1. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION

2. Questions When and why was the ILO founded?
How many member States does the ILO have?
What is the ILO’s status within the UN System?
What is the mandate of the ILO?
What is the unique feature of the ILO?
What are the ILO’s main bodies, their structures and main functions?
Which are the ILO’s main functions?
Which are the ILO’s fundamental documents
What are ILS?
What the characteristics of ILS?
What is a Convention and what is a Recommendation?
What happens after ILS are adopted?

3. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
Was founded in 1919 and the initial motivations of creating the ILO were:
Humanitarian: Improve the living and working conditions of workers through sustained commitment to spreading humane
working conditions and combating injustice, hardship and poverty
Political: Consolidate social peace by pre-empting social unrest/revolution
Economic: Equalize conditions for international competition by creating a fair or level playing field
Has 187 member States
Is a United Nations specialised agency
Aims at promoting social justice and decent work for all

4. Decent Work Agenda Based on four equal strategic objectives:
Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
Create greater opportunities for women and men to secure decent employment and income
Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all
Deepen tripartism and social dialogue by strengthening the capabilities and knowledge base of the social partners
Decent work appears in Sustainable Development Goal 8 i.e. promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Key aspects of decent work are widely embedded in the targets of many of the other 16 SDGs

5. ILO’s Main OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
Universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice
Labour is not a commodity to be traded in the same way as goods, services or capital,
and that human dignity demands equality of treatment and fairness in dealing with
the workplace.
Freedom of expression and association are essential to sustained progress
All human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex have the right to pursue both
their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of […]
equal opportunities
Preamble to the ILO Constitution / Declaration of Philadelphia

6. TRIPARTISM
The ILO is the only “tripartite” United Nations agency in that it brings
together representatives of government, workers’ and employers’
organizations to jointly shape policies and programs.
Tripartism is the active participation of workers and employers,
together with governments, in all ILO activities
The tripartite structure of the ILO enables the representatives
of workers and employers to participate on an equal footing with
those of governments in all discussion and the process of
decision-making

7. ILO STRUCTURE Governing Body International Labour Conference
4 delegates per member State
1 workers’
delegate
2 governments
delegates
1 employers’
delegate
Governing Body
14 workers’
representatives
28 governments
representatives
14 employers’
representatives
International Labour Office

8. International Labour Conference
General Assembly – each Member State is represented at the ILC by 4 delegates including 1 workers’ delegate, 2 government delegates and 1 employers’ delegate.
Meets every year in Geneva in June
Main functions of the ILC are to:
Discuss (in Committee) and adopt (in Plenary) ILS, and supervise their application in law and practice
Elect the Governing Body
Admit a new Member
Pass resolutions which provide guidelines for the ILO’s general policy and future activities
Adopt every two years the ILO’s biennial work program and budget

9. Governing Body Executive body
Meets 3 times a year in Geneva (March, June, October/November)
Comprises 56 titular (i.e. 28 governments, 14 employers and 14 workers representatives). 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 of America
Main functions:
Takes decisions on ILO policy
Decides the Agenda of the Conference
Elects the Director-General
Appoints the Members of CEACR
Is involved in the supervision of the application of ILS

10. International Labour Office
Organization’s permanent secretariat comprising:
The headquarters in Geneva
Regional offices
Country offices
International Training Centre of the ILO
Led by the Director-General
Main functions:
Undertake the technical work of the Organization (research, technical advice and support)
Develops and implement programs set by the Governing Body

11. Standard-Setting Activities (Normative Action)
Main Functions
Standard-Setting Activities (Normative Action)
Elaboration and adoption of international labour standards
Supervision of member States application of international labour standards
Technical assstance and cooperation
Research and information on the world of work

12. Fundamental Documents
Constitution, 1919
New Art. 19(9) on the abrogation of obsolete Conventions
Declaration of Philadelphia, 1944
Since 1946 annexed to the Constitution
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 1998
Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, 2008

13. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS (ILS)
Conventions
Are international treaties
When ratified, are legally binding
If not ratified, are sources of inspiration for national law and practice
189 Conventions (as at June 2016)
Recommandations
Are not open to ratification
Are not legally binding
Provide technical or general guidelines for national policy and practice
204 Recommendations (as at June 2016)
Protocols
Revises part of a Convention previously adopted to suppliment or upgrade it.
6 Protocols (as at June 2016)

14. OTHER ILO INSTRUMENTS
Declarations
Resolutions
Codes of practice

15. CHARACTERISTICS OF ILS
Universal  set at the world level
Flexible  set respecting the needs of all ILO Member States
Tripartite  expression of international tripartite agreements
Minimum protection  fix minimum level of protection
International supervision  Their application is subject to an international control

16. SUBJECTS COVERED BY ILS
Freedom of association, collective bargaining and industrial relations
Forced labour
Elimination of child labour and protection of children and young persons
Equality of opportunity and treatment
Tripartite consultation
Labour administration and inspection
Employment policy and promotion
Vocational guidance and training
Employment security
Social policy
Wages
Working time
Occupational safety and health
Social security
Maternity protection
Migrant workers
Seafarers
Fishers
Dockworkers
Indigenous and tribal peoples
Specific categories

17. ILO FUNDAMENTAL CONVENTIONS
All ILO Member States, irrespective of the ratification of these Conventions,
have an obligation to respect the principles they set out
(ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 1998)
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)

18. PRIORITY CONVENTIONS C81 Labour Inspection, 1947
C129 Labour Inspection (Agriculture), 1969
C122 Employment Policy, 1964
C144 Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards), 1976
ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, 2008
These Conventions are significant from the viewpoint of governance

19. ILS Submission
Member States have the obligation to submit all newly adopted ILS to the national authorities vested with the power to legislate, and inform the ILO Director-General (Art. 19(5-7) ILO Constitution
Submission should be followed by a statement or proposal by the government
Why?
Promote action as to ILS application at national level
For Conventions, promote their ratification
Bring ILS to the knowledge of the general public
Timeframe
Within 12 or, exceptionally, 18 months following adoption
To whom?
National authority with power to legislate, normally the Parliament/Legislature

20. RATIFICATION Convention under international law
Is the official commitment by a member State to be bound by the provisions of a
Convention under international law
Is a political decision
Cannot involve reservations
Consequences:
1. Implementation of the Convention, both in law and in practice
2. Exposure to supervisory mechanisms

21. ILO SYSTEMS OF SUPERVISION
regular system of supervision
Based on the ratification of a Convention and a reporting obligation
on its application
special systems of supervision
Involve cases of specific allegations of violations against a member
State

22. MOST RELEVANT ILO SUPERVISORY BODIES
Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and
Recommendations (CEACR)
Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS)
Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA)

23. WHAT IS ACTRAV?
ACTRAV is the link between the International Labour Office and one of its key stakeholders: the trade union movement.
Disseminate policies and programmes of the ILO and its technical units to trade unions.
Reflect interests of trade unions in programmes and actions of the ILO.
Support workers’ representatives in ILO’s decision making bodies.
Educate and train trade union leaders/activists/staff.

24. Structure of ACTRAV Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ILO/ACTRAV-Geneva)
Overall policy/strategy making
Liaison with other unit
Support for Workers’ Group
Reflection of workers’ interests
ILO/ACTRAV-Turin
(International Training Center of the ILO)
Field Specialists
(RO, SRO and AO)
Why do we have to have well-established trade unions?
- Trade unions are “the building blocks of democracy”;
- Trade unions are “training schools for democracy”; and
- Trade unions are “the crucial partners in tripartism”.
What do we have to do?
- “Capacity Building” : Strengthening trade unions’ ability to train members and to build strong organizations;
- “Policy Development” : Helping the unions to deal with new issues
Direct contact with unions
Implementation of ACTRAV policies and strategies in each country
Dissemination of information
Implementation of training policies and programmes