The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a UN agency that promotes social justice and decent work by setting international labour standards. The ILO operates using a tripartite structure involving governments and social partners. A key focus of the ILO is promoting and enforcing its eight core labour standards related to issues like forced labour, child labour, and freedom of association.

1. The ILO and
Core Labour Standards
ICTU Global Solidarity
Training Course, Dublin, June 2010

2. International Labour Organization
• UN agency for the world of
work and promotion of social
justice within and between
member States (www.ilo.org)
• Operates in unique tripartite
framework consisting of
governments and social partners
(ACTRAV and ACT/EMP)
• Promotes opportunities for men
and women to obtain decent and
productive work in conditions
of freedom, equity, security and
human dignity
• Current membership of 183
countries

3. Declaration of Philadelphia
• Adopted in 1944 to redefine aims and purpose of the ILO
• Embodies 4 key principles
• “Labour is not a commodity”
• “Freedom of expression and association are essential to
sustained socio-economic progress”
• “Poverty anywhere constitutes danger to prosperity
everywhere”
• “Everyone has the right to pursue material well-being and
spiritual development in conditions of freedom, dignity,
economic security and equal opportunity”
• Principles continue to underpin the ILO’s Decent Work
Agenda today

4. Enhanced profile of the ILO
• Growth of regional and global
economic integration
(globalisation) and proliferation
of trade agreements, framework
agreements, social auditing, etc.
have generated greater interest,
needs and expectations of core
labour standards
• Led to subsequent enhancement
of profile of the ILO
• Needs and expectations of
workers in 21st century are as
great as they ever were and ILO
has key role to play in their
protection

5. ILO and Tripartism
• Key characteristic distinguishes ILO from other UN agencies
• Governments and social partners have equal voice in shaping
policies and programmes – but two social partners
• ILO promotes social dialogue in member States
• Tripartism reflected in structures as each member State can
send 4 delegates to annual International Labour Conference: 2
from government, 1 worker and 1 employer – can speak and
vote independently
• ILC sets broad policy platform of ILO and every 2 years sets
biennial work programme and budget financed by member
States
• Key item on agenda of ILC in 2010 and 2011 is creation of
new convention and/or recommendation for domestic work

6. Governance and structures
• Between annual ILC sessions,
ILO guided by its Governing
Body
• Meets 3 times a year – March,
June and November
• Comprises 28 government, 14
employer and 14 worker
representatives – Ireland does
not hold permanent seat
• 3 individual groups hold
meetings between themselves
during these events

7. Governance and structures
• ILO Geneva is international
secretariat and has decentralised
field offices around world –
although there have been closures
with global financial crisis
• Work is aided by tripartite
committees covering major
industries and technical committees
covering broad range of specialist
issues, e.g. workers’ education,
youth emplyoment, etc.
• Workers’ group and GUFs involved
in these committee activities

8. Strategic millennium objectives
4 strategic objectives guide ILO programme and budget:
1. To promote and realize standards and fundamental
principles and rights at work
2. To create greater opportunities for women and men to
secure decent employment and income
3. To enhance coverage and effectiveness of social
protection for all
4. To strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
• Decent work is heart of ILO’s current goals and work
for economic and social progress
• Underpins everything ILO does and stands for and
promoted through national country programmes

9. ILO’s Core Labour Standards
8 core labour standards
• Forced Labour, Nos.29 and 105
• Freedom of Association, Right to
Organize and Collective Bargaining,
Nos.87 and 98
• Equal Remuneration and
Discrimination in Employment, Nos.
100 and 111
• Minimum Age of Employment and
Worst Forms of Child Labour, Nos.
138 and 182
• Reinforced by Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at
Work

10. Promoting the Declaration
• In June 1998, ILC adopted Declaration
on Fundamental Principles and Rights at
Work
• Reaffirms commitment of all member
States to respect principles concerning
4 categories of fundamental rights at
work contained in core conventions:
1. Freedom of association and recognition
of right to collective bargaining
2. Elimination of all forms of forced or
compulsory labour
3. Abolition of child labour
4. Elimination of discrimination in
employment and occupation

11. Characteristics of Declaration
• Declaration addressed concerns about globalisation and social consequences
of trade liberalisation
• Landmark was WTO Ministerial Conference in Singapore 1996 where
renewed commitment made to internationally recognised core labour
standards and ILO acknowledged as competent body to deal with and set
standards
• Declaration underscores that all member States obliged to respect
fundamental principles whether or not have ratified relevant ILO conventions
• ILO obliged to assist member States in their attempt to fulfill requirements of
Declaration
• As part of follow-up, ILO produces annual review of countries which have
not ratified one or more of conventions relating to 4 categories of
fundamental rights
• In addition, ILO produces annual global report on one of 4 categories of
fundamental rights
• 2010 will be Child Labour: Accelerating progress towards 2016

12. Supervisory Mechanisms
• Application of ILO conventions monitored by
central supervisory machinery that assesses
progress and identifies areas for improvement
• Provides technical support and assistance to
assist member States in fulfilling
responsibilities
• Submit reports every 5 years, except for core
conventions where is every 2
• Tripartite approach so social partners,
including trade unions, invited to participate
in process
• Reports studied by Committee of Experts
which publishes its own annual report for
Tripartite Committee meeting during annual
conference
• Complaints procedure in place in cases of
violations of conventions

13. Flagship programmes
• International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
• Promoting the Declaration
• Gender promotion and equality
• Crisis response and reconstruction
• Skills, knowledge and employability
• Boosting employment through SME development
• Safety & health at work and environment
• Socio-economic security
• Strengthening tripartism and social dialogue
• Labour law and labour administration
• Decent work
• Indigenous rights (only international convention for indigenous peoples)
• Global Agenda for Employment
• Multinational Enterprise Programme
• HIV/AIDS and the world of work
• Regional programmes focus on issues of regional concern

14. Fair Globalisation
• Inadequate focus on human face of
globalisation creates gap in understanding
forces of change and how people react to
them
• This knowledge vital in developing
appropriate policy responses
• In this context, ILO launched World
Commission on the Social Dimension of
Globalisation in 2002
• Body of invited experts looked at how
benefits could reach more people and
explored ways of combining socio-economic
and environmental objectives to make
globalisation work for all
• Its recommendations were published in the
report “A Fair Globalization: Creating
Opportunities for All” in 2004

15. Declaration on Fair Globalisation
• In June 2008, ILO adopted its Declaration
on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation
• 3rd major statement of principles and policies
adopted by ILO, building on Philadelphia
Declaration of 1944 and Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
of 1998
• Reaffirmation of ILO values and outcome of
tripartite consultations initiated after Report
of World Commission
• Aims to achieve progress and social justice
in context of globalisation through tripartite
commitment to advance these goals through
the Decent Work Agenda
• Declaration institutionalises Decent Work
concept and places it at core of ILO’s
policies and programmes

16. Global Jobs Pact
• Faced with prospect of prolonged global increase in unemployment,
poverty and inequality and continued challenges for enterprises, in
June 2009 ILC unanimously adopted “Global Jobs Pact”
• Global policy instrument to address social and employment impact
of international financial and economic crisis
• Promotes productive recovery centred on investments, employment
and social protection
• Guided by Decent Work Agenda and commitments in 2008
Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation
• Emphasises that respecting fundamental principles and rights at
work, strengthening social protection, promoting gender equality and
encouraging participation and social dialogue are critical to recovery
and development
• Pact is about promoting jobs and protecting people

17. Green Jobs Initiative
• Joint initiative of United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), ILO, International
Employers’ Organisation (IOE) and
International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC) to assess, analyse and promote creation
of decent jobs in context of vital environmental
policies
• Collects data and good practices on green jobs
creation and has produced comprehensive study
on impact of emerging green economy on world
of work
• Next phase will involve assistance in policy
formulation and implementation through
macro-economic and sectoral assessment of
potential green jobs creation

18. Flagship publications
• Annual World Employment Report: provides up-to-date
information and analysis on major trends in world of work
• 4 volume ILO Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety:
currently in 4th edition
• Yearbook of Labour Statistics: key source of statistical
information on employment issues
• Key Indicators of Labour Market (KILM): provides analyses
from Yearbook and other international references, available
online as well
• International Labour Review: features current policy analysis on
employment and labour issues
• Two quarterlies: Labour Education and World of Work