Bangladesh is at the forefront of the ILO’s democratization process

Bangladesh has assumed a leading role in advancing the democratization of the International Labour Organization (ILO), representing a coalition of 74 countries at the 356th session of its Governing Body.

Serving as the spokesperson for a diverse group of nations from South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission in Geneva called for sweeping reforms to make the ILO, the United Nations, and other global institutions more democratic, according to a press release issued today.

Leading the bloc, Bangladesh strongly pushed for the removal of the 10 permanent seats in the ILO Governing Body, describing them as undemocratic. The mission also urged the immediate launch of legal measures to ensure that all members are elected through transparent and democratic processes.

The move builds on earlier efforts by Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission in March 2025, when it successfully secured unanimous agreement to place the issue of reform on the official agenda.

At the current session, Bangladesh called for a comprehensive legal overhaul of a system that has allowed certain countries to retain voting rights and privileges for 43 years without election as permanent members.

Of the ILO’s 187 member states, 74 countries formally backed Bangladesh’s position during Thursday’s session. After extensive discussions, the proposal led by Bangladesh was adopted by consensus among representatives of governments, employers, and workers.

Counselor Fazle Lohani delivered the statement on behalf of the Permanent Mission, acting as the designated spokesperson for the 74-country coalition.