The ILO is the only international organization focused on global labor rights, aiming to promote decent and productive work with freedom, justice, security, and human dignity. The ILO’s primary goals include advancing employee rights, providing adequate job opportunities, ensuring social safety, and facilitating workplace communication.
What the ILO is and what it what it does
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations system which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights.
The ILO formulates international labour standards. These take the form of Convention of Conventions and Recommendations, which set minimum standards in the field of fundamental labour rights: freedom of association association, the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labour, equality of opportunity and treatment, as well as other standards addressing conditions spanning across the entire spectrum of work-related issues.
The ILO provides technical assistance, mainly in the following fields:
- vocational training and vocational rehabilitation;
- employment policy;
- labour administration;
- labour law and industrial relations;
- conditions of work;
- management development;
- cooperatives;
- social security;
- labour statistics, and occupational safety & health.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has the following mission: To promote opportunities for men and women to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity, which is summed up by the expression “Decent work as a global goal”.
History
The International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded, along with League of Nations, by the Treaty of Versailles on 11 April 1919.
The ILO was created in response to the consciousnes that followed the First World War at the Peace Conference, which convened first in Paris and then in Versailles. The ILO is the only major surviving outcome of the come of the Treaty of Versailles.
The ILO was founded primarily in response to humanitarian concern over the condition of workers who were being exploited with no consideration for their health, their family lives or their professional and social advancement.The ILO was also based on political and economic considerations.
These ideas were reflected in the ILO Constitution.
Towards the end of the Second World War, the ILO adopted the Declaration of Philadelphia to reflect its philosophy and fundamental principles, as well as to broaden its aims and purposes. The Declaration was adopted by the ILO in 1944 and is the equivalent of what an organization commonly refers to as its mission.
International Labour Conference (ILC)
The ILC meets in June every year, in Geneva, and is the highest authority of the ILO.
It sets minimum international labour standards and defines the broad policies of the Organization. Every two years, the Conference adopts the ILO’s biennial work programme and budget, which is financed by member States.
The ILC also provides an international forum for the discussion of world labour and social problems. The ILC elects the Governing Body of the ILO.
Governing Body
The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO which establishes the strategic objectives and policies. The Governing Body meets three times a year in Geneva and makes decisions on ILO policy and establishes the programme and budget, which it subsequently submits to the Conference for adoption. The Governing Body also elects the Director-General for a five-year renewable term.
Tripartite structure of the ILO
The ILO has a tripartite structure unique in the United Nations system, in which employers’ and workers’ representatives – the “social partners” – have an equal voice with those of governments in shaping its policies and programmes.
What are international labour standards?
International labour standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO’s constituents (governments, employers and workers) which set out basic principles and rights at work.
ILS are divided into:
- CONVENTIONS: These are legally binding international treaties that are subject to ratification by member States.
- RECOMMENDATIONS: These serve as non-binding guidelines. They can also be autonomous, namely not linked to a Convention.
In many case any cases, a Convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries, while a related Recommendation supplements the Convention by providing roviding more detailed guidelines on its implementation.
Binding means mandatory as soon as a country has ratified a Convent Convention and integrated it into national law.
ILO’s Four Principles:
- Freedom of association and the Right to Collective Bargaining
- Elimination of forced or compulsory labour
- Abolition of Child Labour
- Elimination of Discrimination in Employment and Occupation
ILO sectors for implementing the strategic objectives:
International labour standards and fundamental principles and rights at work (Sector 1).
This objective corresponds to the ILO’s role in promoting and monitoring the implementation of labour standards. In this regard, the ILO has eight fundamental Conventions and seeks to achieve their universal ratification, namely their adoption by all countries throughout the world.
Decent employment and income (Sector 2)
There is a divide between those in the world who have poor-quality jobs – or no jobs at all – and those in decent employment. The employment of young people and women is a priority for the ILO. The Organization develops programmes for worker training, enterprise creation and poverty reduction.
Social protection for all (Sector 3)
The ILO understan understands that workers and their families need social protection. In this area, the Organization is committed to promoting a campaign on social protection and coverage for all for all, which includes subjects such as occupational safety and health, conditions of work, migration and strategies to combat HIV/AIDS in the world of work.
Tripartism and social dialogue (Sector 4)
The Organization is tripartite, meaning that governments, workers and employers are its constituents. The ILO therefore has a special interest in strengthening the organizations representing these groups, so that they can increase their involve involvement in the development of policie policies that affect the world of work at the national and international levels.
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