Guy Ryder

Guy Bernard Ryder (born 3 January 1956) is a British international civil servant who currently serves as Under-Secretary-General for Policy at the United Nations.

He was previously Director-General of the International Labour Organization from 2012 to 2022, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation from 2006 to 2010 and General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions from 2002 to 2006.

Education Born in Liverpool, England, Ryder studied social and political sciences at the University of Cambridge and Latin American studies at the University of Liverpool.

In 2002 Ryder was appointed General Secretary of the ICFTU, based in Brussels, where he led a process described as the global unification of the democratic international trade union movement. He also became a leading figure in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, for which he spoke at the 2005 World Summit. He was elected as first General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation when it was created in 2006 and headed its delegations to talks with the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization and to the G20 leaders' summits.

On 3 March 2022 Ryder echoed the strong condemnation by the United Nations General Assembly of the Russian war against Ukraine.

Under-Secretary-General for Policy at the United Nations Following the conclusion of his term in October 2022, Ryder was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations.