Gilbert F. Houngbo: ILO’s New Director-General

March 29, 2022

Gilbert F. Houngbo has recently been elected as the International Labour Organization’s 11^th Director-General. He is the former Prime Minister of Togo and will be taking office in October 2022.

Overview:

He will be the first African to have been elected to this post.
Since 2017, he is serving as the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
From 2008 to 2012, he served as Togo’s Prime Minister.

Appointment as the Prime Minister of Togo

Following the massive internal conflict due to the 2005 Togolese presidential election, Houngbo was elected to this post and he oversaw political, economic, and social reforms in the country. After concluding his term as the PM, he joined the International Labour Office which is the permanent secretariat of the ILO as Deputy Director-General. Later he moved on to IFAD.

Houngbo’s vision for ILO

Houngbo announced that his vision for the ILO will be working toward a new global social contract, that will be looking to protect and preserve the progress that has been achieved in the fields of social justice over the previous decades. The policy will be centering around global solutions regarding environmental, human, societal, and economic values. He also proposed a programme for global social justice through which the basis for labour laws in the world post-pandemic will be strengthened. Job deficits and social protections were also addressed.

How does ILO elect a new Director-General?

Every 10 years, the ILO elects a new Director-General. The votes for this post are cast by the governing body of ILO which comprises representatives of workers, governments, and employers.

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