Our Mandate

The mandate of the ILO is to:

• Set international labour standards in the form of Conventions and Recommendations;
  
• Provide technical assistance to ILO Constituents;
  
• Undertake research and dissemination of information.

When the ILO was established in 1919, our primary focus was to set international labour standards to improve the working conditions and social well-being of people worldwide. These standards comprise International Labour Conventions and Recommendations. Some standards deal with basic labour rights: freedom of association, the right to organise, collective bargaining, abolition of forced labour, equality of opportunity and treatment and other standards which regulate conditions of work.

An ILO Convention is a legal instrument regulating some aspect of labour administration, social welfare and human rights. When a country ratifies a Convention, it undertakes a formal obligation to apply the provisions of that Convention and to accept a measure of international supervision and monitoring.

An ILO Recommendation is similar to a Convention except that it is not subject to ratification. It provides more specific guidelines on the subject.

Technical Cooperation

In working to improve social and labour conditions worldwide, the ILO started delivering technical advice to its constituents. However, it was felt that the ILO had an obligation to go beyond giving advice since there was a need to implement specific action. In order to do so, it joined with other United Nations agencies to carry out operational activities on a continuing basis in the field of vocational training and vocational rehabilitation; employment policy; labour administration; labour law; industrial relations; working conditions; management development; cooperatives; social security; labour statistics and occupational safety and health.

Research and Dissemination of Information

The work of the ILO is informed by on-going research into social and labour problems. The results of this research are published in the form of studies, reports and books which are disseminated worldwide. In addition, the ILO is a storehouse and a clearing house for information on social and economic policy.

How we are Organised

The International Labour Organization is comprised of an annual assembly called the International Labour Conference, an executive council called the Governing Body and a permanent secretariat, the International Labour Office.

International Labour Conference

The International Labour Conference elects the Governing Body; adopts the budget, sets international labour standards; and provides a world forum for the discussion of social and labour questions. Each national delegation is composed of two government delegates, one employers' delegate and one workers' delegate, accompanied as necessary by technical advisors.

The Governing Body

The Governing Body holds three sessions a year to decide questions of policy and programme. It is comprised of 28 Government members, 14 Employer members and 14 Worker members. Ten states of major industrial importance have permanent Government representatives and the others are elected every three years by the Conference.

The Secretariat

The Headquarters of the ILO is located in Geneva, Switzerland. It has a network of Offices and Multidisciplinary Advisory Teams worldwide. In addition, the ILO's International Training Centre is located in Turin, Italy. Presently, ILO membership stands at 175 countries.

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