Governments, employers and workers at the same table: how the International Labour Organization is run

Background

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. It is the only tripartite U.N. agency: since 1919 it has brought together governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. The International Labour Conference sets the international labour standards and the broad policies of the ILO and meets annually in Geneva; it is often called an international parliament of labour. The Governing Body of the International Labour Office is the executive body of the ILO and meets three times a year; it takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft Programme and Budget for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General. The International Labour Office is the secretariat of the Organization. The biennial Programme and Budget is proposed by the Governing Body to the Conference and must be adopted through a vote of the Conference. At country level the ILO works mainly through Decent Work Country Programmes.