ILO's Director-General: News and press releases
January 2024
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High level event
Viet Nam Prime Minister meets ILO Director-General
19 January 2024
Key labour and employment issues discussed include Viet Nam’s continued commitment to ratifying international labour standards and cooperation with the ILO.
December 2023
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Official visit
ILO Director-General: Saudi labour market reforms pivotal for advancing social justice and development in the Kingdom
14 December 2023
Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, accompanied by Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat and the Director-General’s Senior Advisor for Africa and Arab States Chad Blackman, met with government, employer and worker representatives and attended the Global Labour Market Conference in Riyadh.
November 2023
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G20 Virtual Leaders’ Summit
Climate change and new technologies mean double impact for workers, ILO Director-General underlines
23 November 2023
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo highlighted the need to improve skills training in the face of multiple challenges in the world of work.
October 2023
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Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF
ILO Director-General calls for greater international financial support for critical social needs in developing countries under fiscal stress
12 October 2023
In statements to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings, the ILO’s Director-General underlined the importance of helping debt-distressed developing countries to support social protection and decent work.
September 2023
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#thiswaytosocialjustice
ILO launches global communication campaign to promote inequality reduction and social justice
28 September 2023
Launched at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, the ILO “This Way to Social Justice" campaign calls for urgent action to reduce inequalities in the world of work.
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Global initiative on decent work
ILO welcomes US-Brazil global initiative on decent work
21 September 2023
The U.S Brazil Partnership for Workers’ Rights aims to ensure safe and fair working conditions, promote a worker-centric transition to clean energy, ensure new technologies benefit workers, and eliminate workplace discrimination.
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UN General Assembly
ILO Director-General joins UN General Assembly
15 September 2023
The ILO Director-General will participate in a series of high-level events, highlighting the need to tackle inequalities, create decent jobs and make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be held during the UN General Assembly.
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G20 Leaders’ Summit
ILO welcomes G20 support for just transition measures
10 September 2023
G20 Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promote inclusive growth, sustainable development and decent work and their support for the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.
July 2023
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Water Action Decade
Protecting the right to water
12 July 2023
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are established human rights. Yet, halfway through the Water Action Decade, billions of people are still denied them. This year, nations have pledged to drive transformation to a water-secure world, and must now urgently act on their promises.
June 2023
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Official visit
ILO Director-General calls for balance between economic growth and decent employment on his first official visit to Viet Nam
30 June 2023
During his two-day trip, International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, senior Vietnamese officials, government ministers and workers’ and employers’ representatives on issues including advancing social justice and promoting decent work.
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Press release
ILO Director-General concludes first ever Philippines visit with call for more social dialogue
28 June 2023
Three-day visit includes meetings with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., social partners, migrant workers and a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Philippines joining the ILO.
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Press release
New social contract would lead to bright future for global maritime industry
27 June 2023
ILO Director-General delivers keynote speech to mark opening of Seafarer Summit 2050 in the Philippines.
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Press release
ILO Director-General Houngbo to hold first official visit to the Philippines
23 June 2023
As the Philippines marks its 75th anniversary of ILO membership, ILO Director-General Houngbo will make his first official visit in the country to promote the Global Coalition for Social Justice, which aims to address growing inequalities and persistent poverty, as well as ensure decent work.
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111th International Labour Conference
International Labour Conference adopts new apprenticeship standard, among other key decisions
16 June 2023
The International Labour Conference closed with the adoption of a new recommendation on quality apprenticeships. Delegates also passed resolutions on a just transition and labour protection, as well as adopting the standards report and the programme and budget, and a resolution on Belarus.
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World of Work Summit
Let’s bend the arc of history in favour of social justice, says ILO Director-General
16 June 2023
At the World of Work Summit, the ILO’s Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, advocated the need for a new social contract driven by solidarity and fairness.
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111th International Labour Conference
Make social justice a priority issue on the global agenda, says ILO Director-General
05 June 2023
ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, emphasized the need to build a Coalition for Social Justice to fight growing inequalities, at the opening session of the 111th International Labour Conference.
May 2023
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The Global Governance Project
G7: The job ahead
12 May 2023
In an article ahead of the G7 Summit, ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo says the G7’s support in overcoming the challenges of unequal labour markets will help to bring about action and investments in decent work for all – and help to drive shared economic growth.
April 2023
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ILO Japan Centenary
ILO Director-General praises Japan’s social justice achievements
27 April 2023
More than 230 constituents, civil partners, partner institutions, and young people attended the ILO Office for Japan’s centenary celebrations, which took place in central Tokyo on Tuesday, 25 April.
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G7 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting
ILO welcomes G7 commitment to invest in human capital and decent work
24 April 2023
G7 labour and employment ministers adopt action plan to tackle major issues facing the world of work.
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News
Inequality and social justice on the agenda of talks between ILO Director-General and Brazil’s President
21 April 2023
On his first official visit to the Latin America and Caribbean region, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and Brazil’s President Lula discussed the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice initiative.