Yolanda Díaz presents ILO Director-General candidacy

Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s Second Vice President and Minister of Labour, is presenting her candidacy for the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. In a public interactive session, Díaz joins fellow candidates Gilbert F. Houngbo, the current Director-General from Togo, and former Peruvian Chancellor Javier González-Olaechea to present their visions for the organization.

Díaz’s platform focuses on creating a “global charter of labor rights” and aims to make the ILO more effective, pragmatic, and capable of addressing modern challenges through social dialogue. She also intends to address the organization’s financial crisis, noting the funding difficulties faced by UN agencies due to shifts in multilateral contributions.

The selection process includes closed-door hearings before the ILO Governing Council on November 9, 2026, followed by a secret ballot election on November 16, 2026. If elected, Díaz would be the first woman and the first Spaniard to lead the organization. The successful candidate’s term will begin on October 1, 2027.