ILO chief faces Spanish minister in leadership vote

International Labour Organization chief Gilbert Houngbo will face Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz Perez in a contest for the United Nations agency's top job after the candidacy deadline closed on August 31.

Houngbo's current term ends at the end of September 2027. Diaz Perez emerged as the only challenger seeking to replace him.

The two candidates are due to take part in a public debate on September 23, where they can set out their platforms for the ILO. They are then scheduled to appear before the agency's governing body on November 9, before it elects the next chief by secret ballot on November 16.

The ILO governing body is the agency's executive arm and includes government, employer and employee representatives. The Geneva-based UN labour agency works to promote workers' rights and improve working conditions.

The election comes as the ILO faces funding pressures. The agency says the United States, traditionally its biggest contributor, accounts for 22 percent of its budget and has accumulated more than 173 million Swiss francs, or $214 million, in arrears for 2024 and 2025. It says Washington has also not paid its 2026 contribution of 84 million francs.

According to internal documents seen by AFP, the ILO has begun a reform plan that includes cutting 120 jobs, equivalent to 73 full-time positions. The governing body is due to consider that proposal at a meeting scheduled for September 7.