Visit
ILO Director-General starts official visit to Colombia emphasizing the importance of effective tripartite social dialogue
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo has begun his first official visit to Colombia with high-level meetings emphasizing the importance of effective tripartite social dialogue.
22 October 2024
BOGOTA (ILO News) – The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, began his first official visit to Colombia in the context of the XXII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (IACML) of the Organization of American States (OAS). That meeting will take place on 23-24 October 2024, in Bogotá, under the leadership of Colombia’s Ministry of Labour.
As part of his official visit, the Director-General met the Colombian Minister of Labour, Gloria Inés Ramírez, and expressed his appreciation for the longstanding relationship between the ILO and Colombia. He also discussed the labour reforms currently under consideration in the country.
“I trust that, by engaging in and strengthening effective tripartite social dialogue, and based on International Labour Standards and the recommendations of the supervisory bodies of the ILO, the Colombian Government, together with employers’ and workers’ organizations, will be able to address the country’s needs and promote social justice, productive employment and decent work,” Houngbo said.
Houngbo also held meetings with Colombia’s national trade unions – the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT), the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT), and the Confederación de Trabajadores de Colombia (CTC) – and the national employers’ organization, the Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia (ANDI).
The meetings focused on the role of effective tripartite social dialogue, labour rights, and the importance of pro-employment policies. His engagement with these groups highlights the ILO’s continued efforts to provide technical assistance to both workers’ and employers’ organizations in advancing social justice.
On 22 October, Houngbo took part in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Third Ministerial Summit on Social Inclusion, in Bogotá. He joined global leaders in a discussion, Social and Gender Inclusion as Part of the Solution. This high-level panel, featuring Cindy Tatiana Quesada, Costa Rica's Minister for the Status of Women, and Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen, OECD Deputy Secretary-General, explored the critical role of gender and social inclusion in driving sustainable economic growth.
The Director-General will also hold discussions with the OAS Trade Union Technical Advisory Council (COSATE) and the OAS Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labour Matters (CEATAL).
On 23 October, the Director-General will join ministers of labour from across the hemisphere to deliver a message at the inaugural session of the XXII IACML. The conference, hosted by the Colombian Ministry of Labour, will provide a platform to address the profound changes in the world of work caused by technological innovation and the climate crisis. Houngbo’s address will underscore the ILO’s commitment to promoting social justice and sustained and inclusive economic growth in the face of these global challenges.