Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh chaired the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group (ASPAG) at the International La-bour Organization (ILO), reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, social jus-tice and inclusive development through multilateral engagement.
The ministerial meeting, hosted by the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in Geneva on the sidelines of the 114th International Labor Conference (ILC), brought together labor ministers and senior delegates from across the Arab, Asia and Pacific regions, according to a message received here yesterday.
Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury chaired the meeting, which was attended by 15 ministers and more than 100 delegates representing ASPAG’s 47 member states.
Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Geneva Nahida Sobhan, who served as ASPAG coordinator, moderated the session, while Labour Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder delivered the vote of thanks.
The Director-General of the ILO and the regional directors for the Arab States and Asia-Pacific regions also addressed the ministerial held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
In his remarks, the labor minister thanked ASPAG members for their support and cooperation during Bangladesh’s tenure as coordinator of the influential regional grouping.
He described ASPAG as one of the most diverse groups within the ILO, encompassing countries with varying levels of development, economic structures, cultures and labor market realities.
Despite these differences, he said, the member states remain united by a shared commitment to promot-ing decent work, social justice and inclusive development.
Reaffirming Bangladesh’s longstanding support for multilateralism, Choudhury called for collective ef-forts to strengthen and democratize global labor governance.
