The International Labour Organization (ILO) canceled the appointment of Sheng Li, a US official, as deputy director-general due to unpaid dues by the United States. Sheng Li was appointed in April 2026 but will not assume the position as of July 2026 because of US payment delays [1, 2, 3].
The US owes the ILO 257 million Swiss francs ($328 million) in unpaid contributions for 2026 and previous years, according to ILO records. Other sources report arrears exceeding 173 million Swiss francs for the past two years plus nearly 84 million Swiss francs for 2026 dues [1, 2, 3]. The US has traditionally held the deputy director-general role as the largest contributor, paying about 22% of the ILO budget [1].
The deputy director-general vacancy has persisted since the previous US official left in September 2025 [2, 3]. ILO director-general Guy Ryder decided to rescind Sheng Li’s appointment due to continued US payment delays. Ryder said the decision was necessary given the financial situation [2, 3].
The ILO is facing financial difficulties and is carrying out reforms to reduce its budget [2, 3]. It emphasized that the cancellation is without prejudice to the possibility of the US settling its arrears and regaining its position as the largest contributor [1]. The organization continues to maintain constructive dialogue with the US government on resolving the payment issues [2, 3].
The ILO announcement came on June 1, 2026, officially canceling Sheng Li’s appointment months after his selection [1, 2, 3]. Sheng Li was originally scheduled to begin as deputy director-general in July 2026 [1, 2, 3].
