Le The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO. It meets three times a year to take decisions on policy issues, to prepare the programme and budget to be adopted by the International Labour Conference and to elect the Director-General.

Responding to the needs for governance of globalization is a priority for the ILO, according to Mr. Séguin. The Organization should adapt its methods and learn to cooperate with other institutions of the United Nations.

"My election coincides with an interesting situation", he says, "the coming year will be decisive: first, the budget will be voted upon, this is essential. But the Organization will also have to show that it is able to follow-up on the report on the social dimension of globalization published last February", adding that "following the analysis of the report and to overcome the inequalities and contradictions linked with the globalization process it was time to find ways to ensure sustainability and solidarity in the development of national and regional economies whatever their level of development."

Mr Séguin continues, "The social dimension of globalization can no longer be ignored. The actual situation characterized by the ongoing impoverishment of the poor countries and questioning of the social status quo in others has to come to an end. Today, we have the means to get out of this situation. The ILO must take this opportunity."

First of all, the ILO will have to adapt its methods to the new international context. It has done so since its foundation in 1919 and will continue to do so. According to Mr Séguin, the adoption of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in 1998 allowed many developing countries to receive support from the ILO with a view to the ratification and the effective application of the Organization's core labour standards. However, monitoring the application of standards alone is necessary but not enough.

"The globalization process needs regulation. Delocalization is conceivable for a rich country if it can provide alternative employment", he said. "On the other hand, the liberalization of international trade is a positive factor, but not for everybody if you do not take the necessary precautions. If a very poor and weak country enters the international market, it will be overrun. It's like letting youngsters play against experienced players in a soccer game".

To find a solution, governments and the social partners will have to take account of the insufficient role of the social dimension and, above all, the need for greater coherence between different institutions.

"The existing system is split up between the World Bank, the IMF, the WTO, UNDP, every organization stays in its quarters and defends its prerogatives. There is an urgent need for international organizations to assure permanent coherence of their objectives and means of action."

Talking about the creation of new international mechanisms, Philippe Séguin refers to the idea of French President, Jacques Chirac, to establish an Economic and Social Security Council dealing with issues such as making development aid more coherent and the debt problem of poor countries. "French and ILO analysis converge…we are happy to steer the process one handed as we cannot get hold of it completely", he adds smilingly.

There is still the question of the role of the ILO. What kind of legitimacy does it have in this domain? According to the new chairman of the Governing Body, the ILO has a particular legitimacy as it can bring civil and institutional society closer together. "Besides multilateral disorder there is a lot of incomprehension between civil and institutional society. The ILO is the only organization playing on both sides. Our daily work - even if this is not always obvious - is related to daily life in both the poor and the rich countries."

Referring to the preface of the book ( Note 1) on the history of the Organization between 1974 and 1989 just published by Francis Blanchard, former Director-General of the ILO, Philippe Séguin estimates that the bedrock of the ILO - tripartism and social dialogue - have an enormous power and are still valid today, even if they have to be adapted to a new global context. Universalism has changed: while in the past standards had to be adapted among themselves, we now have come to a non-binding minimalist universalism. Voluntarism and voluntary and non-binding application of standards have to be followed-up with scrutiny. "The ILO is a watchdog…human dignity is at stake. There are two prerequisites for this dignity: decent living conditions and personal fulfilment in freedom and diversity." As chairman of the Governing Body of the ILO, Philippe Séguin has accepted an enormous challenge.

Note 1 - Francis Blanchard, «l'Organisation internationale du Travail», Le Seuil 2004.