75 years of leadership, service, commitment: Message from Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General International Labour Organization

It gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest congratulations to the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) as it marks its 75th anniversary.

This Platinum Jubilee is an important milestone in EFP’s history and an opportunity to recognize its contribution to Pakistan’s economic and social development. For three quarters of a century, EFP has represented the voice and experience of employers, bringing the perspectives of enterprises into national dialogue on the world of work.

For the International Labour Organization, EFP is a valued constituent of our unique tripartite system. EFP has increasingly combined national leadership with international engagement to advance sustainable enterprises and decent work. As an early employer organization to join the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice, and through its engagement with the International Organisation of Employers, EFP has helped bring Pakistani employers’ perspectives into global discussions on social justice, climate action and the future of work. Its instrumental role in establishing the Pakistan Business Task Force for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also created an enduring platform for responsible business and engagement with the SDGs.

Importantly, EFP has translated these commitments into practical support for enterprises, linking productivity and competitiveness with formalization, skills, responsible business conduct and Just Transition. Through initiatives such as the Pakistan Tripartite Alliance for Just Transition and its engagement with the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, EFP has strengthened partnerships among government, employers, workers and development partners.

This role is especially important at a time of profound change. Technology, climate change, demographic shifts and changing global markets are creating new opportunities and uncertainties for enterprises and workers alike. Navigating these transitions will require productive and sustainable enterprises, investment in skills and people, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, safe and healthy workplaces, and meaningful social dialogue.

As EFP begins its next 25 years towards its centenary, its history provides a strong foundation for a new chapter. On behalf of the International Labour Organization, I extend my warmest congratulations to EFP, its leadership, its members and all those who have contributed to its journey. Let us continue to build a world of work in which enterprises can innovate and prosper, workers can work with dignity and security, and economic progress contributes to social justice and social cohesion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026