GENEVA (ILO News) – Three Asian countries have been elected as new members of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization. The Governments of Bangladesh and Singapore will join as Regular Members, and Thailand will join as a Deputy Member.

They join Australia , which was already a Regular Member of the Governing Body, and the Republic of Korea , Pakistan and Viet Nam which were Deputy Members. In addition Japan holds a permanent government seat, as a State of chief industrial importance.

In addition Mr Kim Yong vae ( Republic of Korea ) and Mr Yogendra Modi ( India ) were elected as a Deputy member of the Employers’ group, and Mr Guangping Jiang ( China ) was elected to the Workers’ group. Members of the Employers’ and Workers’ groups serve in their individual capacity. Mr Kim Yong vae is Vice Chairman and CEO of the Korean Employers Federation, Mr Yogendra Modi is Chairman and ECE of Great Eastern Energy Corp. Ltd., and Mr Guangping Jiang is Director General, Department of International Liaison, All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Elections for the Governing Body are held every three years (the next election will be held in 2011). The chairperson of the Governing Body will be elected at its next session on Friday 13 June 2008.

The vote took place during the International Labour Conference, the annual meeting of the ILO, which is taking place in Geneva.

The Governing Body has 56 regular members (28 representing Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the regular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). More information

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November and takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the International Labour Conference and the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference.

For more information please contact:

Sophy Fisher
ILO Information Officer, Asia Pacific