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2nd EU Statement - ILO 355th GB - The ILO in a changing multilateral environment: Towards better effectiveness and efficiency

21.11.2025
Geneva
Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

ILO Governing Body, 355th session 

17 – 27 November 2025

The ILO in a changing multilateral environment: Towards better effectiveness and efficiency

GB.353/INS/7

EU Statement

 

Chair,

I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

Director-General,

I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

  1. We thank the Chair for her oral report of the Committee of the Whole and the Director-General for his response as well as for the supplementary information published this morning, which we are still analysing. We also thank all constituents for their constructive engagement in the debate.
  2. We reiterate the points made in our previous statement on this item and our commitment to a strong and resilient ILO, grounded in its normative mandate and supported by effective development cooperation. The EU and its Member States consistently provide a large share of ILO voluntary contributions demonstrating our long-standing and predictable support to the Organisation and to our partners across the world.
  3. We have heard the priorities expressed by some constituents regarding reprioritisation. We have confidence in the DG and the task team to develop a reprioritisation proposal in the coming weeks. We stand ready to provide constructive feedback and look forward to decision on this at the next GB session in March.
  4. The reprioritisation exercise has to be aligned with the UN-80 initiative. It is important that the task team engages with other UN agencies with complementary mandates and sets out a concrete proposal on how to achieve synergies and complementarities based on comparative advantages across the UN system, while preserving the ILO’s unique tripartite structure.
  5. It is also essential for the reprioritisation exercise to consider the Sustainable Development Goals and cross-cutting priorities, including gender equality, climate change, the environmental, digital and demographic transitions and their implications for workers and enterprises to ensure a future oriented ILO.
  6. Given the financial situation and to keep the Organisation operational and while the reprioritisation exercise is being conducted, we acknowledge the measures already undertaken as described in the document published this morning and encourage the Office to continue with necessary targeted cost-saving measures that do not have detrimental long-term impact.
  7. We look forward to continued dialogue and to decisions at this Governing Body.

Thank you.