GENEVA (ILO News) – The Director-General of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, opened the 112th International Labor Conference (ILC) expressing a feeling of “ambivalence” regarding the current situation in the world of work.
“All regions, to a greater or lesser extent, have recovered the level of economic activity recorded in the period before the pandemic. The effective action of central banks to curb inflation has also contributed to this positive evolution… I have great hopes that this may bring some relief to workers’ recently battered purchasing power,” Houngbo said during his opening speech.
Houngbo recalled that ILO forecasts indicate a global unemployment rate of 4.9% for both 2024 and 2025, which represents a modest decrease compared to the 5% recorded in 2023.
However, he warned that “crises that follow one after another” could jeopardize these “positive and encouraging progress.”
“At the same time… tensions have intensified. The dire situation in the Middle East has added to existing crises. The shocking conflicts in Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , to name just a few, continue to be important problems for humanity and, more specifically, for multilateralism,” he added.
When submitting your report, Towards a renewed social contractthe Director-General said that “the report does not impose preconceived ideas, but rather aims to stimulate a productive and fruitful debate” on “making social justice the basis of lasting peace, shared prosperity, equal opportunities and a just transition “.
The ILO annual conference brings together workers, employers and government delegates from all 187 ILO Member States to address a wide range of issues that have a long-term impact on the world of work. The agenda includes:
- a discussion on protection against biological risks (the first of two discussions provided for in the ILO normative procedure), which could lead to the adoption of an international labor standard on this topic at next year’s ILC.
- a discussion on the strategic objective of fundamental principles and rights at work.
- a debate on decent work and the care economy.
The inaugural Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice will take place on June 13. With the support of 280 partners, including 68 governments, the forum will highlight concrete collaborative efforts for social justice since the 111th session of the International Labor Conference in June last year.
On the first day of the Conference, Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, was elected President. The Conference also elected as Vice-Presidents July Moyo, Minister of Public Services, Labor and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe (Governments), Rajeev Dubey (Employers) of India and Béatrice Lestic (Labour) of France.
The opening session also included a keynote address by economist Jayati Gosh, who spoke about the 80th anniversary of the ILO’s Philadelphia Declaration.
“Just as in 1944, we are currently living in a period of change, within countries and in the international economy. Instead of thinking about how public policies and social processes can help the economy, we have to ask how the economy can serve society and be in harmony with nature and the planet,” Gosh explained.
The 112th International Labor Conference, being held in Geneva, will continue until June 14.
