GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization’s Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo attended the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, which brings together leaders from government, business, labour and civil society to discuss major global issues.

The Director-General joined sessions discussing a broad range of world-of-work issues during the Forum. These includeed stakeholder dialogues on the future of growth and opportunities in the social and care economies, and strategy sessions on the future of growth and the future of work.

On Tuesday 17 January, Houngbo took part in Geneva Day 2023 @Davos – "Time for sustainable finance to accelerate the decarbonization of the economy". He will also join the Meeting of the Advisory Board of the Centre for the New Economy and Society, on Wednesday 18th January and held a number of bilateral meetings.

During his stay in Davos the Director-General highlighted the need for a Global Coalition for Social Justice, as an essential component of policies and action to create a sustainable and equitable recovery. “The theme for this year’s World Economic Forum is ‘Cooperation in a fragmented world’. In a fragmented world where lasting peace is in peril, it is crucial for us to elevate the debate on social justice because there's no lasting peace, there's no sustained economic growth or wealth creation without it,” Houngbo said.

The 2023 WEF Annual Meeting took place 16–20 January 2023.