Making the United Nations Relevant to all PeoplePRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT MARÍA FERNANDA ESPINOSA
Good afternoon, everyone!
PGA TAKES PART IN INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE AND MEETS INTERNATIONAL LEADERS, IN GENEVA
The President of the General Assembly is taking part in the 108th International Labour Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The annual meeting, which seeks solutions to challenges related to the future of work, is also marking the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa spoke at the Opening Ceremony, attended by dozens of Heads of State and Government and the Head of ILO, Mr. Guy Ryder.
She quoted the words of the first Director General Albert Thomas, who described the ILO as a “monument to peace and social justice”.
The PGA praised the agency’s work and the contribution it makes to cooperation and dialogue among employers and employees. She also acknowledged the ILO’s relevance to multilateralism.
Ms. Espinosa reiterated the importance of decent work for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and for addressing challenges such as child labour, forced labour and modern slavery.
Decent work is one of the seven priorities of the PGA’s agenda for the current session of the General Assembly. She said that decent work and gender equality are crucial steps to eradicate poverty and to reduce inequalities within and among countries.
Approximately, 2 billion people depend on the informal economy to survive, and 780 million workers are living in poverty.
According to ILO, in 2016 the world had 24.9 million in forced labour. Out of this total, 16 million people were exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture. The agency also notes that women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labour.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Ms. Espinosa is also holding meetings with leaders from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa and Turkey among others.
On her Twitter account, the President thanked her interlocutors for their strong commitment to strengthen multilateralism and for their partnership with the UN to advance the sustainable agenda.
The PGA is also granting interviews to international media outlets, based in Geneva.
She will return to New York tomorrow afternoon.
More information on our website: www.un.org/pga/73
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