Press releases

November 2009 

• ILO Governing Body calls for comprehensive crisis response, long-term sustainable development based on Global Jobs Pact
  20 November 2009 - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office called for an “employment oriented” response to the global economic crisis based on policy measures set out in the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact. “A more balanced economic growth pattern must not lose sight of the need to urgently address large-scale unemployment, underemployment and rising income inequality. ...
• Marlee Matlin urges that people with disabilities be “counted in” economic recovery efforts
  12 November 2009 - Expressing concern that people with disabilities may face rising exclusion from the world of work due to the global economic crisis, Academy Award winning actress, television star and activist Marlee Matlin urged that they be “counted in” efforts to stimulate and support economic recovery.
• Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin to address ILO panel on people with disabilities and the economic crisis
  09 November 2009 - People with disabilities represent an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population, or some 650 million people worldwide. They are often excluded and marginalized, and are particularly vulnerable in times of crisis. ...
• ILO Governing Body to address world of work response to global economic crisis
  06 November 2009 - The Governing Body of the International Labour Office (ILO) is to examine the response of the world of work to the global economic crisis, and assess the current outlook for a recovery in employment at its meeting here on 5-20 November under the Global Jobs Pact adopted by the ILO’s International Labour Conference in June 2009.
• ILO says economic crisis eroding real wages for second year running
  03 November 2009 - Global growth in real wages slowed dramatically in 2008 as a result of the economic crisis and is expected to drop even further this year despite signs of a possible economic recovery, the International Labour Organization said. ...

October 2009 

• ILO meeting adopts revised list of occupational diseases
  30 October 2009 - A tripartite meeting of experts on occupational diseases held at the International Labour Office has adopted a new list of occupational diseases designed to assist countries in the prevention, recording, notification and, if applicable, compensation of illnesses caused by work. ...
• ILO Conference in Düsseldorf to discuss crisis impact on occupational safety and health
  29 October 2009 - The International Labour Organization (ILO) will host an international conference “Implementing Occupational Safety and Health Standards Globally” in Düsseldorf from 3-6 November 2009 to consider the potential impact of the global economic crisis on safety and health at the workplace.
• Arab Employment Forum endorses agenda for action in the region
  21 October 2009 - The Arab Employment Forum closed with agreement between the government, employer and worker representatives of 22 countries on an Agenda for Action to apply the Global Jobs Pact in the region to mitigate the immediate impacts of the economic crisis on labour markets.
• ILO report says temporary workers among the worst hit by the economic crisis, urges balance between flexible labour markets and workers’ protection
  19 October 2009 - A new report issued by the International Labour Office says that workers employed by temporary employment agencies have been among the first to lose their jobs as a result of the financial and economic crisis. At the same time, the report also observes that ratification of ILO Convention No. ...
• Arab Employment Forum opens with strong call for a job-centered recovery
  19 October 2009 - Government, employer and worker representatives opened a three-day Arab Employment Forum amid growing concerns over the impact of the global economic crisis on jobs and enterprises in the region, and an urgent call for action based on the ILO Global Jobs Pact. ...
• Arab Employment Forum to address impact of the global financial crisis on employment
  18 October 2009 - A three-day Arab Employment Forum opens in Beirut with the participation of high-level delegates from 22 countries in the region to examine the consequences of the global economic crisis on Arab states and consider ways of sustaining jobs and extending social protection for its citizens.
• Arab Employment Forum: A Jobs Pact for Recovery and Growth
  15 October 2009 - Under the patronage of H.E. the Prime Minister of Lebanon, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Arab Labour Organization (ALO) will host the Arab Employment Forum (AEF) in Beirut on 19-21 October 2009. Keynote speakers will include Mr. Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO, Mr. ...
• Informal employment curbs trade benefits for developing countries
  12 October 2009 - A joint study from the International Labour Organization and the WTO has found that high incidence of informal employment in the developing world suppresses countries' ability to benefit from trade opening by creating poverty traps for workers in job transition. ...

September 2009 

• G20 Commit to Putting Quality Jobs at the Heart of the Recovery
  25 September 2009 - Leaders of the G20 have welcomed the ILO Global Jobs Pact and the building of “an employment-oriented framework for future economic growth”. ...
• Despite continued rise in unemployment, measures taken by G20 governments will save up to 11 million jobs in 2009
  18 September 2009 - Employment and social protection measures taken by G20 governments since the economic crisis began will have created or saved an estimated 7 to 11 million jobs in the G20 countries this year, the Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO) said in a communication at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

July 2009 

• ILO welcomes new support for the Global Jobs Pact from the UN Economic and Social Council
  27 July 2009 - The International Labour Office welcomed the adoption of a resolution on the ILO’s Global Jobs Pact sponsored by more than 170 countries attending the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting in Geneva.
• ILO Director-General welcomes G8 support for “global jobs pact”
  09 July 2009 - The Director-General of the International Labour Organization Juan Somavia today welcomed the strong support of the G8 summit meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, for the Global Jobs Pact agreed by governments, employers and workers, at the International Labour Conference three weeks ago, to tackle the global jobs crisis.
• International post office network to share HIV prevention messages
  07 July 2009 - Halting the spread of HIV by 2015 is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To contribute towards this goal, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and UNAIDS together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNI Global have launched a global awareness campaign. Post offices in participating countries will display HIV prevention information which will reach the general public and postal employees.
• ILO Director-General presents “Global Jobs Pact” to U.N. Economic and Social Council
  06 July 2009 - The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Juan Somavia presented the ILO’s new Global Jobs Pact to the U.N. Economic and Social Council which began its annual meeting on Monday.

June 2009 

• ILO adopts “Global Jobs Pact” aimed at creating jobs, protecting workers and stimulating economic recovery
  19 June 2009 - Faced with the prospect of a prolonged global increase in unemployment, poverty and inequality and the continuing collapse of enterprises, the International Labour Organization adopted a Global Jobs Pact designed to guide national and international policies aimed at stimulating economic recovery, generating jobs and providing protection to working people and their families.