According to a statement from the Bangladesh mission in Geneva on Monday, Bangladesh has been chosen as a titular member of the International Labour Organisation's governing body for the years 2008-11. Bangladesh will represent the Asia Pacific Group within the ILO. The elections for 18 new titular members took place at the international labour conference in Geneva on Monday. The ILO governing body consists of 56 regular members, representing governments, employers, and workers in accordance with the organization's tripartite structure. Acting labour and employment secretary Mahfuzul Haque, currently in Geneva, stated to bdnews24.com that the election demonstrates the international community's backing of the country's commitment to various ILO conventions. Haque emphasized that as a member of ILO GB, Bangladesh can play a significant role in safeguarding the rights of workers both domestically and internationally. He highlighted that Bangladesh is currently involved in several initiatives with ILO, such as combating child labor, improving working conditions in hazardous industries, creating guidelines for the ship-breaking sector, and protecting workers from climate change-related risks. Haque expressed confidence that following the elections, Bangladesh will be able to collaborate on more projects with ILO to further support the labor community's causes.