International labour standards are usually applied through national law and policy. It is therefore vital that each country maintain a viable and active labour administration system responsible for all aspects of national labour policy formulation and implementation. An effective system of labour administration is also essential for the promotion of sound industrial and labour relations and is an important element in national development.

ILO Convention No. 150 on Labour Administration is an essential tool at the disposal of governments in fulfilling their responsibilities towards social issues.

The ILO provides technical and advisory support to the Ministries of Labour to strengthen their capacity to become effective systems of labour administration. Its work in the Caribbean has included: 

• The conduct of Functional and Organizational Reviews of the Departments of Labour in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bermuda and Dominica.
  

• The completion of Diagnostic Studies of Labour Administration Systems in Jamaica and Saint Lucia.
  

• Training for labour officials in industrial relations, conciliation and mediation, labour inspection.
  

• The publishing of Labour Administration Services in the Caribbean: A Guide for heads of labour departments responsible for the management of the labour administration functions as well as for newly appointed labour officials. 
  

• The publishing of a compilation of reports emanating from reviews carried out by the ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean since 1997. Entitled Strategic Visions for Labour Administration in the Caribbean, it presents a comprehensive assessment of the operations of labour administrations in the Caribbean.
  

• The publishing of guides on the labour administration systems in Suriname and Guyana: The System of Labour Administration in Suriname and The System of Industrial Relations in Guyana.