Creating a Brighter Future of Work, Together

Commemorating the First International Labour Conference and the Impact of the ILO



About the Event

The high-level event will be held at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (17th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington DC), the venue of ILO´s first International Labour Conference in November 1919.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, and OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, will host the event  “Creating a Brighter Future of Work, Together”, to commemorate 100 years of action by the ILO to promote better lives for people everywhere through decent work.

The event will also be the opportunity to present ILO´s vision for a human-centered approach to the future of work by supporting people so that they can seize opportunities, strengthen institutions that assure justice and human dignity along with action on efficiency and productivity, while encouraging the creation of decent and productive work.

The ILO is a unique tripartite organization, comprised of governments, employers´ and workers´ organizations, that helped create the modern world of work.  The OAS is the main political forum of the Americas, whose main objective is to prevent conflicts and support political stability, social inclusion and prosperity in the region. Their mandates continue to be relevant in a changing world of work which is also reflected in and central to the UN´s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
 

Agenda


REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS   (Gathering of invited guests) – HALL OF THE HEROES, OAS BUILDING

8:30am    Coffee and light breakfast

9:15am    Conclusion of Breakfast   (move to Main entrance for commemorative photograph)


COMMEMORATIVE PHOTOGRAPH  – MAIN ENTRANCE STEPS TO THE OAS BULDING


9:30am    Although the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the League of Nations were both established by the Treaty of Versailles, the ILO held it first Conference in October 1919 in the OAS building (then called the Pan American Union Building) before the League held its first council meeting in Paris in February 1920.

A famous photograph from October 1919 captured the ILO Secretary-General (Harold Butler), the U.S. delegation (Deputy Secretary General, Ernest H. Greenwood and Legal Adviser, Dr. Manley 0. Hudson) with the staff of the first International Labour Conference at the entrance to the building..

We seek to recapture that historic moment when the ILO became the first ever international organization to meet around internationally agreed tenants that shaped the modern world of work.
Photographers:  John Isaac (former UN Photo Chief and current consultant on ILO USA “Dignity at Work” initiative); Juan Manuel Herrera (OAS Photographer); possibly Washington Post interest;

COMMEMORATIVE EVENT FOR ILO CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY

HALL OF THE AMERICAS – OAS BUILDING

10:00am    CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME
Mr. Kevin Cassidy – Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations, ILO Office for the United States

10:05am    OPENING REMARKS
Mr. Luis Almagro – Secretary General, Organization of American States (OAS)

10:15am    A FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE FOR SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH
The Honorable Patrick Pizzella – Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor

10:30am    THE IMPACT OF RIGHTS IN THE WORLD OF WORK
The Honorable Robert Destro – Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State

10:45am    CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE OF WORK, TOGETHER
Mr. Guy Ryder – Director-General, International Labour Organization

11:05am    DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION FOR DECENT WORK
Moderator:  Mr. Tim Noah – Labor Policy Editor, Politico 
  • Minister Colin Jordan, Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations of Barbados and Chair of the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor (IACML);
  • Ms. Martha Newton - Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor;
  • Mr. Richard Trumka – President, AFL-CIO;
  • Mr. Peter Robinson – President, United States Council for International Business (USCIB);
12:15pm    OBSERVATIONS AND FEEDBACK
Mrs. Kim Osborne – Executive Secretary for Integral Development, Organization of American States (OAS)

12:25pm    CLOSING REMARKS
Mr. Kevin Cassidy – Director and Representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations, ILO Office for the United States

12:30pm    LUNCH RECEPTION – PATIO AZTECA, OAS BUILDING

REDEDICATION OF OAS PLAQUE ON ILO PARTNERSHIP

OPENING OF PHOTO EXHIBIT: “DIGNITY AT WORK” – MARCUS GARVEY HALL OF CULTURE, OAS BUILDING

2:00pm    CLOSE OF COMMEMORATION