ILO

The primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.
Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

The ILO has four strategic objectives

1. 2. 3. 4.

Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
In support of its goals, the ILO offers unmatched expertise and knowledge about the world of work, acquired over more than 90 years of responding to the needs of people everywhere for decent work, livelihoods and dignity. It serves its tripartite constituents - and society as a whole - in a variety of ways, including: 1. Formulation of international policies and programmes to promote basic human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities 2. Creation of international labour standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application 3. An extensive programme of international technical cooperation formulated and implemented in an active partnership with constituents, to help countries put these policies into practice in an effective manner 4. Training, education and research activities to help advance all of these efforts

Rights at work
Normative action is an indispensable tool to make decent work a reality."
Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General, 2001

Achieving the goal of decent work in the globalized economy requires action at the international level. The world community is responding to this challenge in part by developing international legal instruments on trade, finance, environment, human rights and labour. The ILO contributes to this legal framework by elaborating and promoting international labour standards aimed at making sure that economic growth and development go along with the creation of decent work. The ILO's unique tripartite structure ensures that these standards are backed by governments, employers, and workers alike. International labour standards therefore establish the basic minimum social standards agreed upon by all actors in the global economy.

Introduction to International Labour Standards

"The rules of the global economy should be aimed at improving the rights, livelihoods, security, and opportunities of people, families and communities around the world." - World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, 2004 (Note 1) Since 1919, the International Labour Organization has maintained and developed a system ofinternational labour standards aimed at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity. In today's globalized economy, international labour standards are an essential component in the international framework for ensuring that the growth of the global economy provides benefits to all.

Conventions and Recommendations

International labour standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO's constituents (governments, employers and workers) and setting out basic principles and rights at work. They are either conventions, which are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states, orrecommendations, which serve as non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries, while a related recommendation supplements the convention by providing more detailed guidelines on how it could be applied. Recommendations can also be autonomous, i.e. not linked to any convention.

Conventions and recommendations are drawn up by representatives of governments, employers and workers and are adopted at the ILO's annual International Labour Conference. Once a standard is adopted, member states are required under the ILO Constitution to submit them to their competent authority (normally the parliament) for consideration. In the case of conventions, this means consideration for ratification. If it is ratified, a convention generally comes into force for that country one year after the date of ratification. Ratifying countries commit themselves to applying the convention in national law and practice and reporting on its application at regular intervals. The ILO provides technical assistance if necessary. In addition, representation and complaint procedures can be initiated against countries for violations of a convention they have ratified (see ).

Fundamental conventions
The ILO's Governing Body has identified eight conventions as "fundamental", covering subjects that are considered as fundamental principles and rights at work: freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. These principles are also covered in the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). In 1995, the ILO launched a campaign to achieve universal ratification of these eight conventions. There are currently over 1,200 ratifications of these conventions, representing 86% of the possible number of ratifications.

Fundamental conventions

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)

Table of ratifications of the fundamental conventions

Governance conventions
The ILO's Governing Body has also designated another four conventions as "priority" instruments, thereby encouraging member states to ratify them because of their importance for the functioning of the international labour standards system. Since 2008, these conventions are now referred to as Governance conventions as they were

identified by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization as the standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance.

Governance conventions

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Applying and promoting International Labour Standards

"Normative action is an indispensable tool to make decent work a reality" - Juan Somavia, ILO Director- General, 2001 (Note 1)

International labour standards are backed by a supervisory system that is unique at the international level and that helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions they ratify. The ILO regularly examines the application of standards in member states and points out areas where they could be better applied. If there are any problems in the application of standards, the ILO seeks to assist countries through social dialogue and technical assistance.

The ILO has developed various means of supervising the application of Conventions and Recommendations in law and practice following their adoption by the International Labour Conference and their ratification by States.

ILO Supervisory system There are two kinds of supervisory mechanism:

1.

The regular system of supervision: examination of periodic reports submitted by Member States on the measures they have taken to implement the provisions of the ratified Conventions

2.

Special procedures: a representations procedure and a complaints procedure of general application, together with a special procedure for freedom of association

The regular system for supervising the application of standards

The regular system of supervision is based on the examination by two ILO bodies of reports on the application in law and practice sent by member States and on observations in this regard sent by workers organizations and employers organizations.

1) The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

2) The International Labour Conferences Tripartite Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

Relevant constitutional provisions:

1.

Obligation to report on ratified Conventions

o Article 22 of the ILO Constitution

Each of the Members agrees to make an annual report to the International Labour Office on the measures which it has taken to give effect to the provisions of Conventions to which it is a party. These reports shall be made in such form and shall contain such particulars as the Governing Body may request.

1.

Obligation to report on unratified Conventions

o Article 19 (5e) of the ILO Constitution

If the Member does not obtain the consent of the authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, no further obligation shall rest upon the Member except that it shall report to the Director-General of the International Labour Office, at appropriate intervals as requested by the Governing Body, the position of its law and practice in regard to the matters dealt with in the Convention, showing the extent to which effect has been given, or is proposed to be given, to any of the provisions of the Convention by legislation, administrative action, collective agreement or otherwise and stating the difficulties which prevent or delay the ratification of such Convention.

1.

Obligation to report on Recommendations

o Article 19 (6d) of the ILO Constitution Apart from bringing the Recommendation before the said competent authority or authorities, no further obligation shall rest upon the Members, except that they shall report to the Director-General of the International Labour Office, at appropriate intervals as requested by the Governing Body, the position of the law and practice in their country in regard to the matters dealt with in the Recommendation, showing the extent to which effect has been given or is

proposed to be given, to the provisions of the Recommendation and such modifications of these provisions as it has been found or may be found necessary to make in adopting or applying them.

1.

Ratified Conventions, unratified Conventions and Recommendations

o Article 23 of the ILO Constitution

1. The Director-General shall lay before the next meeting of the Conference a summary of the information and reports communicated to him by Members in pursuance of articles 19 and 22.

2. Each Member shall communicate to the representative organizations [] copies of the information and reports communicated to the Director-General in pursuance of articles 19 and 22.

Special procedures
Unlike the regular system of supervision, the three procedures listed below are based on the submission of a representation or a complaint.

1) Procedure for representations on the application of ratified Conventions.

2) Procedure for complaints over the application of ratified Conventions.

3) Special procedure for complaints regarding freedom of association (Freedom of Association Committee).

Social dialogue
Social dialogue plays a critical role in achieving the ILO's objective of advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity. Social dialogue includes all types of negotiation, consultation and exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers on issues of common interest.

Social dialogue and the practice of tripartism between governments and the representative organizations of workers and employers within and across borders are now more relevant to achieving solutions and to building up

social cohesion and the rule of law through, among other means, international labour standards."
ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization

How social dialogue actually works varies from country to country and from region to region. It can exist as a tripartite process, with the government as an official party to the dialogue or it may consist of bipartite relations between labour and management, with or without indirect government involvement. It can be informal or institutionalised, and often is a combination of the two. It can take place at the national, regional or at enterprise level. It can be inter-professional, sectoral or a combination of these.

Enabling the conditions of Social Dialogue

The ILO encourages tripartism within Member States by promoting social dialogue to help design and implement national policies. Achieving fair terms of employment, decent working conditions, and development for the benefit of all cannot be achieved without the active involvement of workers, employers and governments, including a broad-based effort by all of them. To encourage such an approach, one of the strategic objectives of the ILO is to strengthen social dialogue among the tripartite constituents. It helps governments, employers' and workers' organizations to establish sound labour relations, adapt labour laws to meet changing economic and social needs and improve labour administration. Successful social dialogue structures and processes have the potential to resolve important economic and social issues, encourage good governance, advance social and industrial peace and stability and boost economic progress. Effective social dialogue depends on:

Respect for the fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining Strong, independent workers' and employers' organizations with the technical capacity and knowledge required to participate in social dialogue Political will and commitment to engage in social dialogue on the part of all parties Appropriate institutional support

The ILO helps governments and employers and workers organizations establish sound labour relations, adapt labour laws to changing economic and social circumstances and improve labour

administration. In supporting and reinforcing employers and workers organizations, the ILO helps to create the conditions for effective dialogue with governments and with each other.

Freedom of association
Effective dialogue implies the right freely to form and join groups for the promotion and defence of their occupational interests. Freedom of association and collective bargaining are among the founding principles of the ILO. Soon after the adoption of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, the ILO came to the conclusion that the principle of freedom of association needed a further supervisory procedure to ensure compliance with it in countries that had not ratified the relevant conventions. As a result, in 1951 the ILO set up the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA)for the purpose of examining complaints about violations of freedom of association, whether or not the country concerned had ratified the relevant conventions.

Social protection

Access to adequate social protection is recognized by International labour standards and the UN as a basic right . It is also widely considered to be instrumental in promoting human welfare and social consensus on a broad scale, and to be conducive to and indispensable for fair growth, social stability and economic performance, contributing to competitiveness Today, only 20 per cent of the worlds population has adequate social security coverage, and more than half lack any coverage at all. They face dangers in the workplace and poor or nonexistent pension and health insurance coverage. The situation reflects levels of economic development, with fewer than 10 per cent of workers in least-developed countries covered by social security. In middle-income countries, coverage ranges from 20 to 60 per cent, while in most industrial nations, it is close to 100 per cent. Social Protection is one of the four strategic objectives of the Decent Work agenda that define the core work of the ILO. Since its creation in 1919, ILO has actively promoted policies and

provided its Member States with tools and assistance aimed at improving and expanding the coverage of social protection to all groups in society and to improving working conditions and safety at work. The ILO has set out three main objectives reflecting the three major dimensions of social protection:

1. Extending the coverage and effectiveness of social security schemes 2. Promoting labour protection , which comprises decent conditions of work, including wages, working time and occupational safety and health, essential components of decent work 3. Working through dedicated programmes and activities to protect such vulnerable groups as migrant workers and their families; and workers in the informal economy. Moreover, the world of work's full potential will be used to respond to the AIDS pandemic, focusing on enhancing tripartite constituents' capacity

The Social Protection Floor Initiative

Recognizing the importance of ensuring social protection for all, the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (UNCEB) adopted, in April 2009, the Social Protection Floor Initiative, as one of the nine UN joint initiatives to cope with the effects of the economic crisis. This initiative is co-led by the International Labour Office and the World Health Organization and involves a group of 17 collaborating agencies, including United Nations agencies and international financial institutions. The Social Protection Floor approach promotes access to essential social security transfers and social services in the areas of health, water and sanitation, education, food, housing, life and asset-savings information. It emphasizes the need to implement comprehensive, coherent and coordinated social protection and employment policies to guarantee services and social transfers across the life cycle, paying particular attention to the vulnerable groups.

Who we are
ILO Tripartite constituents
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite U.N. agency with government, employer, and worker representatives. This tripartite structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which the governments and the social partners of the economy of its 183 Member States can freely and openly debate and elaborate labour standards and policies.

International Labour Office

The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization, its operational headquarters. Administration and management are decentralized in regional, area, and branch offices in more than 40 countries under the leadership of a Director-General.

ILO Director-general
A new Director-General is elected every five years by the Governing Body. Subject to the instructions of the Governing Body, the Director-General is responsible for the efficient conduct of the International Labour Office and other duties as may be assigned.

ILO Administrative Tribunal

The Administrative Tribunal examines employment-related complaints by officials of the International Labour Office and of the other international organizations that have recognized its jurisdiction. It is currently open to approximately 46,000 international civil servants who are serving or former officials of some 60 organizations.

ILO Centres and Institutes

The ILO is universally regarded as an authoritative source of knowledge on the world of work. The Organization has established Institutes and centres that provide specialized research,training and support for the ILOs offices and constituents.

Tripartite constituents

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite U.N. agency with government, employer, and worker representatives. This tripartite structure makes the ILO a unique forum in which the governments and the social partners of the economy of its Member States can freely and openly debate and elaborate labour standards and policies. Member StatesToday the ILO comprises 183 Member States. In addition to the States which were Members of the International Labour Organization on 1 November 1945, any original member of the United Nations and any State admitted to membership of the United Nations by a

decision of the General Assembly may become a Member of the ILO by communicating to the Director-General its formal acceptance of the obligations of the Constitution of the Organization. The General Conference of the International Labour Organization may also admit Members to the Organization by a vote of two-thirds of the delegates attending the session, including twothirds of the Government delegates present and voting. 1. Alphabetical list of member States 2. Rules for admission of new Member States

Workers' Organization
Free trade unions are democratic, self-organizing institutions of working people wishing to advance their rights as workers and citizens. Despite the denial of the right to organize in many countries the international trade union movement is the worlds largest and most representative organization based on voluntary membership. Trade unions are key civil society institutions in most democratic countries. In a rapidly globalizing world the challenge of securing decent work, safe conditions of work, living wages, basic social security, gender equality and fair income distribution call for better global governance and universal application and enforcement of international labour standards. Since its creation, trade unions have regarded the ILO as an essential institution for promoting the protection of workers through global social dialogue and standard setting. As the main link between the International Labour Office and workers, the Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) - a specialized unit within the ILO Secretariat- coordinates all the activities of the Office related to workers and their organizations, both at headquarters and in the field. The Mandate of the Bureau for Workers' Activities is to strengthen representative, independent and democratic trade unions in all countries, to enable them to play their role effectively in protecting workers' rights and interests and in providing effective services to their members at national and international levels, and to promote the ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions.

1. More about the ILO Bureau for Workers' Activities

Employers' OrganizationsEmployers' Organizations are institutions set up to organize and advance the collective interests of employers. They are crucial for shaping an environment conducive to competitive and sustainable enterprises that can contribute to economic and social development, and by providing services that improve and guide individual performance of

enterprises. Employers organizations are a critical component of any social dialogue process, which can help to ensure that national social and economic objectives are properly and effectively formulated and enjoy wide support among the business community which they represent. As one of the three constituents of the ILO, employers' organizations have a special relationship with the Organization. The ILO's Bureau for Employers' Organizations - a specialized unit within the ILO Secretariat - is responsible for the nurturing and development of that relationship. Its task is to maintain close and direct relations with employers' organizations in member States, to make the ILO's resources available to them and to keep the ILO constantly aware of their views, concerns and priorities. The Bureau also runs a Technical Cooperation Programme, which provides assistance to employers' organizations in developing and transition countries. ACT/EMP works in close cooperation with the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) on the international labour and social policy issues the ILO deals with.

International Labour Office

The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization. It is the focal point for International Labour Organization's overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny of the Governing Body and under the leadership of the DirectorGeneral. The Office employs some 2,700 officials from over 150 nations at its headquarters in Geneva, and in around 40 field offices around the world. Among these officials, 900 work in technical cooperation programmes and projects.

The Office also contains a research and documentation centre.

ILO Director-General

A new Director-General is elected every five years by the Governing Body. Subject to the instructions of the Governing Body, the Director-General is responsible for the efficient conduct of the International Labour Office and other duties as may be assigned.

The current Director General, Mr. Juan Somavia was elected to serve as the ninth Director-General of the ILO by the Governing Body on 23 March 1998. His term of office began on 4 March 1999, when he became the first representative from the Southern hemisphere to head the Organization. Mr. Somavia was re-elected for a second five-year term in March 2003 and for a third term on 18 November 2008.

Former ILO Directors-General Director General Michel Hansenne Francis Blanchard C. Wilfred Jenks David A. Morse Edward Phelan Term of Office 1989-1999 1974-1989 1970-1973 1948-1970 1941-1948 Country Belgium France UK US Ireland

John G. Winant Harold Butler Albert Thomas

1939-1941 1932-1938 1919-1932

US UK France

ILO Administrative Tribunal

The Tribunal examines employment-related complaints from officials of the International Labour Office and of the other international organizations that have recognized its jurisdiction. The Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organization is the heir of the Administrative Tribunal of the League of Nations, which was competent from 1927 to 1946 to hear complaints against the Secretariat of the League of Nations and against the International Labour Office. Since 1947 the Tribunal has heard complaints from serving and former officials of the International Labour Office and of the other international organizations that have recognized its jurisdiction. It is currently open to approximately 46,000 international civil servants who are serving or former officials of some sixty organizations. The Tribunal is composed of seven judges who must be of different nationalities, as was the case for the Administrative Tribunal of the League of Nations. They are appointed by the International Labour Conference on a recommendation of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office for a renewable period of 3 years.

The Tribunal meets twice a year, in spring and autumn, for a period of 3 weeks, at the headquarters of the ILO in Geneva. At each session it delivers approximately fifty judgments. The Tribunal is serviced by a Registry, comprising a Registrar and a small team of legal officers. The Registry's secretariat receives the documents submitted in the course of the proceedings and replies to requests for information.

ILO Centres and Institutes

The ILO is a major resource centre for information, analysis and guidance on the world of work. Research accompanies and reinforces all of the Organizations standard-setting and technical cooperation activities and the ILO is universally regarded as an authoritative source of knowledge on the world of work. Its institutes and Centres are specialized departments of the Organization which provide specialized support for ILOs offices and constituents.

International Institute for Labour Studies

The ILO International Institute for Labour Studies in Geneva promotes policy research and public discussion on emerging issues of concern to the ILO and its constituents labour, business and government. The organizing theme of the Institutes programmes is the notion of decent work. The Institutes programmes seek to contribute to the development of the analytical and empirical foundations of decent work and a broader understanding of the policy instruments necessary to implement it in practice. The Institute provides: International research programmes and networks linking academics with business, labour, and government practitioners, to explore emerging policy issues of potential relevance for the ILO and contribute to policy formulation. Educational programmes to assist trade unions, employers organizations and labour administrations in developing their institutional capacities for research, analysis, and policy formulation in the economic and social fields. The Institute's means of action include research, workshops and seminars, internship programmes, a visiting scholar programme and publications. The Institute's programmes draw

upon the ILO's operational experience, its field structure and its unique global databases on development policy and social legislation in over 170 countries.

International Training Centre of the ILO

As skilled human resources are central to the pursuit of decent work, in 1965, the ILO established its training arm in Turin, Italy, to assist countries in their social and economic development through training. Working in close partnership with regional and national training institutions, the Centre contributes to disseminating the ILOs principles and policies, and to strengthening the capacity of national institutions to implement relevant programmes, in line with its strategic objectives. It offers training/learning opportunities and related services to decision makers, managers, practitioners and trainers from governments, workers organizations, employers organizations and their partner institutions. It has partnerships with regional and national training institutions and its services are available to the United Nations system as a whole, including ILO staff. To date, over 90,000 women and men from 170 nations have benefited from its services since it opened in 1965. The annual number of activities exceeds 300 standard courses, customized learning events, comprehensive training projects, advisory services, and training material design and production. Around half the activities take place on-campus and the rest in the field. Besides group training, the Centre organizes, on request, learning programmes for individuals who are placed in public and private institutions and organizations. Increasingly, it uses information technology, including the Internet, to offer distance learning and tutoring services.

1. Course calendar for the International Training Centre, Turin The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (OIT/CINTERFOR)
The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (ILO/Cinterfor) is a technical service of the ILO, with the mission of the development of a permanent learning and horizontal cooperation community among the national organizations in charge of vocational training. It works as the core of a system integrated by vocational training-related institutions and organisations belonging to ILO Member States in the world.

International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS)

CIS is the knowledge management arm of SafeWork of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Its goal is to ensure that workers and everyone concerned with their protection have

access to the facts they need to prevent occupational injuries and diseases. The network of CIS Centres contributes to the exchange of information among persons responsible for the establishment and implementation of national policies and programmes. CIS continuously monitors world literature on occupational safety and health through its contacts with publishers and with about 150 centres at the national and regional level around the world. In addition to covering up-to-date OSH literature, CIS also provides a basic reference service to its worldwide users by delivering information on conferences and educational opportunities in the OSH field, as well as in maintaining directories of various kinds. CIS was founded in 1959 as a joint endeavour of the ILO, the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the European Coal and Steel Community (one of the predecessors of the European Union) and occupational safety and health institutions in 11 European countries. Very quickly, the CIS network of centres expanded to include members from other continents, and by now it has grown to cover 110 countries all over the world.

How the ILO works

Tripartism and social dialogue
Underlying the ILOs work is the importance of cooperation between governments and employers and workers organizations in fostering social and economic progress. The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes. The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards, policies and programmes. The ILO encourages this tripartism within its constituents and member States by promoting a social dialogue between trade unions and employers in formulating, and where appropriate, implementing national policy on social, economic, and many other issues. The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies (The International labour Conference, the Governing body and the Office) which comprise governments', employers' and workers'

representatives. The work of the Governing Body and of the Office is aided by tripartite committees covering major industries. It is also supported by committees of experts on such matters as vocational training, management development, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workers education, and special problems of women and young workers. Regional meetings of the ILO member States are held periodically to examine matters of special interest to the regions concerned.

International Labour Conference

International labour standards and the broad policies of the ILO are set by the International Labour Conference, which meets annually. Often called an international parliament of labour, the Conference is also a forum for discussion of key social and labour questions.

Standards supervisory system

International labour standards are backed by a supervisory system that helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions they ratify.

Governing body
The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times a year in Geneva. It takes decisions on ILO policy and establishes the programme and the budget, which it then submits to the Conference for adoption.

Partnerships and development

Since the early 1950s, the ILO has been providing technical cooperation to countries on all continents and at all stages of economic development. Projects are implemented through close cooperation between recipient countries, donors, and the ILO, which maintains a network of area and regional offices worldwide.

International Labour Office

The ILO secretariat, operational headquarters, research centre and publishing house, are based in the International Labour Office, Geneva. Administration and management are decentralized in regional, area, and branch offices.

Programme and Budget

The Programme and Budget of the Organization which sets out the strategic objectives and expected outcomes for the Organizations work is approved every two years by the International Labour Conference.

International Labour Conference

The broad policies of the ILO are set by the International Labour Conference, which meets once a year in June, in Geneva, Switzerland. This annual Conference brings together governments', workers' and employer's delegates of the ILO member States. Often called an international parliament of labour, the Conference establishes and adopts international labour standards and is a forum for discussion of key social and labour questions. It also adopts the Organization's budget and elects the Governing Body. Each member State is represented by a delegation consisting of two government delegates, an employer delegate, a worker delegate, and their respective advisers. Many of the government representatives are cabinet ministers responsible for labour affairs in their own countries. Employer and Worker delegates are nominated in agreement with the most representative national organizations of employers and workers. Every delegate has the same rights, and all can express themselves freely and vote as they wish. Worker and employer delegates may sometimes vote against their government's representatives or against each other. This diversity of viewpoints, however, does not prevent decisions being adopted by very large majorities or in some cases even unanimously.

Heads of State and prime ministers also take the floor at the Conference. International organizations, both governmental and others, attend as observers.

Governing Body

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November. It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.

It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years (the last elections were held in June 2008). The Employer and Worker members are elected in their individual capacity.

ILO supervisory system/mechanism

International labour standards are backed by a supervisory system that is unique at the international level and that helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions they ratify. The ILO regularly examines the application of standards in member states and points out areas where they could be better applied. If there are any problems in the application of standards, the ILO seeks to assist countries through social dialogue and technical assistance.

The ILO has developed various means of supervising the application of Conventions and Recommendations in law and practice following their adoption by the International Labour Conference and their ratification by States.

There are two kinds of supervisory mechanism:

Regular system of supervision

Examination by two ILO bodies of reports on the application in law and practice sent by member States and on observations in this regard sent by workers organizations and employers organizations.

1. The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations 2. The International Labour Conferences Tripartite Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations 1. Impact of the regular supervisory system

Special procedures
Unlike the regular system of supervision, the three special procedures listed are based on the submission of a representation or a complaint.

1. Procedure for representations on the application of ratified Conventions. 2. Procedure for complaints over the application of ratified Conventions. 3. Special procedure for complaints regarding freedom of association (Freedom of Association Committee). General Surveys
International labour standards are universal instruments adopted by the international community and reflecting common values and principles on work-related issues. While member States can choose whether or not to ratify any conventions, the ILO considers it important to keep track of developments in all countries, whether or not they have ratified them.

Member States report at regular intervals on measures they have taken to give effect to any provision of certain conventions or recommendations, and to indicate any obstacles which have prevented or delayed the ratification of a particular convention. The Committee of Experts publishes an in-depth annual General Survey on member States' national law and practice, on a subject chosen by the Governing Body.

Technical assistance and training

The ILO also provides assistance drafting national legislation and help countries address problems in legislation and practice in compliance with international labour standards.

Applying and promoting International Labour Standards

"Normative action is an indispensable tool to make decent work a reality" - Juan Somavia, ILO Director- General, 2001 (Note 1) International labour standards are backed by a supervisory system that is unique at the international level and that helps to ensure that countries implement the conventions they ratify. The ILO regularly examines the application of standards in member states and points out areas where they could be better applied. If there are any problems in the application of standards, the ILO seeks to assist countries through social dialogue and technical assistance. The ILO has developed various means of supervising the application of Conventions and Recommendations in law and practice following their adoption by the International Labour Conference and their ratification by States. ILO Supervisory system There are two kinds of supervisory mechanism:

1. The regular system of supervision: examination of periodic reports submitted by Member States on the measures they have taken to implement the provisions of the ratified Conventions 2. Special procedures: a representations procedure and a complaints procedure of general application, together with a special procedure for freedom of association

The regular system for supervising the application of standards

The regular system of supervision is based on the examination by two ILO bodies of reports on the application in law and practice sent by member States and on observations in this regard sent by workers organizations and employers organizations. 1) The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations 2) The International Labour Conferences Tripartite Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

Relevant constitutional provisions:

1. Obligation to report on ratified Conventions o Article 22 of the ILO Constitution Each of the Members agrees to make an annual report to the International Labour Office on the measures which it has taken to give effect to the provisions of Conventions to which it is a party. These reports shall be made in such form and shall contain such particulars as the Governing Body may request.

1. Obligation to report on unratified Conventions o Article 19 (5e) of the ILO Constitution If the Member does not obtain the consent of the authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, no further obligation shall rest upon the Member except that it shall report to the Director-General of the International Labour Office, at appropriate intervals as requested by the Governing Body, the position of its law and practice in regard to the matters dealt with in the Convention, showing the extent to which effect has been given, or is proposed to be given, to any of the provisions of the Convention by legislation, administrative action, collective agreement or otherwise and stating the difficulties which prevent or delay the ratification of such Convention.

1. Obligation to report on Recommendations o Article 19 (6d) of the ILO Constitution Apart from bringing the Recommendation before the said competent authority or authorities, no further obligation shall rest upon the Members, except that they shall report to the DirectorGeneral of the International Labour Office, at appropriate intervals as requested by the Governing Body, the position of the law and practice in their country in regard to the matters dealt with in the Recommendation, showing the extent to which effect has been given or is proposed to be given, to the provisions of the Recommendation and such modifications of

these provisions as it has been found or may be found necessary to make in adopting or applying them. 1. Ratified Conventions, unratified Conventions and Recommendations o Article 23 of the ILO Constitution 1. The Director-General shall lay before the next meeting of the Conference a summary of the information and reports communicated to him by Members in pursuance of articles 19 and 22. 2. Each Member shall communicate to the representative organizations [] copies of the information and reports communicated to the Director-General in pursuance of articles 19 and 22.

Special procedures
Unlike the regular system of supervision, the three procedures listed below are based on the submission of a representation or a complaint. 1) Procedure for representations on the application of ratified Conventions. 2) Procedure for complaints over the application of ratified Conventions. 3) Special procedure for complaints regarding freedom of association (Freedom of Association Committee).

Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

Reports of the Committee of Experts since 1932 Links to pdf documents Once a country has ratified an ILO convention, it is obliged to report regularly on measures it has taken to implement it. Every two years governments must submit reports detailing the steps they have taken in law and practice to apply any of the eight fundamental and four priority conventions they may have ratified; for all other conventions, reports must be submitted every five years, except for conventions that have been shelved (no longer supervised on a regular basis). Reports on the application of conventions may be requested at shorter intervals. Governments are required to submit copies of their reports to employers and workers organizations. These organizations may comment on the governments reports; they may also send comments on the application of conventions directly to the ILO.

The Committee of Experts was set up in 1926 to examine the growing number of government reports on ratified conventions. Today it is composed of 20 eminent jurists appointed by the Governing Body for three-year terms. The Experts come from different geographic regions, legal systems and cultures. The Committee's role is to provide an impartial and technical evaluation of the state of application of international labour standards. When examining the application of international labour standards the Committee of Experts makes two kinds of comments: observations and direct requests. Observations contain comments on fundamental questions raised by the application of a particular convention by a state. These observations are published in the Committee's annual report. Direct requests relate to more technical questions or requests for further information. They are not published in the report but are communicated directly to the governments concerned. The Committee's annual report consists of three parts. Part I contains a General Report, which includes comments about member states' respect for their Constitutional obligations and highlights from the Committee's observations; Part II contains the observations on the application of international labour standards, while Part III is a General Survey.

Reports of the Committee of Experts since 1932 Links to pdf documents For detailed information concerning comments of the Committee of Experts by country or by convention see ILOLEX or APPLIS See also General Reports of the Committee of Experts from earlier years

Conference Committee on the Application of Standards

The annual report of the Committee of Experts, usually adopted in December, is submitted to the International Labour Conference the following June, where it is examined by the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards. A standing committee of the Conference, the Conference Committee is made up of government, employer, and worker delegates. It examines the report in a tripartite setting and selects from it a number of observations for discussion. The governments referred to in these comments are invited to respond before the Conference Committee and to provide information on the situation in question. In many cases the Conference Committee draws up conclusions recommending that governments take specific steps to remedy a problem or to invite ILO missions or technical

assistance. The discussions and conclusions of the situations examined by the Conference Committee are published in its report. Situations of special concern are highlighted in special paragraphs of its General Report.

The impact of the regular supervisory system

Since 1964, the Committee of Experts has kept track of the number of cases of progress in which it noted changes in law and practice which improved the application of a ratified convention. To date, over 2,300 cases of progress have been noted. In recent years, in response to comments it has made, the Committee noted such changes as the following:

Ecuador adopted a new Political Constitution providing that "the State shall promote the incorporation of women into the paid labour force under conditions of equal rights and opportunities, guaranteeing women equal remuneration for work of equal value". The Constitution further provides for the promotion of women's employment and reproductive rights in order to improve working conditions for women and ensure their access to social security systems. Particular reference is made to expectant and nursing mothers, working women, women active in the informal and handicrafts sectors, women heads of households, and widows. The United Republic of Tanzania repealed its Human Resources Deployment Act, 1983, under which compulsory labour could be imposed by administrative authority on the basis of a general obligation to work and for purposes of economic development and which was in contravention of forced labour standards. El Salvador adopted a new Penal Code repealing provisions under which sentences involving compulsory labour could be imposed for activities related to the expression of political opinions or opposition to the established political order. Israel amended its Youth Labour Act to authorize the employment of a child between 14 and 15 years of age only as an exceptional measure and solely for light work that is not likely to be harmful to the child's health or development and only during official school holidays, bringing its legislation into conformity with standards on child labour. The Netherlands repealed a Decree under which workers were legally required to obtain the approval of the District Employment Office for the termination of their employment, which contravened standards on forced labour. (Note 1) Egypt's new Labour Code, promulgated by Law No. 12 of 2003, provides for an obligatory compensatory rest period for work performed on a weekly rest day, regardless of any monetary remuneration.

The impact of the regular supervisory system is not just limited to cases of progress. The Committee of Experts each year examines whether member states have fulfilled their obligation to submit adopted instruments to their legislative bodies for consideration. Even if a country decides not to ratify a convention, it may choose to bring its legislation into conformity with it. Member states regularly review the Committee's comments on the application of a convention in other countries and may nonetheless amend their own legislation and practice so as to avoid similar problems in the application of a standard, or in order to emulate good practices. Where a convention has been ratified, the Committee often makes unpublished direct requests to governments, pointing to apparent problems in the application of a standard and giving the countries concerned time to respond and tackle these issues before any comments are published. The Committee's interventions facilitate social dialogue, requiring governments to review the application of a standard and to share this information with the social partners, who may also provide information. The ensuing social dialogue can lead to further problem-solving and prevention. The reports of both the Committee of Experts and the Conference Committee are available on the Internet to millions of users. Governments and the social partners thus have an even greater incentive to solve problems in the application of standards in order to avoid critical comments by these bodies. Upon request by member states, the International Labour Office provides substantial technical assistance in drafting and revising national legislation to ensure that it is in conformity with international labour standards. In these ways, the supervisory bodies also play an important role in preventing problems in the application of standards from arising in the first place.

Representations
The representation procedure is governed by articles 24 and 25 of the ILO Constitution. It grants an industrial association of employers or of workers the right to present to the ILO Governing Body a representation against any member state which, in its view, "has failed to secure in any respect the effective observance within its jurisdiction of any Convention to which it is a party". A three-member tripartite committee of the Governing Body may be set up to examine the representation and the government's response. The report that the committee submits to the Governing Body states the legal and practical aspects of the case, examines the information submitted, and concludes with recommendations. Where the government's response is not considered satisfactory, the Governing Body is entitled to publish the

representation and the response. Representations concerning the application of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 are usually referred for examination to the Committee on Freedom of Association.

Representations in practice
Greece ratified the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) in 1955. In 1994 it passed a law which decentralized the labour inspectorate and placed it under the responsibility of the autonomous prefectural administrations. The Federation of the Associations of the Public Servants of the Ministry of Labour of Greece (FAMIT) subsequently made a representation to the ILO claiming that the law contravened the principle of Convention No. 81 that labour inspection should be placed under the supervision and control of a central authority. The tripartite committee set up to examine this representation agreed, and urged the Greek government to amend its legislation to comply with the convention. In 1998, the Greek government adopted new laws, bringing the labour inspectorate under a central authority once again. The same year, the Committee of Experts commended the Greek government for its "diligence and close attention" to the recommendations made by the tripartite committee.

Complaints
The complaint procedure is governed by articles 26 to 34 of the ILO Constitution. Under these provisions, a complaint may be filed against a member state for not complying with a ratified convention by another member state which ratified the same convention, a delegate to the International Labour Conference or the Governing Body in its own capacity. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Governing Body may form a Commission of Inquiry, consisting of three independent members, which is responsible for carrying out a full investigation of the complaint, ascertaining all the facts of the case and making recommendations on measures to be taken to address the problems raised by the complaint. A Commission of Inquiry is the ILO's highest-level investigative procedure; it is generally set up when a member state is accused of committing persistent and serious violations and has repeatedly refused to address them. To date, 11 Commissions of Inquiry have been established. When a country refuses to fulfil the recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry, the Governing Body can take action under article 33 of the ILO Constitution. This provision states that "[i]n the event of any Member failing to carry out within the time specified the recommendations, if any, contained in the report of the Commission of Inquiry, or in the decision of the International Court of Justice, as the case may be, the Governing Body may

recommend to the Conference such action as it may deem wise and expedient to secure compliance therewith." Article 33 was invoked for the first time in ILO history in 2000, when the Governing Body asked the International Labour Conference to take measures to lead Myanmar to end the use of forced labour. An article 26 complaint had been filed against Myanmar in 1996 for violations of the Forced Labour Convention (No. 29), 1930, and the resulting Commission of Inquiry found "widespread and systematic use" of forced labour in the country.

Report of the Commission of Inquiry to examine the observance by Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)

Complaints in practice
Poland ratified both the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) in 1957. When martial law was declared in the country in 1981, the government suspended the activities of the Solidarnosc trade union and detained or dismissed many of its leaders and members. After the case had been examined by the Committee on Freedom of Association, delegates at the 1982 International Labour Conference filed a complaint under article 26 against Poland. The resulting Commission of Inquiry found grave violations of both conventions. Based on the Commission's conclusions, the ILO and numerous countries and organizations put pressure on Poland to redress the situation, and in 1989 the Polish government gave Solidarnosc legal status. Lech Walesa, Solidarnosc leader and later President of Poland, noted that "the Commission of Inquiry created by the ILO after the imposition of martial law in my country made significant contributions to the changes which brought democracy to Poland." (Note 1)

Committee on Freedom of Association

The Committee on Freedom of Association
Freedom of association and collective bargaining are among the founding principles of the ILO. Soon after the adoption of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, the ILO came to the conclusion that the principle of freedom of association needed a further supervisory procedure to ensure compliance with it in countries that had not ratified the relevant conventions. As a result, in 1951 the ILO set up the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) for the purpose of examining complaints about violations of freedom of association, whether or not the country concerned had ratified the relevant

conventions. Complaints may be brought against a member state by employers' and workers' organizations. The CFA is a Governing Body committee, and is composed of an independent chairperson and three representatives each of governments, employers, and workers. If it decides to receive the case, it establishes the facts in dialogue with the government concerned. If it finds that there has been a violation of freedom of association standards or principles, it issues a report through the Governing Body and makes recommendations on how the situation could be remedied. Governments are subsequently requested to report on the implementation of its recommendations. In cases where the country has ratified the relevant instruments, legislative aspects of the case may be referred to the Committee of Experts. The CFA may also choose to propose a "direct contacts" mission to the government concerned to address the problem directly with government officials and the social partners through a process of dialogue. In over 50 years of work, the CFA has examined over 2,300 cases. More than 60 countries on five continents have acted on its recommendations and have informed it of positive developments on freedom of association during the past 25 years. (Note 1)

The Committee on Freedom of Association in action

In 1994, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) filed a complaint against the Government of Indonesia for violations of trade union rights, including the denial of the workers' right to establish organizations of their own choosing, the persistent interference by government authorities, the military and employers in trade union activities, and the ongoing restrictions in collective bargaining and strike action, as well as very serious allegations concerning the arrest and harassment of trade union leaders, together with the disappearance and assassination of workers and unionists. Among the numerous trade union leaders detained during this period were Dita Indah Sari, labour activist of the Democratic Peoples Party and chairwoman of the Centre for Indonesian Workers Struggle, and Muchtar Pakpahan, chairman of the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI). Through the CFA, the international community kept up the pressure on Indonesia for the release of trade union leaders detained because of their trade union activity. Muchtar Pakpahan was released in 1998, followed by Dita Sari one year later, whereupon she was unanimously elected Chairperson of the National Front for Indonesian Workers Struggle, the FNPBI. Indonesia's engagement with the ILO marked a turning point for labour rights in the country. In the years since then Indonesia has taken significant steps to improve protection of trade union rights, and has ratified all eight fundamental conventions, making it one of the few nations in the Asia-Pacific region to have done so. (Note 2) The case

of Dita Sari is not unique. In the last decade alone, more than 2,000 trade unionists worldwide were released from prison after this ILO committee examined their cases.

Further information:

Digest of decisions of the Committee on Freedom of Association - Fifth (revised) edition, 2006 [pdf 1.7 MB] Digest of decisions of the Committee on Freedom of Association - Fifth (revised) edition, 2006 [html] LibSynd: database of Committee on Freedom of Association cases Special procedures for the examination in the ILO of complaints alleging violations of freedom of association

General Surveys
International labour standards are universal instruments adopted by the international community and reflecting common values and principles on work-related issues while member States can choose whether or not to ratify any conventions, the ILO considers it important to keep track of developments in all countries, whether or not they have ratified them. Under article 19 of the ILO Constitution, member States are required to report at regular intervals, at the request of the Governing Body, on measures they have taken to give effect to any provision of certain conventions or recommendations, and to indicate any obstacles which have prevented or delayed the ratification of a particular convention. On the basis of article 19, the Committee of Experts publishes an in-depth annual General Survey on member States' national law and practice, on a subject chosen by the Governing Body. These surveys are established mainly on the basis of reports received from member states and information transmitted by employers' and workers' organizations. They allow the Committee of Experts to examine the impact of conventions and recommendations, to analyse the difficulties indicated by governments as impeding their application, and to identify means of overcoming these obstacles.

Recent General Surveys include:

Equal Remuneration (1986) - [pdf]; Equality in Employment and Occupation (1988 [pdf], 1996 [pdf]) Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining (1994) - [pdf]

Migrant Workers (1999) - [pdf] Tripartite Consultation (2000) - [pdf] Night Work of Women in Industry (2001) - [pdf] Dock Work (2002) - [pdf] Protection of Wages (2003) - [pdf] Employment Policy (2004) - [pdf] Hours of Work (2005) - [pdf] Labour Inspection (2006) - [pdf] Forced Labour (2007) - [pdf] Labour Clauses in Public Contracts (2008) - [pdf] Occupational Safety and Health (2009) - [pdf] Employment instruments in light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization(2010) [pdf] Social security instruments in light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization(2011) [pdf] Fundamental conventions in light of the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization(forthcoming)

Technical assistance and training

The ILO does not just supervise the application of ratified conventions. It also provides different forms of technical assistance whereby ILO officials or other experts help countries address problems in legislation and practice in order to bring them into line with the obligations under ratified instruments. Forms of technical assistance include advisory and direct contacts missions, during which ILO officials meet government officials to discuss problems in the application of standards with the aim of finding solutions; and promotional activities, including seminars and national workshops, with the purpose of raising awareness of standards, developing national actors' capacity to use them, and providing technical advice on how to apply them to the benefit of all. The ILO also provides assistance in drafting national legislation in line with its standards.

A worldwide network of international labour standards specialists

Many of these technical assistance activities are carried out by the ILO's international labour standards specialists who are assigned to ILO offices located around the world. Standards

specialists meet government officials, employers' and workers' organizations to provide assistance with new ratifications of conventions and reporting obligations, to discuss solutions to problems raised by the supervisory bodies, and to review draft legislation to ensure that it conforms with international labour standards. International labour standards specialists are stationed in:

Africa: Addis Ababa, Cairo, Dakar, Harare, Yaound Americas: Lima, San Jos, Santiago Caribbean: Port of Spain Arab States: Beirut East Asia: Bangkok, Manila South Asia: New Delhi Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Moscow

ILO International Training Centre

The International Training Centre in Turin, Italy, offers training on international labour standards for government officials, employers, workers, lawyers, judges and legal educators, as well as specialized courses on labour standards, productivity improvement and enterprise development, international labour standards and globalization, and the rights of women workers.

Free Trade Agreements and Labour Rights

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the need to create a minimum social foundation for the development of trade one that guarantees certain safeguards against social dumping has resulted in the signing of an increasing number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which include a labour dimension, either in the agreement itself or in a parallel agreement.

Not only do such labour clauses list minimum commitments for the protection of human rights at work and refer to specific international labour standards adopted by the ILO, but they also provide for conflict resolution systems as well as funds and parallel labour cooperation/consultation. Indeed, a growing number of bilateral free trade agreements particularly those signed by Canada, the United States and the European Union contain social and labour provisions along those lines.

Child Labour

Today, throughout the world, around 215 million children work, many full-time. They do not go to school and have little or no time to play. Many do not receive proper nutrition or care. They are denied the chance to be children. More than half of them are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities including drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict. Guided by the principles enshrined in the ILO's Minimum Age Convention No. 138 and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182, The ILO InFocus Programme on Child Labour (IPEC) works to achieve the effective abolition of child labour.

This section of the International Labour Standards website is dedicated to providing comprehensive information on the issue of FTAs and labour rights and making available the full text of major FTAs. It also provides the FTAs respective social chapters along with information, analysis, publications and articles concerning this issue.

Decent work

Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration,

freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

Domestic workers

1. Domestic workers perform a range of tasks for and in other peoples households. They may cook, clean and wash the laundry, and look after children, the elderly or persons with disability. They may work as gardeners, guardians or family chauffeurs. Most of them are women. They are often excluded, de jure or de facto, from labour and social protection. Part of the reason for this is that domestic work takes place in the home and involves, to a large extent, tasks that women have traditionally carried out without pay. Nevertheless, there has been increasing recognition, nationally and internationally, of the economic and social value of domestic work and of the need to improve domestic workers' living and working conditions. A number of countries have put in place or are formulating legal and policy measures towards this end. These demonstrate that there are varied ways of regulating domestic work. The specific characteristics of domestic work and diverse realities across the world call for innovative and creative approaches to protecting domestic workers while responding to the needs of families and households that employ them. This website is intended to support initiatives in this regard by facilitating the sharing of information, country experiences and knowledge, and practical tools on domestic work.

Economic and social development

Roughly half the world's population still lives on the equivalent of about US$2 a day. And in too many places, having a job doesn't guarantee the ability to escape from poverty. This slow and uneven progress mandates us to rethink and retool our economic and social policies aimed at halving world poverty by 2015 (the Millennium Development Goals).

The global jobs crisis is one of the biggest security risks of our time. Continuing along the present path, is taking the risk of a world more fragmented, protectionist and confrontational. A continued lack of decent work opportunities, insufficient investments and under-consumption lead to an erosion of the basic social contract underlying democratic societies: that all must share in progress. The commitments made by the global community to promote social inclusion and jobs as the basis of poverty reduction, and respect for fundamental principles and rights at work is to be revisited. The ILO approach emphasises that economic growth is an essential but not sufficient condition for poverty reduction. Poverty reduction involves growth with a substantial reorientation in favour of the poor (so called "pro-poor growth"). It includes changes in institutions, laws, regulations and practices that are part of the process that creates and perpetuates poverty.

Development aid
Since the early 1950s, the ILO has been providing technical cooperation to countries on all continents and at all stages of economic development. Technical cooperation projects are implemented through close cooperation between recipient countries, donors, and the ILO, which maintains a network of area and regional offices worldwide. The overall purpose of ILO technical cooperation is the implementation of the Decent Work agenda at a national level, assisting constituents to make this concept a reality for all men and women. An extensive network of offices throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East provides technical guidance on policy issues, and assistance in design and implementation of development programmes.

Gender and development

Gender equality is considered a critical element in achieving Decent Work for All Women and Men, in order to effect social and institutional change that leads to sustainable development with equity and growth. Gender equality refers to equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities that all persons should enjoy, regardless of whether one is born male or female.

In the context of the world of work, equality between women and men includes the following elements:

1. Equality of opportunity and treatment in employment 2. Equal remuneration for work of equal value 3. Equal access to safe and healthy working environments and to social security 4. Equality in association and collective bargaining 5. Equality in obtaining meaningful career development 6. A balance between work and home life that is fair to both women and men 7. Equal participation in decision-making at all levels Given that women are usually in a disadvantaged position in the workplace compared to men, promotion of gender equality implies explicit attention to womens needs and perspectives. At the same time, there are also significant negative effects of unequal power relations and expectations on men and boys due to stereotyping about what it means to be a male. Instead, both women and men, and boys and girls, should be free to develop their abilities and make choices without limitations set by rigid gender roles and prejudices based on personal interests and capacities. The ILO has adopted an integrated approach to gender equality and decent work. This means working to enhance equal employment opportunities through measures that also aim to improve womens access to education, skills training and healthcare while taking womens role in the care economy adequately into account. Examples of these include implementing measures to help workers balance work and family responsibilities, and providing workplace incentives for the provision of childcare and parental leave.

Globalization
Seeking a process of globalization that is inclusive, democratically governed and provides opportunities and tangible benefits for all countries and people. The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization was established by the ILO's Governing Body in February 2002 at the initiative of the Director-General in response to the fact that there did not appear to be a space within the multilateral system that would cover adequately and comprehensively the social dimension of the various aspects of globalization. The World Commission Report, A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All, is the first attempt at structured dialogue among

representatives of constituencies with different interests and opinions on the social dimension of globalization, aimed at finding common ground on one of the most controversial and divisive subjects of our time.

Poverty
Breaking the cycle of poverty involves creating new cycles of opportunity and local wealth creation. The ILO is developing an agenda for the community of work, represented by its tripartite constituents, to mobilize their considerable resources to create those opportunities and to help reduce and eradicate poverty. Poverty is not just a problem for the poor. World political and social stability and security is difficult to envision if such large numbers of people continue to be trapped in cycles of poverty or see few opportunities in a global system that seems discriminatory and unfair.

Rural development

The world-wide goals of sustainable growth, jobs, poverty reduction and equitable development cannot be achieved unless directly tackled at the rural level. Rural areas hold considerable potential for high return activities and productive livelihoods. However they are often held back by scant investment and decent work deficits, particularly, high under- and unemployment among youth and women, widespread child labour, informality and poor working conditions, limited social and labour law coverage, and weak organization among employers and workers. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), environmental concerns, and the food security and economic crises now provide an additional sense of urgency to explicitly target rural revitalization, and to muster the needed political and economic will and resources. The ILO can make important contributions to rural development by supporting governments, employers and workers promote productive employment and decent work. It can draw on a vast array of rural-relevant approaches and tools in core technical areas, long-time experience, and a network of external partnerships.

Sustainable development
Today, the ILO estimates that more than a billion women and men are unemployed, underemployed or working poor. A direct result of this is that some 120 million migrant workers and their families have left their home countries in hopes of finding a job somewhere else. An estimated 500 million new jobs will be needed over the next decade to absorb new entrants to the labour market, most of them youth and women. These are the human faces of the social dimension of sustainable development, and their needs must figure in sustainable development policies.

Employment promotion

Without productive employment, achieving the goals of decent living standards, social and economic integration, personal fulfillment and social development becomes a chimera. Enterprise promotion and human resource development are key elements in achieving these goals. The ILO conducts employment analysis and research, promotes employment-intensive investment and helps formulate employment policy. It also promotes skills development, job creation, enterprise development and cooperatives.

Cooperatives
Within the UN system, the ILO is responsible for the largest and most diversified programme for the promotion of cooperatives. Viable and self-reliant cooperatives formed by producers, consumers, workers and business people worldwide have demonstrated their enormous potential for creating and consolidating employment opportunities, empowering people, providing protection and alleviating poverty. The ILO technical assistance programme for cooperative development focuses on policy and legal advice, capacity-building through human resource development, poverty alleviation through self-help, alternative delivery mechanisms for social services, and a special regional programme for indigenous and tribal peoples.

Corporate citizenship
The ILO helps build the support systems and managerial competencies which enable enterprises to boost productivity and competitiveness, and to promote good corporate citizenship. This includes assisting the social partners and enterprises in pursuing the highroad to productivity and competitiveness, an approach involving action at a tripartite, multi-sectoral and enterprise level. The ILO encourages socially sensitive enterprise restructuring and promotes international labour standards as good managerial practice. The Organization also provides managerial training and technical assistance in order to enhance an enterprises human and social capital.

Informal economy
The informal economy comprises half to three-quarters of all non-agricultural employment in developing countries. Although it is hard to generalize concerning the quality of informal employment, it most often means poor employment conditions and is associated with increasing poverty. Some of the characteristic features of informal employment are lack of protection in the event of non-payment of wages, compulsory overtime or extra shifts, lay-offs without notice or compensation, unsafe working conditions and the absence of social benefits such as pensions, sick pay and health insurance. Women, migrants and other vulnerable groups of workers who are excluded from other opportunities have little choice but to take informal low-quality jobs. The Resolution concerning decent work and the informal economy adopted by the International Labour Conference in June 2002 called for the needs of workers and economic units in the informal economy to be addressed, with emphasis on an integrated approach from a decent work perspective. The ILO has set up mechanisms to collect and share lessons from good practice and policy across the four strategic objectives and different regions with a view to improving "know how" and "show how".

Local economic development

Communities, cities and governments around the world increasingly turn to Local Economic Development (LED) strategies in response to the challenges of globalization and the drive for decentralization.

LED means more than just economic growth. It is promoting participation and local dialogue, connecting people and their resources for better employment and a higher quality of life for both men and women.

The ILO's goal of Decent Work for All is reflected in LED strategies through its focus on growth, poverty reduction and social inclusion. The organisation's social partners increasingly adopt LED in Decent Work Country Programmes, which are developed and agreed upon by Governments, Workers' and Employers' Organizations. LED strategies are also deployed in countries affected by the global jobs crisis, increasing the coherence and effectiveness between national policy packages and local realities.

Microfinance
Financial instruments and institutions help create jobs and reduce the vulnerability of the working poor. They complement policies that target the labour market. Decent work recognizes the role of the financial sector for social justice. It advocates alliances with financial institutions, particularly those that combine social and financial goals. A good illustration of this is microfinance, a strategy that provides savings, insurance and loans to help the working poor and their families gain financial security and cope with risk. The Social Finance Programme provides services to ILO constituents in the following four areas: integrating financial and social policies, creating a conducive environment for investment and employment, reducing the vulnerability of the poor, and strengthening the capacity of the social partners to inform, advise and help their constituents.

Multinational enterprises
Today, some 50,000 multinational enterprises and their 450,000 affiliates employ over 200 million people throughout the world. Their impact is felt in virtually every facet of industry, trade, services and business activities. In 1977 the ILOs Governing Body adopted the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy to guide and inspire the conduct of multinational enterprises and how they relate to host governments and employers and workers organizations. The principles of the Declaration reflect good policy and practice in such areas as employment, training, conditions of work, safety and health, and industrial relations.

Recovery and reconstruction

Crises produce devastating effects on societies, particularly in poor, vulnerable countries. Armed conflicts, natural disasters, financial and economic downturn and difficult political and social transitions destroy socioeconomic infrastructure, the very means of production, natural and human resources, and vast numbers of jobs. The magnitude, pervasiveness and alarming upward trend of such human tragedies demands a special ILO focus. The Programme on Crisis Response and Reconstruction is the ILO response to the above trend. It tackles the challenges posed to Decent Work by crises, operating through a combination of knowledge development, technical and policy guidelines, advocacy, capacity building and rapid-response interventions in the field. It aims to facilitate the revival of livelihoods and the socioeconomic reintegration of diverse crises affected groups, promote the reconstruction and development of their countries and reduce the occurrence and adverse impact of future crises.

Small enterprises
Access to decent work is an antidote to social exclusion right across our global economy. Sustained enterprise growth is essential to employment creation. The ILO works towards the creation of sustainable, decent jobs in all types of enterprises, with a particular focus on small and group-based enterprises, and the upgrading of micro-enterprises in the informal sector, an area which generates most new jobs worldwide. The ILOs Small Enterprise Development Programme (SEED) seeks to unlock the potential for creating more and better jobs in the small enterprise sector. Since this is where most women and men earn their living now - in micro and small enterprises, in self-employment, as homeworkers this is where policies, regulations, business training, market development and organization building can matter most.

Employment security

Policymakers are facing the crucial challenge of regulating a rapidly evolving labour market in the context of the globalized economy. Will they listen to calls made for greater flexibility to overcome what have often been characterized as labour market rigidities: employment

protection and legislation, union bargaining power, generous welfare systems and high labour taxation? Or can they place their trust in a "flexicurity" model: new ways of balancing flexibility and security in relation to employment, income and social protection? The ILO encourages a "flexicurity" approach which requires, but also promotes, high employment rates. Without competitive enterprises which are able to adjust their workforces to market conditions, employment performance will be poor. However, high levels of labour market flexibility per se cannot solve the unemployment problem, unless workers enjoy sufficient employment and income security, through intensive re-employment assistance, active labour market programmes and income support, to motivate them to accept higher mobility and flexibility, and facilitate their adaptation. Dialogue between governments, workers and employers on policy choices is the foundation of the "flexicurity" approach.

Equality and discrimination

Hundreds of millions of people suffer from discrimination in the world of work. This not only violates a most basic human right, but has wider social and economic consequences. Discrimination stifles opportunities, wasting the human talent needed for economic progress, and accentuates social tensions and inequalities. Combating discrimination is an essential part of promoting decent work, and success on this front is felt well beyond the workplace. Issues linked to discrimination are present throughout the ILOs sphere of work. By bolstering freedom of association, for example, the ILO seeks to prevent discrimination against trade union members and officials. Programmes to fight forced labour and child labour include helping girls and women trapped in prostitution or coercive domestic labour. Non-discrimination is a main principle in the ILOs code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work. ILO guidelines on labour law include provisions on discrimination, and in countries such as Namibia and South Africa, the ILO has provided advice on legislative change in this area.

Gender equality
Since its founding in 1919, the ILO has been committed to promoting the rights of all women and men at work and achieving equality between them. The ILO vision of gender equality

which coincides with the organizations four strategic goals recognizes this goal not only as a basic human right, but intrinsic to the global aim of Decent Work for All Women and Men. This vision is based on the ILO mandate on gender equality as stated in numerous Resolutions of the International Labour Conference, the highest policy-making organ of the ILO, as well as relevant International Labour Conventions. The ILO Policy on Gender Equality and Mainstreaming, which is made operational through the ILO Gender Equality Action Plan 201015, supports a two-pronged approach of gender mainstreaming: systematically analysing and addressing in all initiatives the specific needs of both women and men, and targeted interventions to enable women and men to participate in and benefit equally from development efforts.

Indigenous and tribal peoples

Indigenous and tribal peoples have their own cultures, ways of life, traditions and customary laws. But throughout history, lack of respect for these cultures has led to social conflict and bloodshed in far too many cases around the world. The ILO has been working with indigenous and tribal peoples since the 1920s. It is responsible for the only international instruments currently in force that deal exclusively with the rights of these peoples. ILO work in the field of indigenous and tribal peoples falls mainly into two categories: adoption and supervision of standards; and assistance to indigenous and tribal peoples and to States. Today, the international community has accepted the principle that the cultures, ways of life, traditions and customary laws of indigenous and tribal peoples are valuable and need to be respected and protected, and that indigenous and tribal peoples should participate in decision-making processes in the countries in which they live.

Maternity protection
Raising a family is a cherished goal for many working people. Yet pregnancy and maternity are an especially vulnerable time for working women and their families. Expectant and nursing mothers require special protection to prevent harm to their or their infants' health, and they need adequate time to give birth, to recover, and to nurse their children. At the same time, they also require protection to ensure that they will not lose their job simply because of pregnancy or maternity leave. Such protection not only ensures a woman's equal access to employment, it also ensures the continuation of often vital income which is necessary for the well-being of her entire family. Safeguarding the health of expectant and nursing mothers and protecting them from job discrimination is a precondition for achieving genuine equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women at work and enabling workers to raise families in conditions of

security. In 2000, delegates to the International Labour Conference adopted a new ILO Convention on maternity protection.

Workplace discrimination
Discrimination in employment and occupation takes many forms, and occurs in all kinds of work settings. It entails treating people differently because of certain characteristics, such as race, colour or sex, which results in the impairment of equality of opportunity and treatment. In other words, discrimination results in and reinforces inequalities. The freedom of human beings to develop their capabilities and to choose and pursue their professional and personal aspirations is restricted, without regard for ability. Skills and competencies cannot be developed, rewards to work are denied and a sense of humiliation, frustration and powerlessness takes over. The elimination of discrimination at work is central to social justice, which lies at the heart of the ILOs mandate. It underpins the concept of decent work for all women and men, which is founded on the notion of equal opportunities for all those who work or seek work and a living, whether as labourers, employers or self-employed, in the formal or the informal economy. The elimination of discrimination is an indispensable part of any viable strategy for poverty reduction and sustainable economic development.

Forced labour
At least 12.3 million people around the world are trapped in forced labour. The ILO works to combat the practice and the conditions that give rise to it. Forced labour takes different forms, including debt bondage, trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. The victims are the most vulnerable women and girls forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, and sweatshop or farm workers kept there by clearly illegal tactics and paid little or nothing. The ILO has worked since its inception to tackle forced labour and the conditions that give rise to it and has established a Special Action Programme on Forced Labour to intensify this effort.

Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining

The right of workers and employers to form and join organizations of their own choosing is an integral part of a free and open society. In many cases, these organizations have played a significant role in their countries democratic transformation. From advising governments on labour legislation to providing education and training for trade unions and employer groups, the ILO is regularly engaged in promoting freedom of association. The ILOs Committee on

Freedom of Association was set up in 1951 to examine violations of workers and employers organizing rights. The committee is tripartite and handles complaints in ILO Member States whether or not they have ratified freedom of association conventions. Through the Committee on Freedom of Association and other supervisory mechanisms, the ILO has frequently defended rights of trade unions and employers organizations.

Green jobs
The promotion of Green Jobs is central in the transition towards a greener economy. Climate change and the excessive use of scarce resources are calling for proactive policies to respond timely and avert the worse and create pathways to sustainable development - with decent work for all. But the much needed innovative strategies can only succeed with the full engagement of enterprises and workers. The ILO agenda for Green Jobs promotes a socially fair transition, in which vulnerabilities, changes in the labour market and new business models are addressed through an inclusive social dialogue. Green jobs help reducing negative environmental impact, ultimately leading to environmentally, economically and socially sustainable enterprises and economies. In practical terms, green jobs contribute to: 1. reduction of energy consumption and use of raw materials 2. reduction of greenhouse gas emissions 3. minimization of waste and pollution 4. protection of ecosystems Green jobs can be created in all sectors and types of enterprises, in urban and rural areas, and in countries at all levels of economic development. Seeking the full involvement of its constituents, the ILO Green Jobs Programme operates globally providing policy guidance through participation in international debates, country assessment and policy advice, technical assistance and capacity building.

HIV/AIDS

The HIV pandemic has become one of the most critical workplace issues of our time. In addition to its devastating impact on working women and men and their families and dependents, HIV affects the world of work in many ways. Stigma and discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS threatens fundamental rights at work, undermining opportunities for people to obtain decent work and sustainable employment. By adopting the Recommendation concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (No. 200) in 2010, the ILOs member States reaffirmed their commitment to prevent HIV and address discrimination in the workplace. Recommendation No. 200 builds on the ILO Code of practice on HIV/AIDS. It is the first international labour standard for the protection of human rights at work for persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. The Recommendation calls for the development and adoption of national tripartite HIV workplace policies and programmes through an inclusive dialogue process involving governments, organizations of employers and workers, organizations representing persons living with HIV and taking into account the views of relevant sectors, including the health sector.

Labour administration and inspection

Labour inspection is a key element of any labour administration system for enduring the implementation of labour policies, providing feedback and allowing for a readjustment of these policies as necessary. In recent years, the importance of labour inspection in promoting decent work has been widely recognized. Yet in many countries, the changing world of work with its new employment patterns has been accompanied by reduced government interventions in the

workplace. Even where there is a general agreement on the benefits of labour inspection, the real impact of labour inspectors has often been limited, especially among vulnerable or hardto-reach groups and in the large informal economy. The ILO is working to strenghten labour inspection systems with a view to ensuring labour law compliance through the promotion of relevant international labour standards, and technical advisory services and projects.

Labour law
The adoption of labour laws and regulations is an important means of implementing ILO standards, promoting the ILO Declaration and the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and putting the concept of Decent Work into practice. Under the ILO Constitution, the Office is committed to offering technical cooperation and advisory services to member States and to assist them in assessing and, where necessary, framing or revising their labour laws. This includes assistance in the development of national laws and regulations to allow ratification of Conventions or implementation of the corresponding principles.

Labour migration

Across the world, millions of people are on the move - doing jobs ranging from menial labour such as harvesting to computer programming. Combined, their numbers would equal the fifth most populous country on the planet. The number of migrants crossing borders in search of employment and human security is expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades due to the failure of globalization to provide jobs and economic opportunities. The ILO sees todays global challenge as forging the policies and the resources to better manage labour migration so that it contributes positively to the growth and development of both home and host societies, as well as to the well being of the migrants themselves. In 2004, the International Labour Conference of the ILO adopted a Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration which is part of a plan of action for migrant workers agreed by ILO constituents. The Framework is part of an ILO plan of action which aims at better managing labour migration so that it contributes positively to the growth and development of both home and host societies, as well as to the well being of the migrants themselves.

Millennium Development Goals

The ILO and the Millennium Development Goals

In September 2000, world leaders endorsed the Millennium Declaration, a commitment to work together to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world. The Declaration was translated into a roadmap setting out eight timebound and measurable goals to be reached by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): They include goals and targets on poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for Development.

The recognition that employment and decent work are the main route for people to escape poverty led to the inclusion in 2005 of a new MDG Target (1.B): achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people. Within the UN system, the ILO takes the lead in reporting on trends concern ing the achievement of this MDG Target.

The goal of Decent Work for All and the pledges in the Millennium Declaration go hand in hand. The ILOs Decent Work Agenda, in a context of fair globalization, is essential to the achievement of these shared aims. > Overview on "The Millennium Declaration, The MDGs and the ILO Decent Work Agenda" (pdf - 92kB)

Millennium Development Goals: review of progress 2010

A decade after the Millennium Declaration, there have been significant advances together with important set-backs. But progress is threatened by the combination of high food prices and the impact of the international financial and economic crisis. Without additional efforts, several of the MDGs are likely to be missed in many countries.

The current economic slowdown is a serious threat to the fulfillment of all MDGs through its profound impact on jobs and enterprises. But the crisis can be used as an opportunity to further motivate political commitment for sustainable and equitable development recovery and to remove critical obstacles. In this regard, the ILO Global Jobs Pact is a new policy instrument for accelerating a job-rich recovery by stimulating labour demand, establishing a global social protection floor and promoting employment and skills.

Safety and health at work

Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease. Every 15 seconds, 160 workers have a work-related accident. Every day, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases more than 2.3 million deaths per year. Over 337 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in extended absences from work. The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product each year. The safety and health conditions at work are very different between countries, economic sectors and social groups. Deaths and injuries take a particularly heavy toll in developing countries, where a large part of the population is engaged in hazardous activities, such as agriculture, fishing and mining. Throughout the world, the poorest and least protected - often women, children and migrants - are among the most affected. The ILO Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment, SafeWork, aims to create worldwide awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries and diseases. SafeWork's goal is to place the health and safety of all workers on the international agenda; and to stimulate and support practical action at all levels. Decent work is safe work.

Skills, knowledge and employability

Countries at all development levels find that adequate education and skills increase the ability to innovate and adopt new technologies. They make the difference between inclusive growth and growth that leaves large segments of society behind. A workforce that has been appropriately trained and is able to continue learning boosts investor confidence and thus job growth...

Disability and work

Work of decent quality is the most effective means of escaping the vicious circle of marginalization, poverty and social exclusion. People with disabilities are frequently trapped in this vicious circle, and positive action is needed to assist them in breaking out of it. Barriers which disabled people face in getting jobs and taking their place in society can and should be overcome through a variety of policy measures, regulations, programmes, and services. The ILOs Disability Programme promotes equality of opportunity and treatment for persons with disabilities in vocational rehabilitation, training and employment, as reflected in Convention No. 159 concerning Vocational Rehabilitation of Employment of Disabled Persons, 1983, and the ILO Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace adopted in 2001. It works to increase knowledge on the training and employment of people with disabilities, by carrying out applied research relating to policy and practice, compiling and disseminating information, publishing guidelines and manuals, and sponsoring other research and reports.

Lifelong learning
There is a critical need for a greater overall investment in education and training, particularly in developing countries. Education and training investments should be closely linked to economic and employment growth strategies and programmes. Responsibility should be shared between the government (primary responsibility), enterprises, the social partners, and the individual. To make lifelong learning for all a reality, countries will need to make major reforms of their vocational and education and training systems. School-to-work schemes for young people should integrate education with workplace learning. Training systems need to become more

flexible and responsive to rapidly changing skill requirements. Reforms should also focus on how learning can be facilitated, not just on training for specific occupational categories.

Training and vocational guidance

The increasing pace of economic, social and technological change, coupled with the growing need to seize opportunities opening up in a rapidly-integrating world economy requires continuous policy and institutional adaptation. It has been increasingly recognised that people's skills and capabilities, and investment in education and training, constitute the key to economic and social development. Skills and training increase productivity and incomes, and facilitates everybody's participation in economic and social life.

Social security
Only 20 per cent of the worlds population has adequate social security coverage and more than half lack any coverage at all. The ILO actively promotes policies and provides assistance to countries to help extend adequate levels of social protection to all members of society. Social security involves access to health care and income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a main income earner. A Global Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All launched in 2003 builds on efforts already underway in more than 30 countries. These include projects to help countries extend coverage at the national level and to strengthen community-based social security organizations.

Workers' and Employers' organizations, tripartism and social dialogue

Underlying the ILOs work is the importance of cooperation between governments, employers organizations and workers organizations in fostering social and economic progress. Dialogue among and between the governments and the two social partners promotes consensus building and democratic involvement of those with vital stakes in the world of work. The ILO is the only tripartite United Nations agency in that it brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape labour standards, policies and programmes. Social dialogue can mean negotiation, consultation or simply an exchange of information and views between representatives of employers, workers and governments.

Working conditions

Improving working conditions is one of the ILOs principal objectives. While wages may rise in many countries, they often remain too low for many workers to meet their basic needs. And while some workers may see decreases in the time they devote to work, the accompanying unpredictability can weaken job security and pose new difficulties for reconciling work and family. Dirty and dangerous working conditions, on the decline in industrialised countries, are still prevalent in the developing world.

Wages
Wages are undoubtedly among the most important conditions of work and employment at the enterprise level. Being a cost for employers as well as the main source of income for workers, wages may be a potential source of conflict and have thus become the major focus of collective bargaining all over the world. At the same time, wages can represent a major source of discrimination and deprivation if no decent floor is guaranteed to the workers. On the economic side, wages represent an important part of labour costs and are an essential variable for enterprises' competitiveness which need to be analysed, also with regard to their interaction with other key economic variables, such as employment, productivity and investment. All the above factors have led States, together with employers' and workers' representatives, to reconsider their wages policies and undertake crucial reforms in this field or to consider new approaches for which the help of the ILO has been required.

Working time
The subject of working time has been important to the work of the International Labour Organization since its inception. One of the major challenges in this area remains the need to limit excessive hours of work and provide for adequate periods of rest and recuperation, including weekly rest and paid annual leave, in order to protect workers' health and safety. These concerns have been enshrined for many years in a wide range of international labour standards concerning working time. The process of globalization and the resulting intensification

of competition, the associated development in information and communications technologies, and new patterns of consumer demand for goods and services in the '24-hour economy' have had a large impact on production methods and work organization. The end result of these developments is a growing diversification, decentralization and individualization of the hours that people work, as well as an often increasing tension between enterprises' business requirements and workers' needs and preferences regarding their working time.

Youth employment

The world is facing a growing youth employment crisis. Latest ILO data indicate that of the world's estimated 191 million unemployed people in 2004, about half or nearly 86 million are aged between 15 and 24. The ILO's programme on youth employment operates through a global network of technical teams at its headquarters in Geneva and in more than 60 offices around the world. It provides assistance to countries in developing coherent and coordinated interventions on youth employment.

Regions

ILO action in the field bring together regular budget and extra-budgetary activities, in full consultation with the tripartite constituents at the regional, sub-regional and country levels, to provide services in the areas of standards and fundamental principles and rights at work, employment, social protection and social dialogue. The network of field offices and technical specialists underpins the ILOs work in promoting the Decent Work Agenda as an integral part of national development policies.

Africas
ILO Regional Office for Africa Africa Hall, 6th Floor, Menelik II Avenue Addis Ababa, Ethiopia P.O.Box 2788, 2532 Tel: +251-11-544-4480, +251-11-544-4481 Fax: +251-11-544-5573, +251-11-551-3633 Email: addisababa@ilo.org

Americas
ILO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Las Flores 275 San Isidro P.O. Box 14-124 Lince, Lima 14, Peru Tel: +511 6150300 Fax: +511 6150400 E-mail: oit@oit.org.pe ILOWashington: ILO Office for the United States 1808 I Street, NW 9th Floor Washington, D.C. 20006 USA Phone: 202-617-3952 Fax: 202-617-3960 Email: washington@ilo.org

Arab States
ILO Regional Office for Arab States ARESCO Centre Justinien Street - Kantari PO Box 11-4088 Beirut, Lebanon

Riad Solh - Beirut 11072150 Tel: 961-1-752400 Fax: 961-1-752405 Email: beirut@ilo.org

Asia and the Pacific

ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific United Nations Building Rajdamnern Nok Avenue P.O. Box 2-349 Bangkok 10200, Thailand Tel: +66 2 288 1234 Fax: +66 2 288 3062 Email: bangkok@ilo.org

Europe and Central Asia

Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia 4, route des Morillons CH-1211 Genve 22, Suisse Tel: +41.22.799.6666 Fax: +41.22.799.6061 E-mail: europe@ilo.org