A Labor Day Conversation with Geir Thomas Tonstol, Director, ILO Country Office for Pakistan
This conversation is part of a special series by The Diplomatic Insight and our digital platform DiploTV, through which we engage with distinguished leaders from international organizations, government, and the development sector to spotlight individuals and institutions advancing Pakistan’s global engagements and partnerships.
We are honored to present an exclusive interview with Geir Thomas Tonstol, Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Country Office for Pakistan.
About Mr. Geir Thomas Tonstol
Geir Thomas Tonstol, a Norwegian national, has been serving as the Director of the ILO Country Office for Pakistan since 2023. He joined the ILO in 2003 and has held various positions at both headquarters and in the field. Prior to his current role, he served as Senior Administrator in the Office of the ILO’s Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships. His previous assignments include roles as Resource Mobilization Specialist and Operations Specialist in the ILO’s Regional Office for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He began his ILO career in the Bureau for Gender Equality, managing development cooperation projects as Chief Technical Advisor. Notably, from April to October 2022, he was part of the Transition Team for the newly elected ILO Director-General.
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TDI: Could you share insights into your professional journey leading up to your current role as the Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Country Office for Pakistan?
First of all, thank you very much for having me. It’s truly a privilege and an honor to be here and let me also wish everyone a Happy Labor Day.
My career with the ILO goes back 22 years, and in fact, it is the only job I have ever had. I started working with the International Labor Organization at its headquarters in Geneva in 2003. I was then in the Bureau for Gender Equality, and after a period there, I moved to the field and joined the ILO’s Regional Office for Africa. I was based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for just over six years.
Then I returned to our headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where I had several functions before being appointed Country Director of the ILO Office here in Pakistan. I was very excited to be nominated, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the two and almost two and a half years that I have had here so far. It has been a true privilege.
TDI: Pakistan presents unique challenges but also significant opportunities for organizations like the ILO. Based on your experience here, what key challenges and opportunities have you observed in labor and employment? And how have your previous roles shaped your perspective as you lead the ILO’s work in Pakistan?
Pakistan is a vast country with a devolved governance structure, so the ILO works at both the federal and provincial levels, where most of our projects are based. We’ve had a presence in Pakistan since the early 1970s, focusing on job creation, social protection, occupational safety and health, and international labor standards, encouraging the ratification of these standards to strengthen compliance frameworks.
We operate through an agreed framework called the Decent Work Country Program, signed in 2023 with the government, employers, and workers’ organizations, covering 2023–2027. Its priorities align with our core focus areas.
Despite being a medium-sized office in a large country, we maximize outreach through committed partners. One key intervention area is the textile sector, which is vital to Pakistan’s GDP and exports. We’ve worked with the government to enhance compliance with labor standards to attract foreign buyers and boost revenue.
Pakistan’s youthful population presents both challenges and opportunities. A significant number fall under the NEET category, Not in Education, Employment, or Training, which poses demographic risks. However, this can be transformed into a strength by equipping youth with market-relevant skills and better access to employment, an area the ILO actively supports through its programs.
TDI: Thank you for sharing such valuable insights about the ILO’s work in Pakistan. As we celebrate Labor Day, how do you personally define the ILO’s mission today, particularly in the context of Pakistan’s demographic challenges and shifting economic landscape both locally and globally?
Let me begin by highlighting that tomorrow is Labor Day, a significant occasion we at the ILO commemorate every year. I’d also like to clarify that the ILO is not an international trade union. Our role is to bring together key stakeholders, governments, employers, and workers to create a space for social dialogue.
As Labor Day approaches, it’s important to remember that the ILO was founded on the principle that labor is not a commodity. Our Decent Work Agenda promotes conditions where people can work in freedom, equity, security, and human dignity. This mandate has guided us since 1919.
The ILO is one of the oldest UN agencies. Its constitution states, “If you want peace, cultivate social justice,” a principle that still drives our global and national efforts. Promoting fairness, equity, and decent work remains at the heart of our mission, including here in Pakistan.
TDI: What are the current initiatives and ongoing programs that the ILO is implementing in Pakistan, particularly in alignment with the organization’s vision and mission? Could you share some of these key efforts?
We run several programs focused on the textile industry supply chain, especially in Punjab and Sindh, helping enterprises improve compliance with international labor standards and connect with foreign brands to boost exports. Since Pakistan benefits from the EU’s GSP+ preferential trade agreement which requires adherence to ILO core labor standards, we support the government, employers, and workers to maintain this compliance.
Our interventions also extend to the cotton fields, addressing unacceptable forms of work such as child labor, bonded labor, and discrimination. Occupational safety and health are another major focus, especially in high-risk sectors like mining, agriculture, ship recycling, healthcare, and surgical instruments, where workplace hazards are prevalent.
Additionally, we continue to encourage the government to ratify ILO conventions there are over 190 and support their effective implementation across sectors.
“Pakistan ratified three international labor standards this year, and we’re very happy about that. We congratulate the government on that achievement because this was the first ratification since 2006 by Pakistan of an ILO standard.
This year, the government ratified the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC, 2006), the Labor Statistics Convention 1985 (No 160), and lastly, the protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labor Convention, 1913. That is very encouraging and something we have celebrated with the government, employers, and workers.”
So that is a snapshot of what we do. Of course, we do much more, but that gives you an idea of the main streams of our work.
TDI: Thank you for highlighting this important milestone for the ILO and Pakistan. Informal employment is a key issue in Pakistan. Could you share how the ILO is addressing this area? Specifically, how is the ILO supporting the government and informal enterprises in relation to existing labor laws, and how is this work being implemented?
Well, as I mentioned earlier, our conventions and international labor standards apply to both formal and informal workers, which is a key starting point. However, it’s challenging that about 72% of Pakistan’s workforce is in the informal sector, a largely unregulated space where workers lack rights, voice, workplace, and social protection, often left at the mercy of employers.
This includes both informal enterprises and street-based workers. Transitioning from informal to formal employment is a long and complex process, but our goal is to move along that continuum by gradually improving worker protections, rights, and representation.
We work in sectors like brick kilns to help organize workers and promote collective bargaining. We support registration to provide access to social security and raise awareness about informal working conditions, including for domestic workers, a particularly hidden and unregulated sector. We also advocate for inspections and better treatment for workers in such roles.
TDI: Gender equality and youth employment are vital for Pakistan’s future. What targeted efforts is the ILO making to enhance women’s employment and economic participation?
You’re quite right. Pakistan has one of the region’s lowest female labor force participation rates, due to various factors. Over the years, we’ve tackled this through multiple entry points like skills training for women, support for home-based workers, help with starting SMEs, and business development training.
A key area of progress is addressing workplace violence and harassment, which discourages many women from entering the workforce. We’re working closely with the government, employers, and workers to ratify ILO Convention 190, aiming to create a legal framework for safer workplaces.
If successful, this would significantly improve occupational safety and health, encouraging more women to participate in the labor market. Every worker should feel confident they’ll return home safe, and this is essential to achieving a more diverse and gender-balanced workforce.
TDI: With the global technological revolution, how does the ILO plan to support Pakistan in preparing its workforce for the future, particularly in adapting to changing employment patterns and building a more skilled, tech-aware workforce?
Technology, robotization, and artificial intelligence are here to stay and will continue to grow. It’s crucial to prepare both the workforce and the labor market, including enterprises and employers, for this shift. Our focus is to prevent a digital divide between those who master new technologies, AI, and digital tools and those who don’t, as this could widen existing disparities. We aim to bridge this divide and ensure everyone can access and master emerging technologies. Additionally, we see many automated processes as more environmentally friendly, but it’s vital to introduce these technologies in ways that benefit both workers and the environment.
TDI: With Pakistan renewing its GSP+ status, how important are global agreements and standards like these? How is the ILO helping Pakistan strengthen its position to meet international standards, including GSP+?
Pakistan benefits from the EU’s GSP+ preferential trade agreement, which requires compliance with 27 conditionalities, including the ILO’s core conventions. The ILO works closely with the government, employers, and workers to support compliance in areas like child labor, bonded labor, non-discrimination, freedom of association, and collective bargaining. Progress has been made, and while some areas need faster improvement, the government shows strong commitment to meeting these standards and maintaining GSP+ benefits.
“We’re very pleased that the government has agreed in principle to move forward with the ratification of ILO’s two core conventions on occupational safety and health. Whether they will be ratified this year or next year, I’m not sure, but that sends a very strong signal to the global community that we take this seriously. Pakistan is serious about occupational safety and health, and that will only speak in Pakistan’s favor when GSP+ will be renegotiated at the end of the term.”
In our role, the ILO provides technical support and advisory services to the government, conducting analysis on compliance with labor standards. Pakistan reports biannually on core conventions and every six years on other conventions, staying up to date with its reporting. This reflects the government’s commitment and seriousness, which positively impacts Pakistan’s standing in contexts like GSP+.
TDI: Finally, what is your broader vision for Pakistan regarding social justice, labor laws, labor rights, and economic safety, protection, and promotion? Where do you see Pakistan a decade from now?
From an ILO perspective, I am encouraged by current trends. The government recently ratified three ILO instruments and hosted a national labor conference in November last year, bringing together employers and workers to discuss key issues. This is a great example of social dialogue. We also see the development of new labor codes in the provinces, with Punjab adopting a modern, up-to-date labor code fully compliant with international standards, and Sindh following suit.
These are positive signs, but the challenge remains to translate these changes into real impact on the ground, eliminate unacceptable work practices, and provide opportunities for youth. Economic growth is essential to creating such opportunities, and achieving that requires compliance with agreements like GSP+. Additionally, we are working with the government on drafting an employment policy to guide efforts in securing jobs for youth in Pakistan.
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