For 30 years, KOLPING INTERNATIONAL has been campaigning at the International Labour Organization (ILO) for decent work and social justice for all working people. To mark the 30th anniversary of its commitment, the Catholic social association has produced a publication commemorating the occasion, which General Secretary Dr. Markus Demele presented to ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo in Geneva yesterday.
As a civil society organization, KOLPING INTERNATIONAL has had a consultative status with the ILO for 30 years. This allows the social association from Cologne to participate as an observer at the International Labour Conferences in Geneva every year, where representatives from governments, employer and employee organizations, as well as other organizations, strive for international standards for decent work. Since then, KOLPING INTERNATIONAL has regularly used this great opportunity to include the perspectives of working people from 60 partner countries in the consultations – based on the values of Catholic social teaching.
To mark the anniversary of its consultative status, the social organization has now produced a publication commemorating its 30 years of work at the ILO. It features contributions from contemporary witnesses such as the former General Secretary of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL, senior ILO representatives and the association’s long-standing Kolping delegate in Geneva. The foreword was written by Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO. At a personal meeting at the International Labour Conference in Geneva today, Dr. Markus Demele, General Secretary of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL presented him a copy of the commemorative publication. Houngbo accepted it with heartfelt thanks for many years of commitment of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL: “I look forward to continuing our collaboration to achieve our common goals. Together we can build just, sustainable and resilient societies.” Kolping General Secretary Dr Markus Demele emphasized: “Our association will not cease to actively campaign against exploitation and for more fairness and protection for all working people in the spirit of Adolph Kolping. We owe this to our 400,000 members worldwide – not least because in some countries, national governments are either unwilling or unable to guarantee the minimum standards of decent work. This urgently requires the commitment of civil society, international institutions and the ILO as a body setting standards that are valid regardless of government ratification.”
Click here for the ILO anniversary publication
The photo shows Dr. Markus Demele and ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo at the presentation of the commemorative publication on 12.6.24 in Geneva (Photo credit: Violaine Martin / ILO)
