

"We have to tackle both climate change and the jobs crisis together" said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia in a statement for the United Nations Summit on Climate Change held in New-York on 22 September. "A global climate agreement that factors in...

“Building fair financial markets for all” - Welcome remarks by Juan Somavia to the World Micro Finance Forum Geneva

Statement of ILO Director-General Juan Somavia - Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-carbon World

ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia; UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner; the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) General Secretary Guy Ryder and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) Vice President Ronnie Goldberg presented...

International Migrants Day - Message by Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO

"Gains from migration and protection of migrant rights are inseparable" said Mr. Juan Somavia, highlighting the enormous contributions made by women and men migrant workers to the prosperity of their home and destination countries, on the occasion...

Message by Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Office, On the occasion of World AIDS Day - 1 December 2007 -

Statement by Mr. Juan Somavia, on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April 2007)