Appointment of the Director-General of the ILO

April-November 2026

At its 356th Session (March-April 2026), the ILO Governing Body approved the following timetable for the appointment of the Director-General in view of the fact that the term of office of the current Director-General will come to an end on 30 September 2027:

15 April 2026: The Chairperson of the Governing Body calls for candidatures
31 August 2026: Deadline for the receipt of candidatures
23 September 2026: Public interactive event with all candidates

During its 358th Session, the Governing Body, in private sittings:

on 9 November 2026, conducts candidates hearings;
on 16 November 2026, conducts the election by secret ballot.

1 October 2027: The term of office commences

Candidates

In accordance with the Rules governing the appointment of the Director-General, in addition to sending a curriculum vitae and a vision statement, each candidate communicated to the Office, by 29 October 2026, information concerning their campaign activities, including the amount and source of all funding for such activities.

Gilbert F. Houngbo

Yolanda Díaz Pérez

Javier González-Olaechea Franco

Public interactive event with candidates

Watch the public interactive event with the candidates for the position of ILO Director-General livestreamed from Geneva on Wednesday 23 September from 13:00 to 17:30 CEST.

ILO Live