The UN Secretary General who addressed the 303rd session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva yesterday said of the G20 Summit in the United States of America, “we were there to address the financial crisis, but as you well know, this is also a jobs crisis”.

“My talks with leaders in Washington focused on jobs”.  “I emphasized that the way forward should include a focus on labour-intensive projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities adapt to global warming. The transition to a low-carbon economy can create millions of jobs.”

He said he suggested that those not represented at the summit be “part of efforts to shape international economic governance and decision-making.  According to him, we need “a multilateralism that is fair, flexible and responsive,” he said.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon said the ILO “with its diverse membership and global reach, is promoting the decent work that is essential if people are to weather the bad times we now face. I will be counting on the ILO to expand its contribution to this great effort.”

He noted that the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda “really touches the core of people’s lives and aspirations”.

He added  “In your day-to-day work, you bring together employers, workers and government ministries to hammer out consensus and solve problems. We are going to need this kind of partnership, and this kind of practical approach, to get through this difficult time,” he added.

In his welcome address, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, “at a time when the world is facing an epic economic crisis, we are committed through our Decent Work Agenda to help build an architecture of global fairness that will counter the growth of inequality worldwide”.

“Here at the ILO Governing Body, employers, workers and governments are represented. This is where we can come together as equal partners to forge solutions”, Mr. Somavia said.

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