By Bimbola Oyesola
Over 6,000 delegates from 187 member countries are attending this year’s 113 International Labour Conference (ILC) organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The two weeks event, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from June 2 to 13, 2025, opened yesterday with delegates cutting across governments, workers and employers gathering to tackle a wide range of issues that have long-term impacts on the world of work.
This is even as the ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, said the normative mandate of the global body is more relevant than ever.
At the opening ceremony, Houngbo emphasised the organisation’s strategic role in changing the world of work.
He opened the conference by reaffirming the “strategic importance of the ILO’s mandate” in a world of work undergoing profound transformation.
“The ILO’s normative mandate is more relevant than ever,” emphasised Houngbo in his opening speech. “This includes not only the development, implementation and supervision of international labour standards, but also the urgent need to ensure a level playing field in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing global economy.”
He also stressed the Organisation’s role in advancing social justice through integrated policies. “We can and must act with determination and consistency to promote social justice through a better balance between economic, social and environmental dimensions.”
He acknowledged that multilateral institutions like the ILO are facing a period of profound change. While recognising the uncertainty surrounding the future of multilateralism, he cautioned against nostalgia for an idealised past.
“We must instead remain firmly focused on the ILO’s unique purpose as set out in its Constitution, and the lasting contributions it has made globally. As an institution, we must have the courage, humility, ability to listen and adapt, and the foresight to look resolutely to the future. This context calls for reform; reform for greater effectiveness, but also for greater efficiency,” he said.
He also highlighted that slower global growth and rising trade tensions were putting pressure on job creation.
He stressed that, “employment is not a passive result of economic growth; it must be an active part of it,” calling for stronger links between job creation, workers’ protection and inclusive, democratic development.
The ILO annual conference brings together workers, employers and government delegates from the ILO’s 187 member states to address a wide range of issues that have a long-term impact on the world of work. The agenda includes: Biological hazards at work; decent work in the platform economy, first standard-setting discussion; draft programme and budget for 2026–27, review of proposed expenditure, contributions, and financial statements; transition to formality and decent work, general discussion on innovative approaches.
Others are application of international labour standards 2025, information and reports on the application of Conventions and recommendations; social development summit 2025, tripartite input on the ILO’s contribution and maritime labour convention, approval of the 2025 amendments to the Code of the MLC.
The second Global Coalition for Social Justice Annual Forum will be held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, bringing together coalition partners and accredited ILO tripartite delegations attending the conference.
The first day of the conference saw Edgar Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe, elected President of the Conference. The Conference also elected Vice-Presidents, Juan Castillo, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Uruguay (Governments), Hamidou Diop (Employers) from Senegal, and Hédia Arfaoui (Workers) from Tunisia.
The 113th International Labour Conference, which is being held in Geneva, ends on June 13.