ILO address on the occasion of the Centenary of the IYCW

Leaders and Members of the International Young Christian Workers,

On behalf of the ILO, I congratulate you on reaching your 100th anniversary.

You are now officially a centenarian with a presence in more than 50 countries, and you continue to fight for better working conditions and adequate representation for young people worldwide.

You are also one of the few youth organizations with consultative status at the ILO and have been an invaluable partner in our journey to protect labour rights.

When your movement was first established in 1925, its goals were to empower young workers and promoting social justice.

Those goals are still as relevant today as they were back then.

Young people, especially young women, still face multiple challenges in the labour markets.

Global youth unemployment is three times higher than that of adults.

One in every five young people is neither employed or in education.

And many young workers are trapped in precarious, informal, and low paid jobs.

But it does not have to be this way.

Policymakers can still take action to prioritize youth employment. They can and should invest in young people’s education, skills and lifelong learning.

And the ongoing digital and green transitions in the world of work present us with new opportunities. It is our duty to ensure that jobs created in these sectors are decent and accessible to our youth.  

Your movement’s unwavering commitment to young workers' rights is essential to achieving this.

Your vision of a society, built on dignity, solidarity and social justice, aligns with the ILO's mission. Together, we can be a driving force for change for the next century and beyond.

Happy anniversary, and congratulations on one hundred years of making a difference!