Brazil - ILO Cooperation

Brazil is a founding Member State of the ILO and a key partner in the promotion of the Decent Work Agenda. Brazil has ratified 98 Conventions, including eight Fundamental, three Governance and 87 Technical Conventions. The ILO and Brazil have a long-standing partnership focused on promoting South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).

Brazil's strategic contributions to the ILO

In 2017–2022, Brazil contributed more than US$ 23 million in voluntary contributions for projects in Brazil itself, through direct trust funds, as well as more than 35 developing countries, within the context of SSTC. Brazil also contributed more than US$ 80 million in assessed contributions, which are paid by all ILO Member States by virtue of their membership. These efforts contributions support work aligned with the ILO’s four strategic objectives, namely rights at work, employment, social protection, and social dialogue.

Brazil’s total contributions to the ILO 2017-2022, US$, Millions

Brazil's support to ILO results

Priorities in the Brazil-ILO partnership

The initial focus of SSTC endeavours has been mainly on fighting child labour and promoting social protection, which represent the ILO’s largest development cooperation programmes in Brazil. Recently, there has been a diversification to include other decent work areas, such as eliminating forced labour, promoting green jobs, sectoral matters, fundamental principles and rights at work, promoting gender equality and migration.

Two SSTC Memoranda of Understanding were signed in December 2007 and March 2008. The first focused on the prevention and elimination of child labour and the second on promoting social protection in several regions, with a special focus on Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa (PALOP).

The most comprehensive legal framework agreement was signed in March 2009 by the ILO Director-General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, entitled the “Complementary Agreement to the Technical Cooperation Agreement with Latin American and African Countries for the Implementation of the ILO - Brazil Partnership Programme for the Promotion of South-South Cooperation”. This agreement organized Brazil’s cooperation with the ILO under the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda, giving priority to promoting the fundamental principles and rights at work and social protection for all. It still serves as an umbrella for all ILO-Brazil initiatives.