THE ILO: What it does

Four strategic objectives:

THE ILO: Origins

World War I transformed the world's social and economic map. From the peace process emerged the ILO, created together with the League of Nations by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It gave expression to the concern for social reform that grew with the industrial revolution, and the conviction that realistic reform had to be conducted on an international plane.

The ILO is unique among world organizations in that employers' and workers' representatives - the "social partners" of the economy - have an equal voice with those of governments in shaping its policies and programmes.

Twenty-five years on, it equipped itself for the reconstruction period following World War II with the Declaration of Philadelphia, a dynamic restatement and enlargement of its basic goals and principles. The Declaration anticipated the postwar growth in national independence and heralded the birth of large-scale technical cooperation with the developing world, side by side with the standard-setting function the ILO began in 1919.

In 1946 the ILO became the first specialized agency associated with the United Nations. On its 50th anniversary in 1969 it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The ILO marked its 75th anniversary in 1994 in a world undergoing profound change again. In adapting to new conditions, new demands, new hopes, it holds firm to the convictions that brought it into being and to its mandate to enact, through democratic tripartite partnership, its enduring principles of humanity and justice.

Universality is vital for the achievement of these purposes. The original membership of 45 nations grew to 174 in 1997.

THE ILO: How it works

The International Labour Conference meets annually. It provides an international forum for discussion of world labour and social problems and sets minimum international labour standards and broad policies of the Organization. Every two years, the Conference adopts the ILO's biennial work programme and budget, which is financed by Member States. Each Member State has the right to send four delegates to the Conference: two from the government and one each representing workers and employers, each of whom may speak and vote independently.

Between Conferences, the work of the ILO is guided by the Governing Body, comprising 28 government members and 14 worker and 14 employer members.

The International Labour Office in Geneva is the Organization's secretariat, operational headquarters, research centre and publishing house. The Office is staffed by about 1,800 people of some 110 nationalities. Administration and management are decentralized in regional, area and branch offices in more than 40 countries.

The work of the Governing Body and of the Office is aided by tripartite committees, covering major industries, and by committees of experts on such matters as vocational training, management development, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workers' education and special problems of women and young workers.

Regional conferences of the ILO Member States are held periodically to examine matters of special interest to the regions concerned.

The International Labour Office is headed by a director general who is appointed by the Governing Body. Since 1919, the International Labour Organization has been led by eight men: the Frenchman Albert Thomas (1919-1932), Harold Butler of Britain (1932-1938), the American John Winant (1939-1941), Edward Phelan of Ireland (1941-1948), the American David Morse (1948-1970), Wilfred Jenks of Britain (1970-1973), Francis Blanchard of France (1973-1989), and the present Director-General Michel Hansenne.

In 1989, Michel Hansenne, former Belgian Minister of Employment and Labour and of the Civil Service, became the first Director-General of the post-Cold War period. Re-elected for a second term in 1993, he indicated that his primary responsibility was to lead the ILO into the 21st century with all the moral authority, professional competence and administrative efficiency which the Organization had demonstrated for 75 years. Mr. Hansenne intends to give the ILO the means to play a full part in the major international councils on economic and social development. His effective leadership has set the ILO on a course of greater decentralization of activities and resources away from Geneva under the ILO's Active Partnership Policy (APP).

On March 23rd, 1998, the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization elected Mr. Juan Somavía of Chile to serve as the next Director-General of the ILO. He was elected by a vote of 44 votes for his candidacy. A majority of the 56 eligible votes was necessary to be elected. There were no abstentions. Ms. Maria Nieves Roldan-Confesor (Philippines) received 12 votes. Mr. Somavía's five-year term of office begins on 4 March 1999. In a statement accepting the results of the vote, Mr. Jorge Arrate Mac Niven, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Government of Chile, thanked the Governing Body members for their support and said that "the election of Mr. Somavía marks the first time in 79-year history of the ILO that a representative of the Southern hemisphere has been elected to the post of Director-General," adding that this was an important day for Chile as the post of Director-General of the ILO is "the highest attained by a Chilean citizen in the UN system to date." An attorney by profession, Mr. Somavía has had a long and distinguished career in civil and international affairs, serving, inter alia, as Chairman of the preparatory Council of the World Summit for Social development (held in Copenhagen in 1995) and President of the UN economic and Social Council (from 1993-1994). He has held the post of Ambassador of Chile and served as an Adviser to the Foreign Minister of Chile on Economic and Social Affairs. He recently served as Representative of Chile in the UN Security Council. He was born on 21 April, 1941, and earned degrees in law and economics from the Catholic University of Chile and the University of Paris.