SA businessperson Mthunzi Mdwaba, whose bid to become the first African to lead the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suffered a blow after the government withdrew its support, lost out to Gilbert Houngbo, the former prime minister of Togo.
Houngbo was elected for a five-year term in Geneva in Switzerland on Friday. The other candidates were Kang Kyung-wha of the Republic of Korea, Muriel Pénicaud of France and Greg Vines of Australia.
The ILO is the only tripartite multilateral agency in the UN family, made up of trade unions, business/employers and governments.
The parties use the UN platform to reach conclusions, resolutions and conventions on issues affecting workers the world over, such as the eight-hour day, minimum wage, collective bargaining, the right to strike and the elimination of child labour, among others
There were 56 votes up for grabs, split between governments (28), trade unions (14) and business (14). Voting took place by secret ballot in the confines of the ILO governing body and a simple majority of 50% plus 1 (29 votes) was needed to become director-general.
Following voting on Friday, ILO governing body chair Anna Jardfelt announced Houngbo as the newly elected director-general. She said the voting process fully met conditions set out by the governing body to ensure a “fair and transparent procedure”. Houngbo received 30 votes, Jardfelt said.
There has not been an African or Asian at the helm of the ILO since it was established in 1919.
Taking to the podium following his election, Houngbo, a seasoned executive with a track record of more than 35 years in the field of international development, said the outcome of his election carried a “rich symbolism”.
“I’m deeply and personally honoured to be the first representative of the Africa region to be selected to lead the ILO after 103 years,” said Houngbo, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a specialised agency of the UN aimed at addressing poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
He noted that Africa did not have a “seat in the table” when the ILO was created in 1919, adding “Although my origin is African, my perspective is global”, and thanked the government of Togo and the AU, among others, for supporting his candidacy.
Now that the election was over, Houngbo, who was Africa director of the UN Development Programme from 2006 to 2008, said he was committing himself to representing the voices of those who relied on the ILO.
“I’m thinking about the 4-billion people around the world who do not have access to social protection; the 200-million-plus women and men who face unemployment; the 160-million children in child labour; the 1.6-billion people in the informal sector; the enterprises — small and medium — that are facing supply-chain disruptions or closure due to crises including the [Covid-19] pandemic, climate change, and armed conflict,” said Houngbo.
The 61-year-old is former deputy director-general of the International Labour Office.
“These are expressions of unacceptable social injustice that we are morally, if not legally bound, to address. I will be guided by the same vision that has underpinned my entire campaign, a vision anchored in a decent work agenda, social protection and social justice.”
Houngbo, a former manager of PwC Canada, is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants. He holds a BA in accounting from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in Canada.
He will start work on April 1 for a six-month handover with the incumbent, British trade unionist Guy Ryder, who officially steps down on September 30 after 10 years at the helm. Houngbo will assume office on October 1.
Houngbo said the coming months “should offer us the first opportunity to initiate consultation on future plans”, adding: “The world needs an ILO that is capable of solving real-life problems of working people and enterprises. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”
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