International Labour Organization (ILO)

ILO: International Labour Organization

The International Labor Organization (ILO) promotes social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights, pursuing its founding mission that labor peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity, and progress.

The ILO was created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it’s based on social justice. In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the United Nations. Its unique tripartite structure gives workers, employers, and governments an equal voice, providing a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men.

The ILO has four strategic objectives

– Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
– Create more significant opportunities for women and men to have decent employment and income
– Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all and
– Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue

In support of its goals, the ILO offers expertise and knowledge about the world of work, acquired over 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:

– Formulation of international policies and programs to promote fundamental human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities
– Creation of international labor standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application
– An extensive program 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
– Training, education, and research activities to help advance all of these efforts