The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) next Director-General will be Gilbert F. Houngbo from Togo.
Houngbo is currently President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
He was elected by the ILO’s Governing Body, comprising representatives of governments, workers and employers, during their meeting in Geneva.
He will be the 11th Director-General of the ILO, and the first African to hold the post.
The new Director-General’s five-year term will begin on 1 October 2022. The current Director-General, Guy Ryder, from the United Kingdom, has held the office since 2012.
The ILO’s Governing Body is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). The Employer and Worker members are elected in their individual capacity. The ILO is the oldest specialised agency of the UN. It was founded in 1919 and has a mandate to promote decent work for all. It has 187 Member States.
There were five candidates for the post of ILO Director-General. The other candidates were from the Republic of Korea, South Africa, France and Australia.
Source: Emirates News Agency