International Labor Organization (ILO)

The International Labor Organization (ILO), an agency of the United Nations, promotes social justice and labor rights. To that end, the ILO formulates international labor standards in the form of conventions and recommendations, backed by a unique system to supervise their application. The ILO also conducts research, collects statistics, and provides training for underdeveloped countries to promote economic and social advancement. Its work is based on two tenets: (1) the sovereignty of nation-states and (2) tripartism. Thus, a member state is free to decide whether or not to ratify a convention, and tripartism’s three parties—(1) national governments, (2) independent workers’ organizations, and (3) independent employers’ organizations—are all involved in the governance of the ILO as equal partners and operate by consensus and social dialogue.

In 2013, ...