What is the International Labour Organization ( ILO )?

The International Labour Organization (ILO) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a tripartite agency within the United Nations (UN).  In fact, it is the only agency of its kind. Its tripartite structure makes the agency unique among world organizations, in that employers and workers have an equal voice with governments in shaping its policies and programs.

It comprises of the 3 Social Partners, that is, Government, Employers and Workers.  In total, the ILO has some 174 member states under its portfolio that can freely and openly confront experiences and compare national policies.

The main function of the ILO is to establish standards of working conditions for men and women throughout the world.

The agency is also charged with the responsibilities of policing its member states to ensure that International Labour Standards and Conventions are adhered to.

Principles of the ILO include:

• Labour is not a commodity
• Freedom of expression and association are essential to sustained progress
• Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere
• All human beings, irrespective of race, creed, or sex have the right to pursue both their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity of economic security and equal opportunity

What is a convention?

A convention is a ratified instrument of setting up working standards, which is adopted by the ILO for ratification by member states.