The ILO strengthens in Geneva its partnership with Spain’s Social Graduates in support of social justice and decent work
As part of the centenary of the profession, the institutional visit to the ILO headquarters highlighted the shared commitment to promoting equality, dignity at work and the Organization’s founding principles.
10 September 2025
MADRID (ILO News) – A delegation from the General Council of Official Associations of Social Graduates of Spain, headed by its President, Joaquín Merchán Bermejo, visited the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva to mark the centenary of the Social Graduate profession.
The delegation was received by Manuela Tomei, ILO Assistant Director-General for Governance, Rights and Dialogue, together with officials from the ILO’s International Labour Standards Department. Representatives of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva also took part in the meeting.
It was the first institutional visit of Spain’s Social Graduates to the ILO headquarters, a milestone that underscores the link between the profession and the Organization’s mission. During the day, the shared commitment to promoting decent work, equal opportunities and the protection of labour rights was highlighted, in line with the ILO’s founding principles.
“We are a profession that proudly celebrates one hundred years of history. Social justice is our emblem, our origin and our reason for being,” said Joaquín Merchán. In his presentation Decent Work as One of the Paradigms of Social Justice, he emphasized that ensuring decent employment means building fairer, more cohesive and more democratic societies.
For her part, Manuela Tomei thanked the visitors and highlighted the work of the Social Graduates: “They are an essential link in the implementation of labour law; without their work there would be major difficulties in its application.”
The day included discussions on global labour challenges: creation of quality employment, reduction of inequalities, gender equality and non-discrimination, work–life balance, adaptation of regulations to new realities of work, and the impact of emerging technologies. All these topics were addressed in the light of ILO standards and principles, strengthening the Organization’s close collaboration with the General Council of Social Graduates of Spain.
The work of the General Council of Social Graduates fully aligns with the ILO’s mission, as both share an active commitment to decent work and labour rights. Social Graduates, as professionals specialized in the application of labour and social security law, help ensure that the principles of social justice promoted by the ILO are put into practice, bringing international standards closer to the realities of enterprises, workers and public administrations.
The visit highlighted that the work of Social Graduates goes beyond the national sphere and is consistent with the ILO’s values: building universal peace through social justice.