On February 12 the IUF delegation to the Sixth Global Conference on Child Labour met with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, to address the deepening challenges confronting agricultural and domestic workers worldwide. The delegation highlighted the structural drivers of continuous poverty, the continued denial of decent work, and the unacceptable persistence of child labour, particularly in rural economies.

In the context of the ongoing UN reform discussions, the IUF delegation emphasized the indispensable and unique tripartite mandate of the ILO, stressing that, at a time of institutional uncertainty, the Organization's normative role in setting and supervising international labour standards must be safeguarded and strengthened. The delegation underlined that effective legal and policy frameworks are essential to ensuring freedom of association, protecting fundamental labour rights, and enabling agricultural workers to organize and bargain collectively.

The meeting concluded with the ILO leadership reaffirming its commitment to advancing social justice, strengthening protections for agricultural and domestic workers, and intensifying efforts to eliminate child labour through rights-based and worker-centered approaches.