Gilbert Houngbo becomes the first African to lead the ILO
The former Togolese prime minister was elected director general of the International Labor Organization on Friday. He will succeed Britain’s Guy Ryder.
Togolese student Gilbert Houngbo (second from left) becomes the 11th Director-General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva. (Illustrative photo)
KEYSTONE / AP / ALASTAIR GRANTS
The International Labor Organization (ILO) will have an African at the helm for the first time next October. After two rounds of voting on Friday in Geneva, former Togolese Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo, 61, was named General Manager.
With many activities in international organizations, Gilbert Houngbo, elected by 30 of the 56 board members, consisting of governments, employers and unions, was the favorite. Currently President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), he was the Deputy Director – General of the ILO.
He highlighted in particular the fight against the work of more than 150 million children in the world or his desire to expand the funding of social protection. On Friday, he promised the 187 member states to save “no effort to live up to expectations” after the election, in light of the uncertainty currently being observed in the world.
“Historical” choice
He paid homage to the “symbolism” of this designation. “Africa had no place at the table when the ILO adopted its constitution in 1919,” he said, noting a “historic” election.
“I do not want to be anyone’s CEO, and I want to be everyone’s CEO,” he insisted, promising to unite the world of work. Workers and bosses want an effective ILO, he said.
He thanked the current CEO, British trade unionist Guy Ryder, for getting him to join the organization in 2013 as a deputy. Among the four candidates facing Gilbert Houngbo, South African Mthuzi Mdwaba, Vice President of the ILO and Representative of the International Employers’ Organization (IOE), was no longer supported by his government.
Two women eliminated
Among the two women running for office, South Korea was ambushed by its former foreign minister, Kyung-wha Kang, the first woman to hold that position in her country. But according to some, this candidacy was planned to place her before the likely succession of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in a few months.
Another challenger, former French Labor Minister Muriel Pénicaud, led an active campaign but accumulated several obstacles. First among them, Europe has often led the ILO, just like the American continent. Another problem, Muriel Pénicaud is not supported by the unions in her country and has often been ridiculed for her public intervention.
Australian Greg Vines was eliminated in the first round. He had worked as Deputy Director General and then as Chairman of the Supervisory Body. He claimed to be a “consensus” candidate.
Awaiting relaunch
The Togolese reader is the third African to take the helm of a major international organization in Geneva for the first time in five years. After Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, who in May next year will be reappointed as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who heads the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Gilbert Houngbo was appointed for a five-year term. He will be particularly eagerly awaited to support governments, leaders and trade unions in the post-pandemic recovery.
The international community must join forces for “a new post-Covid world”, Confederate President Ignazio Cassis said recently at the start of a meeting on this issue. He called for a multilateralism that connects work, health, environment, trade and security.
The UN and the ILO have launched a mechanism to fund 400 million extra jobs and social protection for billions of people. A human-centered recovery ranges from decent jobs to green jobs to fair access to the coronavirus vaccine.
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