THE INTERNATIONAL Labour Organization (ILO) is preparing for a decisive leadership election on Monday, 16 November 2026, as its Governing Body is set to choose the next Director-General of the United Nations agency responsible for promoting decent work, protecting workers’ rights and advancing social justice worldwide.
The election, which will take place at the ILO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, comes at a particularly challenging time for the organisation, with mounting financial pressures, changing global labour-market conditions and growing debates over workers’ protection, employment standards and the future of work.
Three candidates were initially set to contest the position before one dropped out. They include, incumbent Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo of Togo; Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz Pérez; and Peru’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Javier González-Olaechea Franco who has reportedly withrawn from the the race.
The successful candidate will serve a five-year term beginning on 1 October 2027 and ending on 30 September 2032. The election therefore represents an important opportunity to shape the organisation’s strategic direction over the next five years.
A two-way Contest after Peru’s Withdrawal
Although three candidates initially entered the race, the contest has narrowed to two following the withdrawal of Javier González-Olaechea Franco’s candidature on 4 November 2026, according to the ILO’s official election webpage.
The remaining candidates are therefore Houngbo and Díaz, setting up a contest between an incumbent seeking another term and a Spanish political leader whose record in labour-market reform has attracted international attention.
The withdrawal is significant because it changes the political dynamics of the election just days before the Governing Body’s secret ballot. It also means that the final decision will be made between two candidates with different political and professional backgrounds, but with a shared responsibility to address the changing realities of work and employment around the world.
The Candidates and Their Records
Gilbert F. Houngbo: Seeking Another Term
Houngbo, who became the ILO’s 11th Director-General in October 2022, is seeking reappointment after leading the organisation through a period of significant economic and institutional challenges.
A former Prime Minister of Togo, he has extensive experience in international development, public administration and multilateral institutions. Before assuming the ILO leadership, he held senior positions in the United Nations system, including at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), where he served as president.
His candidacy comes against the background of an organisation confronting financial constraints and pressure to adapt its operations to emerging challenges in the global labour market.
Reuters has reported that Houngbo has faced criticism from some staff and member states over proposed organisational reforms and measures introduced to address the ILO’s financial difficulties. The organisation has had to consider staffing reductions, recruitment restrictions and other cost-saving measures.
His bid for another term will consequently be assessed not only against his experience and institutional knowledge but also against the way he has managed these challenges and his plans for the organisation’s next phase.
Yolanda Díaz Pérez: Seeking to Make History
Díaz, Spain’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, is seeking to become the first woman to head the ILO.
Her candidacy is backed by the Spanish Government, which has highlighted her record of labour-market reforms, particularly measures aimed at reducing temporary employment, improving workers’ conditions and strengthening social dialogue.
According to Reuters, Díaz has been credited with helping to secure substantial increases in Spain’s minimum wage and negotiating labour reforms through agreements involving different social partners.
However, her record has also attracted criticism, particularly from sections of the business community over aspects of her labour policies. Reuters has also noted that she has yet to fulfil a commitment to shorten the working week.
Her candidacy therefore brings into the contest a political perspective shaped by domestic experience in labour regulation, collective bargaining and social protection.
If elected, Díaz would break new ground as the first woman to lead the organisation since its establishment in 1919. Her election would also place a prominent European labour-policy figure at the head of an institution whose membership and mandate extend across the world.
How the Election Will be Conducted
The Director-General is elected by the ILO Governing Body, rather than through a direct vote involving all 187 member states of the organisation.
The Governing Body is the ILO’s executive body and operates through its distinctive tripartite structure, bringing together representatives of governments, employers and workers.
Under the organisation’s appointment rules, candidates must secure the votes of more than half of the Governing Body members entitled to vote.
The election will be conducted by secret ballot during a private sitting on November 16, 2026. The rules provide for successive rounds of voting where necessary, with the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes eliminated after each ballot.
The process is designed to ensure that the successful candidate obtains the required majority rather than simply emerging with the largest number of votes.
The candidates have already participated in a public interactive event held in Geneva on September 23, 2026, where they presented their respective visions and engaged with representatives of the ILO’s tripartite constituents.
They also underwent private hearings before the Governing Body on November 9, 2026 during which they presented their positions and responded to questions from its members.
The result of the secret ballot on November 16 will be announced at a public sitting, which the ILO says will be livestreamed.
The Central Issues Shaping the Election
Beyond the candidates’ individual records, the election is taking place against a backdrop of serious challenges that will confront whoever takes over the organisation. These include the following:
Financial Difficulties and Institutional Reform
One of the most pressing issues is the ILO’s financial position. The organisation has experienced a liquidity squeeze arising partly from delayed or unpaid contributions by member states.
Reuters reported in July 2026 that outstanding contributions from member states amounted to 368 million Swiss francs as of 17 July, with the United States accounting for 257 million Swiss francs of that sum.
The financial difficulties have affected the organisation’s ability to manage its operations, prompting cost-cutting measures, recruitment restrictions and proposed reductions in staffing.
The ILO’s own Governing Body subsequently approved a reduction of up to 73 posts in September 2026 under its contingency framework for the 2026–27 biennium.
The financial situation is particularly important because the next Director-General will have to balance institutional reform and expenditure management with the organisation’s responsibility to provide technical assistance, promote international labour standards and support member states.
The question of how to secure sustainable funding without compromising the ILO’s independence and effectiveness is therefore likely to remain central to the leadership debate.
Artificial intelligence and the changing world of work
The rapid development of artificial intelligence, automation and digital technologies presents another major challenge.
These developments are transforming how people find employment, perform their jobs, receive remuneration and interact with employers. They are also raising questions about job security, workplace surveillance, workers’ rights and the regulation of digital labour platforms.
Díaz has placed considerable emphasis on the need for the ILO to strengthen its response to technological transformation. Her published vision statement calls for a stronger international approach to the governance of artificial intelligence and technology, including progress towards a tripartite strategy at the 2027 International Labour Conference.
She also argues that the organisation must respond more effectively to the effects of climate change, automation and the expansion of informal employment.
These issues are not exclusive to her campaign. They form part of the wider mandate of the ILO, whose next leadership will be expected to ensure that technological progress does not come at the expense of decent working conditions and fundamental labour rights.
Informal employment, inequality and social protection
The expansion of informal employment, particularly in developing economies, remains a major concern for the international labour community.
Millions of workers around the world operate outside formal employment arrangements, often without adequate social protection, employment security or access to effective mechanisms for defending their rights.
The challenge is particularly relevant to developing countries, where informal economic activity constitutes a substantial part of the labour market.
The ILO’s agenda for 2027–32 will therefore need to address the transition from informal to formal employment, improve access to social protection and strengthen the enforcement of international labour standards.
At its November session, the Governing Body is also considering a draft global road map on the transition to formality for decent work covering 2027–32. This provides an indication of the importance the organisation attaches to the issue as it prepares for a new leadership period.
What’s at Stake for Africa, Europe and the Developing World?
The outcome of the election will have implications beyond the internal administration of the ILO, particularly for developing countries and regions where decent work, social protection and employment opportunities remain major development priorities.
Houngbo’s possible re-election would maintain African leadership of the organisation. His election in 2022 was historic, making him the first African to occupy the position. His experience in international development and multilateral diplomacy also gives him an established understanding of the organisation’s institutional structure.
For Africa, his continued leadership could provide an opportunity to sustain attention on employment creation, youth unemployment, informal economic activity and social protection, although these priorities will ultimately depend on the policies pursued by the organisation and its member states.
Díaz’s election, on the other hand, would represent a historic milestone for women’s representation in international labour governance. It would also bring to the organisation a leader whose political experience has been shaped by labour reforms, collective bargaining and social dialogue in Spain.
Her vision statement places particular emphasis on strengthening the ILO’s influence in developing economies and ensuring that the Global South has an effective voice in international decision-making.
Nevertheless, neither candidate can pursue an agenda independently of the organisation’s tripartite governance arrangements. Governments, employers and workers will continue to play central roles in determining international labour policies and standards.
An Important Decision for the Future of Work
As the November 16 election approaches, the contest between Houngbo and Díaz represents more than a choice between two individuals. It is also a decision about the direction, priorities and institutional effectiveness of an organisation that has played a central role in international labour governance for more than a century.
The next Director-General will inherit an institution facing difficult questions about financial sustainability, technological disruption, employment insecurity, inequality and the protection of workers in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
The successful candidate will also have to maintain the confidence of the organisation’s three constituent groups and strengthen cooperation among governments, employers and workers at a time when labour-market interests and economic priorities are often sharply divided.
With the Governing Body’s secret ballot scheduled for Monday, the immediate task is to secure the necessary majority. The wider challenge will be to translate the mandate into practical policies that improve working conditions, protect fundamental labour rights and advance social justice across the ILO’s 187 member states.The result will determine who leads the organisation from October 2027, but the consequences of that decision are likely to extend well beyond the five-year term.
