The following is a summary of the reforms introduced in the functioning of the Governing Body as a result of its decision at its 256th Session (May 1993), updated to included references to subsequent practice and other bodies created since then.

I. Frequency and timing of Governing Body sessions

1.  The Governing Body's work is distributed between a full autumn (November) session and another in the spring (March-April). In addition, the Governing Body also holds a one-day session in June after the Conference.

2.  The Committee on Freedom of Association in addition meets during the week preceding the opening of the General Conference and its report is adopted by the Governing Body during the brief session which is held in June.

3.  Governing Body sessions last three-and-a-half days, and are preceded by one half-day of group meetings. The committees meet during the previous one-and-a-half weeks at ordinary sessions, and during the previous two-and-a-half weeks at the spring sessions when the Programme and Budget proposals are examined.

II. Governing Body committees

4.  The Governing Body has six committees. Furthermore, it may establish, as and when necessary, working parties responsible for examining specific questions.

5.  These committees are the following:

• the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) , which meets in private sitting at every Governing Body session and just before the Conference, is responsible for complaints submitted to the Governing Body alleging violations of freedom of association and for representations that concern such issues; its Chairperson is appointed from outside the Governing Body in an individual capacity;
• the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee (PFA) , which normally meets at the spring and autumn sessions, and as required in June, is responsible for financial and general administrative matters and for personnel questions. All questions concerning the allocation of expenses among member States are handled by the Government members of the Committee, who meet in private sitting, and their recommendations are submitted direct to the Governing Body under the item on its agenda concerning the reports of the PFA. The PFA may also establish a Building Subcommittee (PFA/BS) , which is responsible for matters concerning ILO premises.
• the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards (LILS), which normally meets at the spring and autumn sessions, whose mandate is to consider matters relating to --
  • Standing Orders (International Labour Conference, Governing Body, regional meetings, sectoral committees);
  • the ILO's standard­setting work and procedures, including the approval of report forms for ILO Conventions and Recommendations and the selection of instruments for article 19 reporting;
  • action relating to the protection of human rights, with particular reference to the elimination of discrimination on the basis of race and sex;
  • international legal instruments and judicial decisions affecting the ILO's standard­setting work;
  • legal agreements concluded by the ILO with other international organizations (except in the area of technical cooperation, which fall within the competence of the Committee on Technical Cooperation);
  • in addition, its Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards (WP/PRS) was constituted at the Governing Body 262nd Session (March 1994). The Working Party is chaired by a Government representative. Its meetings are private. It is comprised of 16 Government members (four from each region), eight Employer members and eight Worker members, and has the following mandate:
    • to assess actual revision needs;
    • to examine the criteria that could be applied to the revision of standards;
    • to reflect on the possibility of extending and supplementing the evaluation of standards;
    • to make the standard-setting system more coherent by narrowing the differences between the social policy objectives it establishes;
    • to analyse the difficulties and obstacles involved in the ratification of ILO Conventions;
    • to envisage the measures which might be proposed to improve the ratification of Conventions that have been revised;
  • the Subcommittee on Multinational Enterprises (MNE) of the LILS, which reports direct to the Governing Body, examines the effect given to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (in particular the triennial review of follow­up on the Declaration); considers requests for interpretation of the Tripartite Declaration; and monitors activities of the ILO and other organizations regarding multinational enterprises, it being understood that other aspects of the activities of multinational enterprises may if necessary be examined by other committees.
• the Committee on Employment and Social Policy (ESP) , which meets at the spring and autumn sessions, whose mandate is to consider, and advise the Governing Body on, ILO policies and activities in the fields of --
  • employment;
  • training;
  • enterprise development and cooperatives;
  • industrial relations and labour administration;
  • working conditions and environment;
  • social security;
  • the promotion of equality between men and women in employment.
• the Committee on Sectoral and Technical Meetings and Related Issues (STM) , which meets in principle once a year (but in practice meets at the spring and autumn sessions), considers, and advises the Governing Body on, matters relating to --
  • planning, preparations (including composition, agenda and reports) and follow­up concerning the ILO's sectoral committees and meetings;
  • preparations and follow­up concerning ILO technical meetings (meetings of experts, etc.) provided for in the programme and budget;
  • the review of the ILO's Sectoral Activities Programme and other policy issues relating to ILO sectoral and technical meetings.
• the Committee on Technical Cooperation (TC) , which meets at the spring and autumn sessions, considers, and advises the Governing Body on, matters relating to ILO technical cooperation programmes under all sources of funding, and in particular --
  • reviews the ILO's technical cooperation programme and evaluates selected projects;
  • recommends priorities and provides guidance for the ILO's technical cooperation activities;
  • promotes the active participation of employers' and workers' organizations in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of technical cooperation programmes and projects;
  • examines action to be taken on Conference decisions concerning technical cooperation matters;
  • monitors ILO technical cooperation activities in the different regions, including the work of the regional multidisciplinary teams;
  • considers developments in the United Nations system affecting the ILO's technical cooperation activities, and the ILO's relations with other international organizations in the technical cooperation field.
• the Governing Body also has a Working Party on the Social Dimension of Globalization (WP/SDG), membership of which is open to all members of the Governing Body.

6.  In addition, a general debate is foreseen once a year in the Governing Body plenary on the ILO's relations with organizations of the United Nations system. A small working party may also be called upon to examine specific aspects of those relations and to report to the Governing Body at sessions during which this plenary debate is not scheduled.

III. Procedure for the adoption of the reports of committees

7.   With the exception of the reports of the Committee on Freedom of Association, the reports of committees constituted by the Governing Body to examine representations made under article 24 of the ILO Constitution, the reports of working parties and reports of Governing Body committees are adopted by the Governing Body without introduction or other discussion. The Chairperson of the Governing Body submits for adoption the points for decision which appear in the report and proposes that the Governing Body take note of the report in its entirety.

8.  Nevertheless, members of the Governing Body still have the possibility --

• to make amendments to their own statements as reflected in the report;

• to submit, in accordance with the Standing Orders, proposals for amendments to the points for decision.

9.  The Chairperson may permit individual interventions and allow a discussion in the following cases:

• where the committee concerned is unable to reach a consensus on a particular point or has to take a decision by a majority vote, in which case the point concerned may need to be further discussed by the Governing Body;
• where the Officers of the Governing Body unanimously consider that an issue raised in a committee report is sufficiently important to warrant discussion by the Governing Body;
• if a formal request is made by a group spokesman or by at least 14 members of the Governing Body for discussion on a particular item in the report.
  

IV. Adoption of the reports of regional meetings and reports of other ILO meetings

10.  The reports of ILO regional meetings are submitted direct to the Governing Body.

11.  The reports of other meetings, such as meetings of experts, tripartite meetings and Industrial Committees are submitted to the Governing Body committee responsible for their subject-matter.

V. Procedure for determining the agenda of the International Labour Conference

12.  The items to be placed on the agenda of the Conference are considered at two successive sessions of the Governing Body, such that the decision is taken two years prior to the opening of the session of the Conference in question.

13.  The first stage of the discussion, which takes place at the autumn session, consists in identifying the subjects from which a choice could be made. For this purpose the Governing Body bases its discussion on a paper containing all the information necessary on the items proposed by the Director-General.

14.  The second stage of the discussion, which takes place at the spring session, consists in adopting a definitive decision. The paper serving as the basis for this discussion covers any additional items proposed by the Governing Body during the first stage of the discussion.

VI. Private sittings

15.  In accordance with article 7, paragraph 3 of the Standing Orders concerning the procedure for the examination of representations under articles 24 and 25 of the Constitution, the Governing Body is required to meet in private sitting to examine such representations. The only persons entitled to remain present are: members of the Governing Body, representatives of the State concerned by the representation, and ILO officials necessary for the conduct of the sitting .

VII. Effect to be given to resolutions adopted by the Conference

16.  Papers on the effect to be given to Conference resolutions are submitted individually to the Governing Body committee competent for their subject-matter. Only resolutions not falling within the competence of any committee are submitted direct to the Governing Body.

VIII. Report of the Chairperson of the Governing Body to the Conference

17.  The Chairperson, after consulting the Vice-Chairpersons, reports direct to the Conference on the work of the Governing Body over the previous year.

• Report for 1995-96
• Report for 1996-97
• Report for 1997-98
• Report for 1998-99
• Report for 1999-2000

IX. Role of the Officers of the Governing Body

18.  In addition to their traditional functions, the Governing Body has delegated to its Officers the authority --

• to invite non-governmental international organizations wishing to be represented at sessions of the General Conference, regional conferences and other meetings preparations for which are not the responsibility of one of the Governing Body committees and which do not have specific rules for this purpose;
• to invite official international organizations whose relations with the ILO are not governed by a particular agreement;
  [in both cases it is understood that requests for invitations presenting a particular problem will continue to be submitted to the Governing Body through its Officers;]
• to approve the programme of meetings;
• to approve the paper on symposia, seminars and similar meetings.
  

19.  The decisions of the Officers of the Governing Body are communicated to the Governing Body for information.

X. Obituaries and purely formal matters

20.  In accordance with article 2, paragraph 3 of the Standing Orders of the Governing Body, where the Governing Body has before it a matter of a purely ceremonial nature, the Chairperson may decide to speak alone on behalf of the Governing Body or to appoint, following appropriate consultations, another member or deputy member for this purpose.

21.  Where a death is announced to the Governing Body, a Livre d'Or is opened for members of the Governing Body to sign and in which they can record their condolences. The book is given to the family of the deceased after the Governing Body session.