A new Russia-China-US bloc has emerged at the International Labour Organization, seeking to water down a European-led resolution condemning Ukraine’s invasion. US workers and employers have opposed the alliance.

On 1 April, a United States diplomat voted in favour of Moscow’s amendments proposed to an International Labour Organization (ILO) resolution. The proposal involved striking out “aggression” in a clause describing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and replacing it with the vague term “situation”. Moscow, which was referred to as an aggressor in the original version, would be recast as a “party to the conflict”. Washington endorsed all of Russia’s efforts to rewrite the narrative and redefine the nature of the war.

Since its adoption in March 2022, following Russia’s attack, the resolution has been renewed twice a year at sessions of the ILO Governing Body in Geneva, each time by a large majority. Following Donald Trump’s return to office, Washington first distanced itself from the position held by the European countries – the main backers of the text – before voting in favour of Russian amendments for the first time last autumn. This spring, the US reaffirmed its alignment with Moscow, becoming one of four countries, along with China and Niger, out of 56 voting countries to do so.

Silence from Washington

When asked for an explanation, the US mission to the United Nations in Geneva referred inquiries to the State Department’s communications services in Washington, which did not respond to Le Temps. Speaking privately, US representatives defend this new position “in the name of peace” and to “avoid politicising the issue”.

In practice, however, Washington is playing into Moscow’s hands. It also reflects a new configuration in which Russia, China and the US have formed a tactical alignment against Ukrainian and European interests. After withdrawing from the Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization, the US latest change in position stands to further weaken the former western alliance. Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the US vote. The ILO said the minutes of the latest Governing Body session will be posted online “within roughly two weeks”.

The ILO resolution on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine was first adopted a month after the war broke out, with the support of the Biden administration and a large majority of governments (28 full members), as well as employer (14) and worker (14) representatives. The text urges Russia to immediately cease its aggression, withdraw from occupied territories and provide assistance to Ukraine.

Blaise Matthey, spokesperson for the ILO employer group and vice-president for Europe and Central Asia, confirmed that the group rejected the Russian amendments, as did the worker group. Russia’s proposals were ultimately struck down, and the resolution was extended without a vote.

A US divide

“The only country to have changed its position is the US,” noted Swiss trade unionist and ILO expert Luca Cirigliano. “Despite the current Russia-China-Iran-Belarus axis, other countries in Africa, South America and Asia are not shifting in Russia’s favour. This shows that, ultimately, within UN agencies, neither China, nor Trump’s US, nor Russia dictate outcomes.”

Meanwhile, the vote reveals a further divide – one between the White House and US civil society. Representatives of workers and employers both voted against the Russian amendments, in contrast to their government.

“The worker group has consistently voted as a bloc against Russian and Chinese amendments on Ukraine,” confirmed Jeffrey Vogt, the Geneva-based delegate for US workers and director of the rule of law programme at the Solidarity Center in Washington. The same was true for US employers. Their ILO representative, Thomas Mackall, declined to comment on the US government vote.

The ILO has, however, still not relinquished its Moscow office, which serves as a subregional bureau and has been the subject of growing discontent within the organisation. For four years, Kyiv has unsuccessfully called for its closure. At the latest session, 41 governments – mostly European, including Switzerland – issued a statement to introduce an amendment calling for an end to this presence in Russia.

The initiative, led by Poland, failed to secure unanimity among European Union member states due to Hungary’s veto. The amendment was not put to a vote, reportedly because of reluctance within the ILO leadership, which was under pressure from Moscow and Beijing.