GENEVA, 7 April 2022—UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the International Labour Organization (ILO) that Gilbert F. Houngbo, who is from Togo, has been elected as the organization’s 11th Director-General. Mr Houngbo will begin his five-year term in October 2022, taking over from the current Director-General, Guy Ryder.
“I am truly delighted that Gilbert F. Houngbo will be taking on the role of Director-General of the International Labour Organization,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “His commitment to social justice and people-centred global solutions is close to my heart and I look forward to working with him to end inequalities and improve the lives of the most vulnerable, including people living with HIV.”
HIV and other pandemics have a significant impact on labour and productivity and represent a huge burden for working people, their families and communities. HIV-related stigma and discrimination threatens the fundamental rights at work of people living with HIV and undermines their opportunities to obtain decent and sustainable employment.
ILO is the specialized United Nations agency responsible for the world of work. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. A Cosponsor of UNAIDS, ILO is the lead agency on HIV workplace policies and programmes and private sector mobilization.
