THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION The Governing Body meets three times a year, in March, June and November, at the ILO headquarters in Geneva. 3.3 The International Labour Office The International Labour Office (the Office) is the permanent secretariat of the ILO and is based in Geneva. A Director-General, who is elected by the Governing Body for a renewable period of five years, heads the Office. In March 1999, Juan Somavia of Chile was elected as the Director-General. The main functions of the Office include, but are not limited to: • Compiling information and statistics; • Conducting research on issues of relevance to the ILO; • Facilitating technical cooperation and training programmes; • Organizing conferences and meetings; • Preparing background documents and reports for the ILC and other meetings; • Providing assistance to constituents; • Publishing materials on social and labour issues; • Servicing the ILO bodies including the ILC and Governing Body. One fact which is often overlooked – by scholars and researchers among others – is the Office’s function as a documentation centre. It has built up a vast collection of information and documents including books, governmental reports, historical studies and other materials. These are available for consultation at the ILO’s headquarters in Geneva. List of ILO member states Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, the Comoros, the Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, the Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, the Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, the Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe (As at: 4 November 2001. Source: ILO) 6 THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION: A HANDBOOK FOR MINORITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES