Mission and objectives

The primary goal of the ILO today is to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.
Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent work and the economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress. Its tripartite structure provides a unique platform for promoting decent work for all women and men. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.

The ILO has four strategic objectives

1. 2. 3. 4.

Promote and realize standards and fundamental principles and rights at work Create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income Enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue
In support of its goals, the ILO offers unmatched expertise and knowledge about the world of work, acquired over more than 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: 1. Formulation of international policies and programmes to promote basic human rights, improve working and living conditions, and enhance employment opportunities 2. 3. Creation of international labour standards backed by a unique system to supervise their application An extensive programme 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 4. Training, education and research activities to help advance all of these efforts

Functions

To coordinate the preparation of a flagship Global Social Protection Floor Report, that will serve as an advocacy tool and as general guidance on global and regional policies and strategies to support the implementation of the social protection floor in developing countries and address poverty issues in developed countries;

To provide input regarding the adaptation of the global concept of a social protection floor to regional, national and local needs, priorities and constraints; To encourage international dialogue among key actors and stakeholders on appropriate policy issues; To advise on policies and strategies to increase the fiscal space and ensure financial sustainability and affordability of the social protection floor.

About the Governing Body

The Governing Body is the executive body of the International Labour Organization (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November (the November session will be rescheduled to October, as from 2013). It takes decisions on ILO policy, decides the agenda of the International Labour Conference, adopts the draft

Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference, and elects the Director-General.

It is composed of 56 titular members (28 Governments, 14 Employers and 14 Workers) and 66 deputy members (28 Governments, 19 Employers and 19 Workers). Ten of the titular government seats are permanently held by States of chief industrial importance (Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States). The other Government members are elected by the Conference every three years (the last elections were held in June 2011). The Employer and Worker members are elected in their individual capacity.

How the ILO works

Tripartism and social dialogue
Underlying the ILOs work is the importance of cooperation between governments and employers and workers organizations in fostering social and economic progress.

The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes. The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards, policies and programmes.

The ILO encourages this tripartism within its constituents and member States by promoting a social dialogue between trade unions and employers in formulating, and where appropriate, implementing national policy on social, economic, and many other issues.

The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies (The International labour Conference, the Governing body and the Office) which comprise governments', employers' and workers' representatives.

The work of the Governing Body and of the Office is aided by tripartite committees covering major industries. It is also supported by committees of experts on such matters as vocational training, management development, occupational safety and health, industrial relations, workers education, and special problems of women and young workers.

Regional meetings of the ILO member States are held periodically to examine matters of special interest to the regions concerned.