Bangladesh has led a coalition of 74 countries at the International Labour Organization (ILO) to demand the democratisation of the organisation’s governing processes, according to a press release from the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva.
During the 356th session of the ILO Governing Body held on 26 March, the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh acted as the spokesperson for 74 nations spanning South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
The mission formally raised the demand for the democratisation of the ILO and other international organisations, according to a press release.
A core component of the proposal is the abolition of the 10 permanent member seats in the Governing Body, which are currently viewed as undemocratic.
In its place, the coalition led by Bangladesh has called for the commencement of legal processes to establish a fully democratic system where all member seats are filled through election.
This initiative follows a prior move by the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in March 2025, during which various legal arguments for reform were presented. Those efforts successfully led to the inclusion of the reform as a consensus item on the current agenda.
During the session, the Bangladesh Permanent Mission highlighted that certain countries have enjoyed voting and other rights for the past 43 years without being elected as permanent members. The mission urged a legal transition to rectify this long-standing structure.
Out of the 187 ILO member states, 74 countries expressed their support for Bangladesh’s stance during the session on Thursday.
Following extensive discussions, the proposal was accepted with the unanimous consensus of the Workers’ group, the Employers’ group, and all participating governments. A counselor from the Permanent Mission delivered the statement on behalf of the 74-nation bloc.
