According to a statement from the Bangladesh mission in Geneva on Monday, Bangladesh has been chosen as a titular member of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation for the 2008-11 term. Bangladesh will represent the Asia Pacific Group of countries within the ILO. The elections for 18 new titular members took place at the international labour conference in Geneva. The ILO governing body consists of 56 regular members and includes representatives from governments, employers, and workers to reflect its tripartite structure. Acting labour and employment secretary Mahfuzul Haque, currently in Geneva, informed bdnews24.com that the election demonstrates the international community's backing of the country's commitment to various ILO conventions. He mentioned that as a member of ILO GB, Bangladesh can play a significant role in safeguarding the rights of workers both domestically and internationally. Haque also noted that Bangladesh is currently involved in several projects with ILO, such as eliminating child labor, protecting workers from climate change impacts, and creating guidelines for the ship-breaking industry. He expressed optimism that after the elections, Bangladesh will be able to carry out more projects with ILO support to advance the causes of the labor community.