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COVID-19 pandemic

ILO defers International Labour Conference until 2021 due to COVID-19

In view of the severe restrictions on travel and personal interaction implemented worldwide and the need to ensure the well-being of delegates and staff, the 109th session of the International Labour Conference will take place next year.

Press release | 06 April 2020
GENEVA (ILO News) – The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization has deferred the upcoming session of the annual International Labour Conference – originally scheduled for 25 May to 5 June in Geneva – due to the spread of COVID-19.

Its decision was taken in the light of severe worldwide travel restrictions due to the pandemic, and the need to ensure the health and well-being of delegates and staff. The 109th session of the Conference will now take place in June 2021.

As a consequence of this decision, the associated 338th and 339th sessions of the ILO Governing Body, scheduled for 25 May and 6 June 2020 respectively, will also not take place.

Despite the deferral of the Conference, the ILO and all its offices around the world are operational and will continue to work closely with its constituents, development partners and the multilateral system. The Organization is directing significant efforts towards addressing policy and technical responses to the pandemic, for the immediate and long term.

The International Labour Conference meets once a year in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss key world of work issues, craft and adopt International Labour Standards and monitor their implementation. It brings together government, worker and employer representatives of the ILO’s 187 member States.