GENEVA (ILO News) ­ The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization today elected Mr. Juan Somavia of Chile to serve as the next Director General of the ILO. He was elected by a vote of 44 votes for his candidacy. A majority of the 56 eligible votes was necessary to be elected. There were no abstentions. Ms María Nieves Roldan-Confesor (Philippines) received 12 votes. Mr. Somavia's five-year term of office begins on 4 March 1999.

In a statement accepting the results of the vote, Mr. Jorge Arrate Mac Niven, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Government of Chile, thanked the Governing Body members for their support and said that "the election of Mr. Somavia marks the first time in the 79-year history of the ILO that a representative of the Southern hemisphere has been elected to the post of Director General," adding that this was an important day for Chile as the post of Director General of the ILO is "the highest attained by a Chilean citizen in the UN system to date."

An attorney by profession, Mr. Somavia has had a long and distinguished career in civil and international affairs, serving, inter alia, as Chairman of the preparatory Council of the World Summit for Social Development (held in Copenhagen in 1995) and President of the UN Economic and Social Council (from 1993 to 1994). He has held the post of Ambassador of Chile and served as an Adviser to the Foreign Minister of Chile on Economic and Social Affairs.

Mr. Somavia is currently Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations in New York, a position he has held since 1990. He recently served as Representative of Chile in the UN Security Council. He was born on 21 April, 1941 and earned degrees in law and economics from the Catholic University of Chile and the University of Paris.

Voting was by secret ballot, with all 56 titular members of the Governing Body entitled to vote.

The Governing Body ­ composed of 28 government members ^{(Endnote 1)} , 14 employer members and 14 worker members ­ is the executive arm of the ILO and takes decisions on the implementation of ILO programmes and policies. It meets three times annually. Ten of the government seats are permanently held by major industrialized countries. The remaining members are elected for three years by governments, workers and employers respectively, taking account of regional distribution.

Endnote 1:
Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil*, Canada, China*, Colombia, Congo, Egypt, France*, Germany*, Guinea, Hungary, India*, Italy*, Japan*, Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Russian Federation*, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom*, United States*.

(* = members holding non-elective seats as States of chief industrial importance).