GENEVA – Daniel Funes de Rioja, employer delegate from Argentina, has been elected President of the 103rd session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), which takes place from 28 May to 12 June.

“We are living in an age of change. This does not mean putting aside our values but adapting them to the new situation,” Funes de Rioja said in his opening speech to the Conference.

Daniel Funes de Rioja is the President of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and acts as Employer Vice-chairperson of the ILO Governing Body. He has been participating to the International Labour Conference since 1976.

This is only the third time since 1919 that an employer representative has been elected President of the ILC and reflects his important contribution to the work of the ILO.

The Conference elected as Vice-Presidents, Mr Alexandros Alexandris (Governments) from Greece, Mr Takaaki Sakurada (Workers) from Japan, and Ms Jacqueline Mugo (Employers) from Kenya.

From left to right: Mr Alexandros Alexandris from Greece, Ms Jacqueline Mugo from Kenya, Mr Funes de Rioja from Argntina, and Mr Takaaki Sakurada (Workers) from Japan.

The ILC sets the broad policies of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and meets once a year in Geneva, Switzerland. The annual Conference brings together some 4,000 government, worker and employer delegates from the ILO’s 185 member States.

Often called a world parliament of labour, the Conference establishes and adopts international labour standards and is a forum for discussion of key social and labour questions. It also adopts the Organization's budget and elects its Governing Body.

During the two-week conference, delegates will discuss a broad range of issues, including labour migration and employment strategies, ways out of informality and strengthening ILO Convention 29 on forced labour.

For more information please contact the Department of Communication and Public Information at newsroom@ilo.org or +4122/799-7912.