GENEVA (ILO News) – The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) elected Ambassador Claudio Julio de la Puente Ribeyro, as Chairperson for 2018-19.

Ambassador de la Puente Ribeyro replaces Luc Cortebeeck who served as Governing Body Chairperson since June 2017.

H.E Claudio Julio de la Puente Ribeyro has been Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organizations in Geneva since October 2017. He was then elected Government Vice-Chairperson in the Governing Body. A Peruvian career diplomat, Ambassador de la Puente Ribeyro held key diplomatic positions throughout his career. From 2005 to 2010, he served as Peruvian Ambassador to Australia, and later (2015-2017) as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Ms Catelene Passchier, Special Adviser to the President of the Dutch Confederation of Trade Unions (FNV), former Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation in Brussels, was elected as Worker Vice-chairperson. Mr. Mthunzi Mdwaba, Founder and CEO of TZoro IBC, Chairman of the University of the Western Cape, Chairman of Productivity SA, was re-elected as Employer Vice-chairperson.

The Chairperson and the two Vice chairpersons will serve as Officers of the Governing Body during the period 2018-19.

The 333rd Session of the Governing Body also considered a range of other business, including a report of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

On the recommendation of its Officers, the Governing Body appointed Professor Evance Rabban Kalula – from Zambia – as Chairperson of the Committee on Freedom of Association, until the expiry in June 2020 of the term of office of the current Governing Body.

Governing Body Members further discussed a Complaint concerning non-observance by Guatemala of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87). A possible decision to close the case has been postponed to the next session.

Finally, the Governing Body decided on the Composition of the Commission of Inquiry appointed to consider the complaint concerning non-observance by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of Conventions 26, 87 and 144 on minimum wages, freedom of association and tripartite consultation. The Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry will be Manuel Herrera Carbuccia (Dominican Republic); the vice-chairs will be María Emilia Casas Baamonde (Spain) and Santiago Pérez del Castillo (Uruguay).