THE Geneva-based International Labour Organization (ILO) has announced the election of the first African, Gilbert F Houngbo of Togo, to head the United Nations agency as its next director general.
Houngbo is currently president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and will take up his new post on October 1, 2022, becoming the 11th director general. He will succeed Guy Rider of the United Kingdom.
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, the oldest specialised agency of the UN, was founded in 1919 and has a mandate to promote decent work for all. It has 187 member states.
Houngbo overcame four other candidates for the post of ILO director general. They were from South Korea, South Africa, France and Australia.
