All Director-General statements

G20 Development Ministers Meeting

G20 can help accelerate a human-centred recovery that is inclusive, sustainable, resilient

Speaking to G20 Development Ministers, the ILO Director-General has welcomed the group’s support for increased international cooperation to distribute vaccines, provide financial support, strengthen social protection and counter the employment...

G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting

Women have not recovered their employment as much as men in most G20 economies

At the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers meeting in Catania, Italy, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder presented the findings of a joint ILO-OECD report on recent trends in women’s employment and policy developments to reduce the gender labour force...

G20 Joint Education and Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting

Invest in youth says ILO Director-General to the G20

Better skilling and decent work are needed to make sure that long COVID does not mean long-term marginalization of young people from the world of work, emphasized ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, in a speech to the G20 Labour and Employment...

G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting

ILO Director-General urges G20 to focus on a human-centred recovery after the pandemic

Speaking at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers meeting in Catania, Italy, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, emphasized the need to prevent long-term scarring of economies and societies and to shape an inclusive, sustainable and resilient...

19th International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) World Congress 2021

Reinvigorate labour market institutions to address present crisis and future challenges

In a speech to the International Labour and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) World Congress, the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, outlined the steps needed to build a sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the world...

World Day Against Child Labour

Take action to end child labour

Country Director of ILO Bangladesh, Tuomo Poutiainen, called for the actions that are still needed to tackle child labour in the country.

109th International Labour Conference

Opening remarks by Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, at the 109th Session of the International Labour Conference

G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting

Protect workers and businesses in the tourism industry

ILO Deputy Director-General, Martha Newton, called on G20 countries to take action to support the travel and tourism industry, which has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was speaking at a virtual G20 Tourism Ministers’ meeting on 4 May,...

Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF Development Committee

COVID-19 recovery must be human-centred

To be effective, we need a global response that is addresses poverty and inequalities, promotes social dialogue, strengthens the institutions of work and supports social justice, the ILO’s Director-General said.

Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF

We need a just transition and a green recovery from COVID-19

To be effective, pandemic recovery strategies must be as human-centred in their impact as the effects of the crisis itself have been, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told the IMF Committee.

International Women’s Day

ILO Director-General: "Let us invest in women as part of a human-centred recovery"

To mark International Women’s Day, ILO Director-General paid tribute to the tremendous efforts made by women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Social Dialogue Conference, Occupied Palestinian Territory

A better future for Palestinians

Prioritizing employment, workers’ rights, social protection and social dialogue will be essential if Palestinians are to create a human-centred recovery from COVID-19 that is sustainable and inclusive, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told Palestinian...

Vision Zero Fund High–Level Forum

Improving safety and health in global supply chains vital for development

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown what happens when occupational safety and health systems are under-resourced and unprepared. Improving the protection of working people, particularly in global supply chains, is vital for social and economic...

NEDLAC Labour School 2021

This global crisis must have a global, united, response

Greater international solidarity and common purpose are needed to build economic and social recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said in an address to South Africa’s NEDLAC Labour School.

Thinking Ahead on Society Change (TASC) Platform

The importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration in COVID-19 recovery

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder addressed the opening session of the Future of Work Summit.

Virtual “1+6” Roundtable

Promoting World Economic Recovery and Growth in the Post-COVID-19 Era

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder's, remarks to the Fifth “1+6” Roundtable Dialogue.

G20 Leaders’ Summit

G20 nations need to lead a global response to pandemic

In a speech at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Saudi Arabia, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder outlined the steps needed to restore economic growth and jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights – High-level Virtual Plenary

Remarks by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder

Virtual Launch of the 2020 Global Deal Flagship Report

Social dialogue can help create effective skills development and lifelong learning policies

Through social dialogue, the actors in the labour market – employers, workers, and governments – can play an essential role in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on education and training, says the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder at the Virtual...

Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF

Government economic and social policy interventions vital to tackle workplace closures and labour income losses

As financial constraints increase, large-scale fiscal packages need to be maintained to counter the danger of growing poverty, inequality, joblessness and exclusion, the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder has told the Development Committee of the...