International Labour Organization (ILO)
What is ILO?
ILO stands for International Labour Organization. It is an internationally recognised UN agency which promotes social justice and human rights. It brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States promoting decent work for all women and men. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. It takes care mostly of labour rights. It was the first specialised agency of the United Nations (1946).
History
It was founded in 1919 and 187 Countries belong to it. English, French and Spanish are the official languages. ILO’s purpose is to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes. The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
Mission and impact of ILO
The ILO’s Decent Work agenda guarantees prosperity, progress and lasting peace to all workers and employers.
The four strategic objectives of the Decent Work agenda are:
The four strategic objectives of the Decent Work agenda are:
- Setting and promoting standards and fundamental principles and rights at work
- Creating greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income
- Enhancing the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all
- Strengthening tripartism (dialogue between employers, workers and member states) and social dialogue
Organization
ILO's tripartite governing structure is composed by 3 main bodies:
- The International Labour Conference, which sets the international labour standards and makes decisions about the ILO’s general policy. It meets annually in Geneva.
- The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO. It makes decisions on ILO’s policy and establishes the programme and the budget. It meets three times a year in Geneva.
- The International Labour Office is the Permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization and it is the center of the activities.
ILO and child labour
ILO is especially committed to studying and fighting the phenomenon of child labour. Child Labour is an activity that deprives children of their childhood, dignity and negatively affects their development.
There are different types of children exploitation; child labour is caused by conditions of extreme poverty, war and the lack of a possibility of education. 152 million children are victims of child labour. Countries where children are employed are: 72.1 million in Africa; 62.1 million in Asia and the Pacific; 10.7 million in the Americas; 1.2 million in the Arab States and 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia.
There are different types of children exploitation; child labour is caused by conditions of extreme poverty, war and the lack of a possibility of education. 152 million children are victims of child labour. Countries where children are employed are: 72.1 million in Africa; 62.1 million in Asia and the Pacific; 10.7 million in the Americas; 1.2 million in the Arab States and 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia.
Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani
Christian boy who became a
symbol of abusive child labour
Important ILO Conventions and Recommendations on child labour
- ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, 1999. This convention helped to focus on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour without losing the long term goal of the effective elimination of all child labour.
- ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment and work. One of the most effective methods of ensuring that children do not start working too young is to set the age at which they can legally be employed or otherwise work.
Sources of content:
www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/lang--en/index.htm
www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/lang--en/index.htm
Text and design by:
Introduction to ILO: Vanessa Javornik e Francesca Turcinovich (Liceo Classico e Linguistico "F. Petrarca", Trieste, Italy, 2020)
ILO & child labour: Chiara Di Stanislao (Liceo Classico e Linguistico "F. Petrarca", Trieste, Italy, 2020)
Introduction to ILO: Vanessa Javornik e Francesca Turcinovich (Liceo Classico e Linguistico "F. Petrarca", Trieste, Italy, 2020)
ILO & child labour: Chiara Di Stanislao (Liceo Classico e Linguistico "F. Petrarca", Trieste, Italy, 2020)