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EU Statement - 113th ILC - Plenary - Closing statement on the Finance Committee

09.06.2025
Geneva
Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in Geneva

European Union

Statement

 

 

 

International Labour Conference

113th session 

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

 

________

 

Plenary

 

Closing statement on the Finance Committee

 

________

  

 

Geneva, 9 June 2025

 

 

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International Labour Conference
113th session

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

 

Plenary 

Closing statement on the Finance Committee

 

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. 

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area align themselves with this statement.

  1. [We align with the statement made by IMEC.]

  2. Let me start by expressing appreciation to the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, the Permanent Representative of Samoa, for her tireless efforts in facilitating the consensual approval by the Finance Committee of the Programme and Budget for the 2026-27 biennium. We also thank the Director-General and the Office for their support in this process.

  3. While we would have preferred the original draft resolution on the adoption of the Programme and Budget, as recommended to the International Labour Conference by the Governing Body in March, we welcome the fact that this strategic document that will guide ILO’s work in the coming years was adopted by consensus. It sends an important signal at a time when the world needs social justice as the foundation of lasting peace, equal opportunities and fair transitions. 

  4. We would nonetheless like to stress that, as clearly stated in the Standing Orders of the ILC, the Finance Committee, where social partners are not included, is not the right forum for policy-related matters. Only budgetary and administrative matters fall within its mandate.

  5. Chair, through collective engagement and responsibility, we have ultimately arrived at a place that allows us to move forward together. With these comments and in full support for the mandate of the ILO, we can support the adoption of the Programme and budget resolution.

Thank you Chair

 

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.