Statement by H.E. Mrs. Mar\u00eda Fernanda Espinosa Garc\u00e9s, President of the 73rd<\/sup> Session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly<\/h3>\n18 September 2018<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/53\/2019\/04\/Capture-3-300x192.png\")
<\/p>\n
Excellencies,<\/p>\n
Mr. Secretary-General, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres,<\/p>\n
Mr. Guy Rider, Director-General of the International Labour Organization \u2013 welcome to New York,<\/p>\n
Distinguished guests,<\/p>\n
Workers and employers,<\/p>\n
Ladies and gentlemen,<\/p>\n
It is an honour to commemorate the 100th<\/sup> anniversary of the International Labour Organization today.<\/p>\nThat remarkable body has produced many \u201cfirsts\u201d. It was the first specialized agency of the United Nations. It was the first to bring together governments, employers and \u2013 \u00a0crucially \u2013 \u00a0workers 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.<\/p>\n
So it is fitting that the General Assembly \u2013 \u00a0the most representative body of the United Nations \u2013 \u00a0celebrates the transformative impact of the ILO on the fabric of our societies, and on our daily lives.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Decent work is one of my priorities for this session. It is key to making the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 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.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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Excellencies,<\/p>\n
When the ILO was founded in 1919, the world was emerging from four years of brutal war. Millions had died; cities lay in ruin \u2013 and amidst all this, leaders decided that an International Labour Organization was an essential ingredient for peace. I\u2019m not surprised that Franklin D Roosevelt later called it a \u201cwild<\/u> dream\u201d.<\/p>\n
But the ILO\u2019s 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 \u201cpeace can be established only if it is based on social justice\u201d. \u00a0They had seen firsthand that in<\/u>justice can produce unrest so great it imperils the world.<\/p>\n
And injustice was rife. There was widespread poverty and discrimination. Workers\u2019 rights were poorly respected or lacking entirely. Children toiled in factories and fields. Accidents and deaths were common.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Excellencies,<\/p>\n
Mr. Secretary-General, Ant\u00f3nio Guterres,<\/p>\n
Mr. Guy Rider, Director-General of the International Labour Organization \u2013 welcome to New York,<\/p>\n
Distinguished guests,<\/p>\n
Workers and employers,<\/p>\n
Ladies and gentlemen,<\/p>\n
It is an honour to commemorate the 100th<\/sup> anniversary of the International Labour Organization today.<\/p>\n That remarkable body has produced many \u201cfirsts\u201d. It was the first specialized agency of the United Nations. It was the first to bring together governments, employers and \u2013 \u00a0crucially \u2013 \u00a0workers 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.<\/p>\n So it is fitting that the General Assembly \u2013 \u00a0the most representative body of the United Nations \u2013 \u00a0celebrates the transformative impact of the ILO on the fabric of our societies, and on our daily lives.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Decent work is one of my priorities for this session. It is key to making the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 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.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.7″]<\/p>\n Excellencies,<\/p>\n When the ILO was founded in 1919, the world was emerging from four years of brutal war. Millions had died; cities lay in ruin \u2013 and amidst all this, leaders decided that an International Labour Organization was an essential ingredient for peace. I\u2019m not surprised that Franklin D Roosevelt later called it a \u201cwild<\/u> dream\u201d.<\/p>\n But the ILO\u2019s 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 \u201cpeace can be established only if it is based on social justice\u201d. \u00a0They had seen firsthand that in<\/u>justice can produce unrest so great it imperils the world.<\/p>\n And injustice was rife. There was widespread poverty and discrimination. Workers\u2019 rights were poorly respected or lacking entirely. Children toiled in factories and fields. Accidents and deaths were common.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.19.7″]\n\n