Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
18 September 2018
Excellencies,
Mr. Secretary-General, António Guterres,
Mr. Guy Rider, Director-General of the International Labour Organization – welcome to New York,
Distinguished guests,
Workers and employers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization today.
That remarkable body has produced many “firsts”. It was the first specialized agency of the United Nations. It was the first to bring together governments, employers and – crucially – workers for ongoing dialogue on social justice. And it was, in my view, the first organization to express so clearly the need to give workers a stake in decision-making that matches their essential contribution to lasting peace and prosperity.
So it is fitting that the General Assembly – the most representative body of the United Nations – celebrates the transformative impact of the ILO on the fabric of our societies, and on our daily lives.
I pay tribute to Member States for mandating this event, and to Belgium and Jamaica, the co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Decent Work.
Decent work is one of my priorities for this session. It is key to making the UN more relevant to people. It is a way to demonstrate the tangible, everyday impact of international agreements like the 2030 Agenda, and multilateral bodies like the ILO.
Today’s event, therefore, is not only an opportunity to reflect on the many achievements of the ILO, but also to strengthen our resolve to realize Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work for all.
Excellencies,
When the ILO was founded in 1919, the world was emerging from four years of brutal war. Millions had died; cities lay in ruin – and amidst all this, leaders decided that an International Labour Organization was an essential ingredient for peace. I’m not surprised that Franklin D Roosevelt later called it a “wild dream”.
But the ILO’s founders were far-sighted. They understood that growing economic interdependence – itself a powerful basis for peace – would require international cooperation on labour and solidarity with workers. They recognized that “peace can be established only if it is based on social justice”. They had seen firsthand that injustice can produce unrest so great it imperils the world.
And injustice was rife. There was widespread poverty and discrimination. Workers’ rights were poorly respected or lacking entirely. Children toiled in factories and fields. Accidents and deaths were common.
Dear friends,
Fast forward 100 years and we have over 180 ILO conventions – on everything from gender equality to forced labour. We have ILO programmes that support the implementation of these conventions, including through training and education.
But sadly, injustice is still a reality for millions of people – and I quote:
“I nearly suffocated in the mine.” “I worked all day without food.” “He said he’d get me a good job, but he lied. He raped me.”
These are the voices of child workers, forced labourers, those trafficked into prostitution. Over 40 million people today are victims of modern forms of slavery – more than twice the number involved in the transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history.
And then there are the unemployed – 190 million people, a third of whom are young people. The working poor – 300 million people, half of whom are young. And the two billion or so engaged in informal work, often without social protections.
Excellencies,
This is the context in which we must deliver Sustainable Development Goal 8. Decent work is central to our efforts to fight poverty and inequality.
It is key to leaving no one behind – to empowering women, youth, minorities, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities.
The ILO is the standard bearer for this Goal. It is also leading the way on the future of work, to ensure that we harness the opportunities – and mitigate the risks – of the rapid changes we are seeing in technology, in demography and in our climate.
This June, Member States will receive the outcomes of the International Labour Conference. One thing is clear: issues of social justice will become even more important as the world of work changes.
Decent work is one of my priorities for this session. It is key to making the UN more relevant to people. It is a way to demonstrate the tangible, everyday impact of international agreements like the 2030 Agenda, and multilateral bodies like the ILO.
Dear friends,
The International Labour Organization once seemed a wild dream. That dream has been realized. Let us now ensure that the dream of “decent work for all” becomes a reality too.
Thank you.
