Arial shot of ILO Building

Appointment of the Director-General of the ILO: Public interactive event with candidates

Public interactive event with candidates: Session 3

Scheduled
Geneva
Candidates for the position of ILO Director-General in 2026

On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, the candidates for the post of ILO Director-General will each take part in an interactive dialogue with the ILO's tripartite constituency. The dialogues give candidates the opportunity to make themselves and their vision known to the entire ILO constituency and the general public. The events will be held virtually, with candidates invited to participate in person at ILO headquarters in Geneva, and will be webcast live on this page.

Which candidate will appear in this session?

The order in which the candidates will appear will be determined by a random draw held the day before the dialogues. The name of the candidate speaking in this session will be announced on this page once the draw has taken place. Please check back then to find out who will be speaking — this page's address will not change.

Format of each dialogue

Each session, facilitated by the Chairperson of the Governing Body, will last a maximum of 80 minutes and follow the same structure:

  • A five-minute presentation by the candidate, supplementing the vision statement submitted with their candidature
  • 16 questions and answers: 4 from Employer constituents, 4 from Worker constituents and 8 from governments (2 per geographical region)
  • Concluding remarks by the candidate

Interpretation will be provided in all seven ILO working languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian and Spanish.

Candidates

Gilbert F. Houngbo
Gilbert F. Houngbo
Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Yolanda Díaz Pérez
Yolanda Díaz Pérez
Second Vice-President of the Government of Spain Minister for Labour and the Social Economy
Javier González-Olaechea Franco
Javier González-Olaechea Franco
Candidate for the post of Director-General of the ILO, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Peru

Moderator

Matthew Wilson
Matthew Wilson
Chairperson of the ILO Governing Body, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations Office at Geneva