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GUY RYDER, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
With a mandate to promote social justice through the world of work, the International Labour Organization
(ILO) is built on the equal participation of governments, and employer and worker organizations. It is also
founded on the principle that “universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social
justice,” states the ILO Constitution.
The route towards peace is difficult, precarious and challenging. Moreover each path to peace is the outcome of
the convergence through dialogue of many separate initiatives, each complementing the other.
The International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures is one element of such a process. It offers an
opportunity for citizens, for their organizations, and for the states that represent them, to develop an inclusive
dialogue between cultures and religions that can contribute to realizing the goals of peace and development.
Consequently this initiative resonates with the ILO. Social dialogue is both a means and an end for the ILO.
Its universal standards are applied in national contexts. Respect for human dignity and solidarity – values that
foster social cohesion – guide the ILO’s action in promoting decent work in all its aspects: access to full and
productive employment, adequate social protection, freedom from discrimination, and respect for fundamental
principles and rights at work. Dialogue on these issues across cultures can help to shape a common vision of
sustainable development and an understanding of its ethical, social and cultural implications.
Guy Ryder
Director-General of the International Labour Organization