ILC.105/VI

International Labour Conference, 105th Session, 2016

Report VI

Advancing social justice

Reviewing the impact of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization

Sixth item on the agenda

International Labour Office, Geneva

Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1.Changing global context

1.1.The financial and economic crisis

1.2.The world of work

1.3.Development challenges and opportunities

Chapter 2.Action by Members

2.1.Overall awareness of the Declaration and approaches to its implementation

2.1.1Overall awareness and understanding of the Declaration

2.1.2Approaches to the implementation of the Declaration

2.2.Implementation at the country level

2.2.1National policies, plans and strategies

2.2.2Appropriate indicators and statistics

2.2.3Ratification and implementation of international labour standards

2.2.4Promotion of sustainable enterprises

2.2.5Coordination through social dialogue and other means

2.3.Implementation through coordination between Members

2.3.1Exchange of good practice

2.3.2Development cooperation

2.3.3Trade and investment agreements

2.3.4Coordination at the regional level

2.3.5Regional migration agreements

2.3.6Coordination at the multilateral level

2.4.Observations and challenges

Chapter 3.Action by the Organization

3.1.Understanding and responding to Members’ realities and needs through recurrent discussions

3.1.1Modalities

3.1.2Recurrent discussions as a knowledge and governance tool

3.2.Making the best use of the unique advantage of the ILO’s tripartite structure and standards system

3.2.1Improving the functioning of the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference

3.2.2Strengthening standards as a means of achieving all the strategic objectives

3.3.Promoting a more integrated approach within the ILO

3.3.1Efficient and effective work by the Office

3.3.2Research and knowledge building for policy and advocacy

3.3.3Technical cooperation and expert advice

3.4.Observations and challenges

Chapter 4.Action by and with international and regional organizations

4.1.International organizations

4.1.1United Nations system

4.1.2Collaboration with global economic institutions

4.2.Regional organizations

4.3.ILO cooperation with groupings of States

4.4.Non-state actors

4.5.Observations and challenges

Chapter 5.Achieving the full potential of the Declaration

5.1.Evidence of impact and challenges ahead

5.2.Equipping the ILO for its second century

5.2.1Areas for specific action to improve the implementation of the Declaration

5.2.2Realizing the universal aspiration for social justice

Abbreviations

ADB

Asian Development Bank

AfDB

African Development Bank

APEC

Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation

ASEAN

Association of South East Asian Nations

AU

African Union

BRICS

Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa

CARICOM

Caribbean Community

CEB

United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

DWCP

Decent Work Country Programme

ECOSOC

United Nations Economic and Social Council

EIB

European Investment Bank

EU

European Union

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

G7

Group of Seven

G8

Group of Eight

G15

Group of Fifteen

G20

Group of Twenty

G77

Group of 77

GDP

gross domestic product

IMF

International Monetary Fund

IOE

International Organisation of Employers

ICLS

International Conference of Labour Statisticians

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

ITUC

International Trade Union Confederation

JIU

United Nations Joint Inspection Unit

MDG

Millennium Development Goals

MERCOSUR

Common Market of the Southern Cone

MNE

multinational enterprise

NGO

non-governmental organization

OAS

Organization of American States

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

PPP

purchasing power parity

RIAL

Inter-American Network for Labour Administration

RBSA

Regular Budget Supplementary Account

SADC

Southern African Development Community

SDG

Sustainable Development Goals

SRM

Standards Review Mechanism

UNDAF

United Nations Development Assistance Framework

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

WEF

World Economic Forum

WTO

World Trade Organization

XBTC

Extra-Budgetary Technical Cooperation

Introduction

1.  The adoption of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (Declaration) in 2008 reflected the broad consensus that, as the world of work was being reshaped in profound ways, there was a need for the ILO to help achieve an improved and fair outcome for all. The Declaration institutionalizes the decent work concept and sets out an integrated approach to the achievement of decent work, based on four interrelated “strategic objectives” arising from the ILO’s constitutional mandate: employment promotion, social protection, social dialogue and tripartism, and fundamental principles and rights at work. These objectives are to be pursued together with the cross-cutting issues of gender equality and non-discrimination.

2.  Both the Organization and its Members [1] make a commitment in the Declaration to adopt an integrated approach to achieving decent work and advancing social justice. [2] This approach emphasizes the need to place decent work and employment at the centre of economic and social policies, at both the national and regional levels, and in the multilateral system. For Members, the commitment involves the integrated pursuit of the strategic objectives at the national level and in cooperation with each other. The Organization’s commitment is to support and assist the efforts of Members by strengthening its capacity, coordinating its means of action and enhancing its operational and policy effectiveness in the multilateral system.

3.  In March 2014, the Governing Body decided to place the evaluation of the impact of the Declaration on the agenda of the 105th Session of the Conference as provided for in the follow-up to the Declaration. [3] In accordance with the follow-up, the Conference is expected to focus on the extent to which the Declaration has contributed to promoting among Members the aims and purposes of the ILO through the integrated pursuit of the strategic objectives. The evaluation should also cover the specific steps for institutional follow-up as outlined in the Resolution adopted together with the Declaration. [4]

4.  In the light of its evaluation, the Conference is expected, as set out in the Declaration, to draw conclusions regarding the desirability of further evaluations or the opportunity of engaging in any appropriate course of action to achieve the full potential of the Declaration. The Conference evaluation is also well timed to inform activities related to the ILO’s centenary, the Strategic Plan 2018–21 and the ILO’s follow-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

5.  The present report has been prepared in line with the directions and guidance provided by the Governing Body, [5] taking into account the views expressed in informal tripartite consultations and the replies to a questionnaire received from tripartite constituents representing over 100 Members. The report is structured as follows:

- Chapter 1 briefly reviews the changing global economic and social context in which Members and the Organization have taken action to implement the Declaration.

- Chapter 2 addresses the action taken by Members in relation to the Declaration individually and in cooperation with each other.

- Chapter 3 focuses on the measures taken by the Organization to understand and respond to the needs of its Members through recurrent discussions, to improve the ILO’s governance and to implement the integrated approach in its work.

- Chapter 4 covers the action of interested international and regional organizations and other international actors in relation to the Declaration, and the ILO’s collaboration with them.

- Chapter 5 presents observations concerning the evidence of overall impact of the Declaration, outlining issues for consideration by the Conference in its evaluation of the impact of the Declaration, and identifying possible orientations for future action.

6.  The information and analyses presented in the report are largely based on the replies to the questionnaire prepared by the Office, the experience of a wide range of ILO officials, ILO reports, decisions and related documentation, statistical and other databases, and relevant ILO evaluations and internal institutional reviews. [6] The report also draws on relevant official resolutions and reports of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, as well as consultations with members of the secretariats of a number of international and other organizations [7] on the contribution of their organizations to the integrated approach and possible future steps towards multilateral policy coherence.

[1] For the purposes of the present report, “Members” are States which have accepted the obligations of the ILO Constitution. ILO Members operate through tripartite constituents representing governments, workers and employers.

[2] The integrated approach includes: the universal promotion of the four strategic objectives; the interrelated, inseparable and mutually supportive nature of the strategic objectives; respect for Members’ implementation in light of national conditions and circumstances, and the needs and priorities of employers and workers; interdependence, solidarity and cooperation among all Members; and the principles and provisions of international labour standards. Declaration, Part I.

[3] ILO: Minutes of the 320th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, Geneva, Mar. 2014, GB.320/PV, para. 351.

[4] ILO: Resolution on strengthening the ILO’s capacity to assist its Members’ efforts to reach its objectives in the context of globalization, International Labour Conference, 97th Session, Geneva, 2008.

[5] Guidance was provided at the 320th, 322nd, 323rd and 325th Sessions of the Governing Body. See, GB.323/INS/3 and GB.325/INS/3.

[6] The ILO sources used in particular for the present report are listed on: www.ilo.org/sjd2008.

[7] African Union (AU) Commission; European Commission; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Inter-American Development Bank; International Finance Corporation; International Monetary Fund (IMF); International Organization for Migration; International Trade Centre; Organization of American States (OAS); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; United Nations Development Group; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; United Nations Environment Programme; United Nations Global Compact; United Nations High-Level Committee on Programmes; United Nations Industrial Development Organization; United Nations Institute for Training and Research; United Nations Research Institute for Social Development; United Nations System Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB), World Food Programme; World Bank Group; World Health Organization; and World Trade Organization (WTO).

Chapter 1

Changing global context

7.  The Social Justice Declaration was adopted at a time of widespread uncertainty in the world of work, amid growing concern at the impact of globalization and recognition of the need for international organizations to work together more closely on these issues.

8.  The adoption of the Declaration three months before the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008 was in many ways propitious. The Declaration’s reaffirmation of the ILO’s values through the concept of decent work and its call for greater policy coherence became the foundation for the Global Jobs Pact, which was adopted by the Conference in June 2009 in response to the crisis. [1] The Pact was subsequently endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), [2] the Group of Eight (G8), [3] the Group of Twenty (G20), [4] the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) and other international and regional organizations (see Chapter 4).

9.  The present evaluation of the impact of the Declaration by the Conference will necessarily have to take into account the impact of the crisis and the response to it, as well as other major global trends and transitions that have shaped the world of work since 2008. These include, but are not confined to, climate change, population growth, the depletion of natural resources, natural and man-made disasters, unprecedented movements of people and the rapid development of information flows and technology.

1.1.The financial and economic crisis

10.  The financial and economic crisis that emerged late in 2008 affected both developed and developing countries. The largest global recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s eventually prompted the near default of some European economies, raising concerns that the euro might also collapse. Many developing economies were also facing a food crisis, as non-fuel commodity prices had increased by 50 per cent between 2005 and 2008. [5]

Figure 1.1.Gross domestic product (GDP) growth (2000–15)

Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF): World Economic Outlook database, Oct. 2015.

11.  Global annual GDP growth fell from an average of 4.5 per cent between 2000 and 2007 to a post-crisis average of 3.3 per cent between 2009 and 2015. The strongest impacts were in advanced economies, where annual GDP growth fell from 2.7 to 1.1 per cent. Growth in emerging and developing economies also slowed down from a pre-crisis average of 6.5 per cent to a post-crisis average of 5.1 per cent. Weaknesses in advanced economies have continued to spread to emerging and developing economies, where average annual GDP growth rates have fallen by more than 3.0 per cent over the past six years to 4.0 per cent in 2015. [6]

12.  In the early stages, governments coordinated their fiscal measures to counteract the social and economic impacts of the crisis and stimulate inclusive growth, as called for in the Global Jobs Pact. In certain countries which adopted an integrated policy response the crisis had less of an impact. [7] However, the crisis also exposed deep-seated issues in some economies, and a number of advanced economies shifted from stimulus packages to fiscal consolidation. By 2011, a retrenchment in spending across major economies resulted in a deficit in aggregate demand, consumer and business uncertainty, and low investment. Key indicators, such as average private consumption and investment growth rates, have still not returned to pre-crisis levels. [8] Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises are often at a particular disadvantage due to their lower levels of productivity and higher constraints in obtaining finance, while they continue to face weak demand.

13.  Employment creation stagnated significantly in the post-crisis period and has only recently recovered in some economies. There were 197 million unemployed globally in 2015, or 27 million more than before the crisis. [9] Youth unemployment in many countries is over twice as high as the average unemployment rate, and the labour market participation rate of women continues to be 26 per cent lower than that of men. [10]

14.  Global real wage rates fell sharply in 2008 and 2009, recovered slightly in 2010, and have fallen since then. [11] While trends are mixed, inequality has increased in most developed countries, as well as in many developing countries. This has given rise to considerable concern, as inequality can have a corrosive effect on social and political cohesion, and also because a growing body of research shows that high levels of inequality may lead to slower and less sustained economic growth. [12]

1.2.The world of work

15.  Against the backdrop of cyclical changes related to the crisis and recovery, the world of work has continued to undergo profound structural transformations due to the effects of such drivers as demographics, new technologies, the organization of work and new modes of production.

16.  Labour force demographics are changing the world of work as a result of the rapidly increasing population in most of Africa, and quasi-stagnating demographic growth and ageing populations in other developing and advanced economies. [13] The world is faced with the formidable challenge of creating 600 million new jobs by 2030, the majority in developing countries, in order to return to pre-crisis employment levels, provide employment for the 40 million young women and men entering the labour market each year and increase the participation of women in line with internationally agreed targets. [14]

17.  The world of work is also changing as a result of rapid technological progress. Microcomputer and information technologies, advances in robotics, software and artificial intelligence, and the availability of innumerable Internet services, have changed the manner in which goods and services are produced and provided. These innovations have strengthened linkages between manufacturing, agriculture and the service sectors, and are inevitably affecting the organization of work.

18.  As routine jobs disappear, new jobs are emerging in the knowledge economy, the green economy and the care economy, in both developing and industrialized countries. ILO estimates show that the transformation to a greener economy could generate between 15 and 60 million additional jobs globally over the coming decades. [15] While Internet-enabled mobile and independent types of work facilitate the matching of workers and employers and offer flexibility, they also bring challenges in ensuring conditions of decent work. Without formal contracts, such arrangements can lead to excessive working hours and little social protection. The decentralized nature of these jobs is currently making it more difficult for workers to organize and exercise their right to collective bargaining. For example, crowd work, [16] which affords opportunities for Internet-based workers globally, raises challenges in relation to labour regulation and protection.

19.  New modes of production have facilitated the development of deeper and more widespread global supply chains, which are now a common means of organizing investment and production in the global economy. This has generated opportunities for economic and social development and created employment, providing many workers with a toehold in the formal labour market and a pathway out of poverty in many countries. It has also increased productivity gains for the firms engaged in global supply chains. However, there is also evidence that global supply chains can affect different aspects of the quality of jobs, such as wages or the nature of work contracts. [17]

20.  Recent ILO analysis reveals notable shifts in non-standard forms of work. There is a trend for the number of waged and salaried workers to fall in the majority of advanced economies, while their numbers are still growing in emerging and developing economies, but at a reduced rate. [18] In developing countries, in particular, waged and salaried work offers opportunities to expand employment options and bring women, youth and other groups of workers who are likely to suffer decent work deficits into the labour market. Nevertheless, data show that about half of waged and salaried workers globally are without permanent employment contracts, which has implications for labour rights, income security, wage and income inequality, social protection coverage and broader social and economic progress. [19] Workers without permanent contracts also tend to be more vulnerable than those in traditional employment relationships, and are more exposed to workplace safety and health hazards and to lower pay. [20]

21.  While new and transforming challenges and opportunities are emerging in the world of work, the 2.3 million workers who die each year as a result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases, [21] the 21 million victims of forced labour [22] and the 168 million children engaged in child labour [23] offer a stark reminder of the persisting decent work deficits. These include the denial of rights at work, the absence of sufficient opportunities for quality employment, inadequate social protection and the absence of social dialogue, particularly in the informal economy, where over half the global labour force works.

22.  The changes in the composition and organization of production and work, as well as the persistent decent work deficits, go hand-in-hand with challenges concerning the governance of work. While the trend in recent decades has been towards deregulation in many countries, international labour standards are increasingly recognized as key components of regional and subregional integration processes, and are being included in trade agreements at various levels. In parallel, increases in both the number and size of multinational enterprises (MNEs) have been accompanied by a rise in the number of private compliance initiatives, including corporate social responsibility, as well as in negotiated agreements that stimulate dialogue between MNEs and workers’ representatives across the supply chain.

23.  Addressing these transformations in the world of work calls for a forward-looking examination of decent work in all its dimensions. This includes asking: what work means in our lives and society and how it is changing; where jobs are being created; what factors are driving the organization of work and production, and what they mean for decent work; and what adjustments to regulatory frameworks and institutions may be necessary to govern the changing world of work. Ongoing dialogue with tripartite constituents and a broad range of stakeholders under the future of work initiative will provide an opportunity to examine these questions, and will ultimately inform a high-level commission on the subject and the Conference discussion in 2019. [24]

1.3.Development challenges and opportunities

24.  As highlighted by the United Nations, billions of women and men continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of dignity, including over 327 million working women and men who are living in extreme poverty, and 967 million in moderate or near poverty. [25] Inequalities are rising within and between countries, with enormous disparities in opportunities, wealth and power. Gender inequality remains a key challenge, as reflected, for instance, in the gender pay gap, which remains at around 20 per cent. [26] Global health threats, more frequent and intense natural disasters, spiralling conflict, violent extremism, terrorism and the related humanitarian crises and forced displacement of people, are threatening to reverse much of the development progress achieved in recent decades. Natural resource depletion and the adverse impacts of environmental degradation are adding to and exacerbating the challenges faced by humanity. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges, and its adverse impacts are undermining the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development.

25.  Despite these challenges, the world has made progress in combating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal education and gender equality, and improving child survival and health. Many of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been achieved in full or in part, including target 1.A to reduce extreme poverty by half. Millions of children who were unlikely to survive their fifth birthday have passed these critical years and ever greater numbers of them have gone to school. While there are important variations across regions and countries, about two-thirds of developing countries have achieved gender parity in primary education. The incidence of preventable diseases is falling. The spread of information and communications technology, and global interconnectedness, offers great potential to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divide and develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation in such diverse areas as medicine and energy. In December 2015, a historic agreement to combat climate change and unleash action and investment to achieve a low-carbon, resilient and sustainable future was concluded by 195 member States of the United Nations at the Climate Change Conference in Paris. [27]

26.  Nevertheless, progress in the achievement of the MDGs has been uneven, with lower achievements, particularly in Africa, the least developed countries, landlocked and small island developing States and fragile States. Some of the MDGs have not been attained, particularly those relating to maternal, new-born and child health. Target 1.B, which is most directly aligned with the principles of the Declaration, to “Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people”, remains elusive. As concluded recently by the United Nations, much work needs to be done to “raise productivity, promote sustainable structural transformation and expand social protection systems for the poorest and most vulnerable workers and their families”. [28]

27.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents a new opportunity to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and address climate change by 2030. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) go beyond the MDGs, and are based on the same transformative principles as the Declaration. The 2030 Agenda is universal, rights based, gender sensitive and based on recognition that the three dimensions – economic, environmental and social – must be pursued in an integrated manner, with greater policy coherence and through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Goal 8 is to “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”, and decent work is also fully integrated into a number of the other global goals and targets. [29]

28.  The 2030 Agenda is connected with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, adopted in July 2015, which calls for the mobilization of domestic public resources, domestic and international private business and finance, and international development cooperation. [30] The United Nations has also recently concluded a series of intergovernmental dialogues and inter-agency deliberations to ensure that it is “fit for purpose” to assist countries in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, building on the “Delivering as One” reforms to promote greater coherence and operational effectiveness, particularly at the country level. The dialogues took a broader look at the funding base and fragmentation of the United Nations, its governance structure and core functions, and the challenge of linking the normative, standard-setting and operational dimensions of its work for development, peace, human rights and humanitarian assistance. They highlighted that the United Nations system is in many respects at a crossroads, which makes it even more important for constituents and the Office to engage in debates at the intergovernmental and inter-agency levels to ensure that the aims and principles of the Declaration are well understood and applied appropriately in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

29.  The centrality of decent work in the 2030 Agenda has far-reaching implications for the goals of the Declaration. It is expected that the ILO and its Members will be called upon to play a full and active role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including through the active engagement of the tripartite constituents and support for national strategies for sustainable development. This strengthens the need to support constituents through the further reinforcement of the ILO’s capacity, the improved coordination of its means of action and the enhancement of its operational and policy effectiveness in the multilateral system, as called for in the Declaration.

[1] ILO: Recovering from the crisis: A Global Jobs Pact, International Labour Conference, 98th Session, Geneva, 2009.

[2] ECOSOC: Recovering from the crisis: A Global Jobs Pact, Resolution 2009/5. The resolution encourages member States to make full use of the Pact in post-crisis recovery plans.

[3] In July 2009, the G8 leaders declared that the Global Jobs Pact was “relevant to respond to the crisis at worldwide level and advance the social dimension of globalisation”: Responsible leadership for a sustainable future, G8 Leaders’ Statement, L’Aquila, July 2009, para. 37.

[4] In Nov. 2009, the G20 leaders welcomed the Global Jobs Pact as “an employment-oriented framework for future economic growth”: G20 Leaders Statement: The Pittsburgh Summit, para. 46.

[5] IMF: World Economic Outlook database, Oct. 2015.

[6] The Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economies experienced a relatively larger slowdown and their average investment growth rate in 2010–14 fell short of the pre-crisis average by 4.5 percentage points. World Bank: World Development Indicators database.

[7] Such as Australia and Brazil, where specific steps were taken to either maintain or boost household income through improved social assistance programmes. ILO: World of Work Report: The global jobs crisis and beyond (Geneva, 2009), p. ix.

[8] Post-crisis (2008–13) average growth rates remain below pre-crisis (2000–07) rates by 1.5 and 2.4 percentage points, respectively. World Bank: World Development Indicators database.

[9] ILO: World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2016 (Geneva, 2016), p. 3.

[10] ibid., p. 25.

[11] ILO: Global Wage Report 2014/2015: Wage and income inequality (Geneva, 2014), p. 5.

[12] ILO, IMF, OECD and World Bank Group: Income inequality and labour income share in G20 countries: Trends, impacts and causes (Geneva, 2015), p. 2.

[13] ILO: World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2015 (Geneva, 2015), pp. 57–59.

[14] ILO: Global Employment Trends 2012: Preventing a deeper jobs crisis (Geneva, 2012), p. 9.

[15] ILO: Working towards sustainable development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a green economy (Geneva, 2012), p. viii.

[16] Crowd work is performed through online platforms by groups of individual workers, responding to online calls. The “crowd” may live anywhere in the world, provided that they are connected to the Internet. See ILO: Regulating work in the “gig economy”, 2015: iloblog.org/2015/07/10/regulating-work-in-the-gig-economy.

[17] ILO: World Employment and Social Outlook: The changing nature of jobs (Geneva, 2015), p. 140. The impact of global supply chains on the world of work is the subject of a general discussion at the present session of the Conference.

[18] ibid., p. 13. Waged and salaried employment is growing in some regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where it concerns around 20 per cent of workers. The rest are engaged in non-standard forms of work.

[19] ibid. In middle and low-income countries, nearly 72 and 87 per cent of waged and salaried workers, respectively, are employed without a permanent contract, while in high-income economies the share is lower, at 25 per cent, but has increased slightly since 2004 with the addition of a new category of workers with no contract.

[20] E.g., temporary workers are often not given adequate safety and health training or explanations about their duties or rights. United States Department of Labor: www.osha.gov/temp_workers/.

[21] ILO: Safety and health at work: A vision for sustainable prevention, XX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2014, Global Forum for Prevention, 24–27 Aug. 2014, Frankfurt, Germany (Geneva, 2014).

[22] ILO: ILO global estimate of forced labour: Results and methodology (Geneva, 2012), p. 13.

[23] ILO: Making progress against child labour: Global estimates and trends 2000–2012 (Geneva, 2013), p. 1.

[24] ILO: Towards the ILO centenary: Realities, renewal and tripartite commitment, Report I(A), International Labour Conference, 102nd Session, Geneva, 2013; and The future of work centenary initiative, Report I, International Labour Conference, 104th Session, Geneva, 2015.

[25] ILO: World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2016 (Geneva, 2016), p. 19. Extreme poverty is defined as those working but living on less than US$1.90 purchasing power parity (PPP) a day, while moderate poverty is between US$1.90 and US$3.10 PPP a day, and near poverty is between US$3.10 and US$5 PPP a day.

[26] ILO: Equal pay: An introductory guide (Geneva, 2013), p. 12.

[27] The agreement highlights in particular “the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities”. Adoption of the Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Conference of the Parties, Paris, 30 Nov.–11 Dec. 2015, FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1.

[28] United Nations: The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 (New York, 2015).

[29] United Nations: Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1 (New York, 2015).

[30] United Nations: Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, A/RES/69/313 (Addis Ababa, 2015).

Chapter 2

Action by Members

30.  Through the Declaration, the ILO’s Members reiterate their determination to pursue the strategic objectives, and they recognize their interdependence and the importance of an integrated approach in their implementation. The Declaration provides a common reference frame intended to serve as a guide for action by Members, individually and in cooperation with each other.

31.  As envisaged by the Declaration, the Office gathered information from the tripartite constituents on action taken as a result of the Declaration. A questionnaire was sent out as the first such collective exercise involving all Members since its adoption. It was designed in consultation with the tripartite constituents to obtain information otherwise unavailable to the Office, and Members were requested to consult the most representative employers’ and workers’ organizations when preparing their replies.

32.  The information presented in this chapter is based largely on the 104 replies to the questionnaire received from governments, as well as the supplementary information and comments received from 45 employers’ and workers’ organizations. Over half of ILO Members responded to the questionnaire, including most of the current members of the Governing Body.

Figure 2.1.Replies to the questionnaire

33.  Response rates were particularly high in Europe and Central Asia and in the Americas. Across all regions, the replies reflect keen interest in the evaluation of the impact of the Declaration. Some replies suggest that the questionnaire gave rise to tripartite consultations on the impact of the Declaration.

Figure 2.2.Replies to the questionnaire by region

34.  The responses contain rich examples of action taken by Members in the form of the ratification of international labour standards, legislation, policies and programmes, capacity building, research and statistics, and the coordination of action at all levels. These include, but are not limited to, some of the steps enumerated in Part II(B) of the Declaration, although without explicitly referring to it. [1] Where possible, the responses from Members have been supplemented by information already available to the Office, including on ratification rates, national employment policies, trade agreements and development cooperation.

35.  The following sections provide an overview of Members’ overall awareness of the Declaration and their approach to its implementation, as well as the action taken at the national level. They also cover the action taken by Members in cooperation with each other at the regional and international levels through South–South and triangular cooperation, development cooperation, trade and investment, regional integration processes, and labour migration agreements.

2.1.Overall awareness of the Declaration and approaches to its implementation

2.1.1.Overall awareness and understanding of the Declaration

36.  The replies show that Members are aware of the Declaration and generally understand its institutional significance for the ILO. While all the replies reaffirm continuing support for the concept of decent work, they show a more general understanding of the individual elements of the Declaration than of its implications as an instrument to guide action by Members. This is particularly evident in relation to the implementation of the integrated approach to decent work.

37.  Overall, the replies contain more information on the promotion of the strategic objectives of employment and social protection than on social dialogue and tripartism and fundamental principles and rights at work. While all replies refer to social dialogue, most of the information provided on this strategic objective is focused on specific tripartite consultation procedures, rather than the promotion of social dialogue and tripartism as a strategic objective in itself.

38.  Some replies contain information on the protection of fundamental principles and rights at work under the national Constitution or legislation, or by the judiciary. However, few provide substantive information on the strategies and action taken to promote, respect and realize fundamental principles and rights at work as both a coherent group of rights and as enabling conditions. There also appears to be a lack of clarity concerning the difference between the strategic objective concerning fundamental principles and rights at work, supported by the fundamental Conventions, and the need to use the full body of international labour standards as a means of promoting, implementing and achieving all four strategic objectives, including fundamental principles and rights at work.

2.1.2.Approaches to the implementation of the Declaration

39.  Following its adoption, many Members disseminated the text of the Declaration to national administrations and presented it to other entities, such as national parliaments. Some also communicated it to representative organizations of employers and workers. Countries such as Norway and Uruguay report that they sponsored resolutions concerning the Declaration in such multilateral and regional bodies as the United Nations and the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR), respectively (see also Chapter 4).

40.  A few Members report that they have developed strategies in response to the Declaration for the integrated pursuit of the four strategic objectives and, more broadly, coherence between economic, social, trade and investment policies. While such strategies may include a national component, the replies tend to emphasize the promotion by Members of decent work in other countries, including through development cooperation, trade and investment.

41.  In contrast, other replies indicate that no need has been felt for specific measures to implement the Declaration, since the strategic objectives are already integrated into existing policies and legislation. Many of these Members instead highlight how they have promoted the Declaration at the international or regional levels. Workers’ organizations in certain of these countries report that the lack of specific measures for the implementation of the Declaration has weakened the effectiveness of social policy, and call for a specific strategy at the national level.

42.  While approaches to the follow-up and implementation of the Declaration vary significantly by country, a majority of the Members consider in their replies that the Declaration has contributed “moderately” or “significantly” to the mainstreaming of the Decent Work Agenda at the national, regional and international levels. Members in Europe and Central Asia and in the Americas report that the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work has been greater at the international and regional levels than at the national level, while Members in Africa and Asia consider it to be greater at the national level than regionally and internationally.

Figure 2.3.Contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the different levels

2.2.Implementation at the country level

43.  A majority of replies to the questionnaire consider that the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the national level has been significant, particularly in Africa, the Americas, and Europe and Central Asia. In comparison, most replies from Asia and the Pacific consider its contribution in this respect to have been moderate.

Table 2.1.Contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the national level (number of replies)

Region

Not at all

A little

Moderately

Significantly

N/A

Africa

0

1

4

17

3

Americas

0

2

3

14

3

Asia and the Pacific

1

1

12

6

3

Europe and Central Asia

1

4

10

15

4

Total

2

8

29

52

13

44.  Most Members with Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) indicate in their replies that these programmes have been key to the promotion of an integrated approach to the four strategic objectives at the national level. They also suggest that the implementation of DWCPs has contributed, to a certain extent, to better awareness of the Declaration at the national level. While some Members had designed and adopted DWCPs before the adoption of the Declaration, there has been an increase in their number since 2008, particularly in Africa, and in Europe and Central Asia.

2.2.1.National policies, plans and strategies

45.  Across the regions, replies indicate that national employment and labour market policies, development plans and economic growth strategies have served as vectors for stronger linkages between the strategic objectives. In Africa, most member States have made progress in mainstreaming decent work into their national development strategies and frameworks. [2]

46.  Governments report the development of policies linking employment (particularly the formalization of the informal economy and the promotion of youth employment), social protection (especially minimum wages and occupational safety and health) and social security. The development of these policies has also taken into account the need for coordination with financial, fiscal and trade policies. Information available to the Office indicates that national employment policies based on comprehensive, integrated and gender-sensitive strategies have been designed and implemented in over 60 countries with ILO assistance since 2008.

47.  Some replies report measures taken in relation to the cross-cutting issues of gender equality and non-discrimination, especially as part of packages to promote inclusive growth. Non-discrimination measures have often been adopted to afford better protection to specific categories, particularly youth, women and migrant workers and, to a lesser extent, persons with disabilities.

48.  Most replies highlight social and economic circumstances as the basis for the elaboration and implementation of national employment policies or development plans, which generally pursue the dual goal of economic growth and better employment opportunities. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, the impact of the global financial crisis, poverty, the lack of financial and human resources and, in some cases war, terrorism and climate change.

49.  Information from the Office concerning activities in 17 selected countries to implement the Global Jobs Pact offers an insight into how some countries have pursued the call in the Declaration for an integrated approach, as reinforced by the Pact. Seven of the countries have taken a multidimensional approach, covering more than two strategic objectives. Among the strategic objectives, employment is the most common focus area, with 16 countries implementing activities in this area, followed by social protection (ten countries), social dialogue (six countries) and fundamental principles and rights at work (three countries). Information available to the Office also shows that action under any strategic objective often leads to outcomes under other strategic objectives.

Figure 2.4.Strategic objectives covered in the activities of 17 selected countries to implement the Global Jobs Pact (2009–12)

50.  The replies also provide information on national institutions that have contributed to the achievement of the strategic objectives, such as labour inspection and administration, employment services, labour market information systems and training centres. Some governments from the Americas highlight the role of the judiciary, and particularly labour courts, in the implementation of the strategic objectives, especially for the effective protection of fundamental principles and rights at work.

2.2.2.Appropriate indicators and statistics

51.  A number of replies refer to the development of indicators, or to surveys being conducted to monitor and assess the progress made in the implementation of employment and social policy, as encouraged by the Declaration. Others refer to the establishment of institutions to collect data on child labour, the labour market, collective bargaining or labour migration, and to ongoing ILO projects to support action in this field by Members. Information available to the Office confirms that more countries have defined and included statistical measurements dealing with decent work in their labour market information systems and statistics, largely in response to the global economic and financial crisis. The new labour force surveys carried out in many countries have enhanced their capacity to make informed decisions on labour policy and the key labour market challenges. Other countries have included decent work indicators in their profiles.

52.  However, some replies emphasize the continuing need for ILO technical assistance for the establishment of appropriate indicators and statistics. Information available to the Office confirms the existence of disparities in the production and availability of statistical indicators and sources covering the four dimensions of decent work. While progress has been made in the fields of employment and social protection, many countries still fall short in the production of basic data on rights and social dialogue. Overall, significant gaps in labour statistics remain, particularly in less developed countries.

2.2.3.Ratification and implementation of international labour standards

53.  The Declaration calls on Members to review their situation regarding the ratification or implementation of ILO instruments with a view to achieving progressively increasing coverage of each of the strategic objectives. [3] The information provided in the replies suggests that there has been very slow progress in adopting a holistic approach to the ratification and implementation of Conventions.

54.  One government indicates that its ratification policy is an integral part of a broader national strategy for decent work in response to the Declaration. Some governments refer to a national policy on ratification, including the re-examination of unratified Conventions, and others indicate that the Declaration has given rise to discussions at the national level on reviewing the ratification of fundamental and governance Conventions. Others report that standards-related issues are discussed at the national level in tripartite mechanisms, in some cases leading to a continued review of national labour legislation to address the changing conditions of the world of work. The review of standards is also reported to have taken place within the framework of DWCPs, or with ILO technical assistance based on the work of the supervisory system.

55.  Since 2008, the Office has recorded fewer ratifications of the fundamental Conventions than in the eight years prior to the adoption of the Declaration. This trend must be considered in light of the overall ratification rate. A further 123 ratifications are still required to meet the goal of the universal ratification of all the fundamental Conventions.

Table 2.2.Ratifications of fundamental Conventions by region (2008–15) (number of replies)

Region

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2008–15

Ratification rate (%)

Africa

1

1

2

4

7

0

3

0

18

97.7

Americas

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

2

4

95.0

Asia and the Pacific

11

8

2

1

7

10

1

2

42

72.2

Europe and Central Asia

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

0

4

99.9

All regions

13

11

5

6

15

10

4

4

68

91.5

56.  A plan of action to promote the ratification of the governance instruments (2010–16) was adopted by the Governing Body in November 2009. [4] Since then, four member States have ratified the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), five the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129), eight the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and 16 the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144). These new ratifications should be considered together with the overall ratification rates per region.

Table 2.3.Ratifications of governance Conventions by region (2008–15) (number of replies)

Region

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2008–15

Ratification rate (%)

Africa

1

2

1

2

3

4

2

1

16

54.2

Americas

0

0

3

1

1

2

1

1

9

64.3

Asia and the Pacific

2

0

5

0

1

0

0

0

8

27.2

Europe and Central Asia

2

5

1

3

0

1

2

0

14

83.8

All regions

5

7

10

6

5

7

5

2

47

55.1

2.2.4.Promotion of sustainable enterprises

57.  The Declaration recognizes the critical role played by productive, profitable and sustainable enterprises for economic development and employment opportunities, and the need for an environment that is conducive to their development. While some replies indicate that such an environment is key to economic growth and job creation, little information is provided on the concrete steps taken to promote sustainable enterprises at the national level. Nevertheless, according to information available to the Office, 72 per cent of member States in Africa have made progress in adopting integrated strategies for sustainable enterprises, and virtually all the DWCPs contain outcomes related to enterprise development. [5]

58.  Some replies refer to specific measures taken in relation to MNEs, particularly in the context of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, but not the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (the MNE Declaration). Others indicate that strategies for decent work include measures to encourage enterprises to exercise social responsibility, especially with regard to fundamental principles and rights at work.

2.2.5.Coordination through social dialogue and other means

59.  While social dialogue is a constitutional means of action for the ILO, the recognition of social dialogue and tripartism as a strategic objective emphasizes its importance in adapting the action taken for the implementation of the other strategic objectives to the needs and circumstances of each country, and in facilitating consensus building at the national and international levels. [6] Effective coordination arrangements between national institutions are also essential to enhance coherence in public policy-making.

60.  A number of replies report that tripartite consultations on matters of relevance to the Declaration are held through existing procedures and bodies. These include bodies established under Convention No. 144, special national tripartite bodies created to discuss major social and economic issues, such as the impact of the global financial and economic crisis, and DWCP tripartite national steering committees.

61.  Replies from some countries suggest that tripartite consultations on social policy priorities have addressed the issue of ensuring a balance between the strategic objectives, notably in the context of responses to the crisis. One reply refers to in-depth discussions between the government and employers’ and workers’ organizations on priorities and the conciliation of the various strategic objectives, especially in terms of the quantity and quality of the jobs to be created. However, most workers’ organizations highlight difficulties in the conduct of social dialogue, including the functioning of the respective bodies, and question their effectiveness in mitigating the impact of the crisis.

62.  This trend was also noted in the report prepared for the recurrent discussion on social dialogue in 2013, which referred, particularly in some European and high-income countries, to the “weakening of social dialogue institutions as austerity and other anti-crisis measures are being imposed without social dialogue”. It added that, at times, “collective bargaining processes that had been established over generations” were being undermined. “By contrast, in other parts of the world, important progress has been made in progressively establishing social dialogue through legal and institutional frameworks and processes. In parts of Asia and Latin America in particular, social dialogue and collective bargaining have been strengthened as part of economic development strategies.” [7] In Africa, mechanisms for national social dialogue, including economic and social councils, have been set up in 38 countries. [8]

63.  Some replies suggest that the combination of portfolios under one ministry has helped to improve coordination and the integrated pursuit of the strategic objectives. Examples include ministers combining the portfolios of labour and sustainable enterprises, economic policy or trade, which is considered to improve coordination and policy coherence. However, one employers’ organization considers that the portfolio of the Ministry of Labour has become too broad, and that labour is not considered a priority.

64.  A number of replies describe coordination arrangements between ministries and various other institutions for the promotion of specific strategic objectives, mainly concerning employment. Some refer to the establishment of inter-ministerial committees, including central banks, with the aim of overseeing employment policy. Others refer to coordination encompassing activities relating to the SDGs, which offers an opportunity to discuss the SDGs with the social partners.

65.  Other mechanisms coordinate dialogue between ministries and other actors, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and research centres, to address such issues as employment policy, social protection, the formalization of the economy, gender and racial equality, labour migration, the eradication of child labour and labour inspection. Some replies refer to coordination efforts between central and local authorities competent to address certain matters relating to the strategic objectives. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this involves the promotion, with ILO support, of local or provincial tripartite decent work programmes and the development of subnational employment policies.

2.3.Implementation through coordination between Members

66.  The Declaration calls for Members to take steps to assist each other’s efforts to give effect to its principles and objectives. The steps envisaged include exchanging good practice on successful initiatives for decent work and supporting each other’s efforts for decent work on a bilateral, regional or multilateral basis, including through development assistance, trade and investment, and agreements relating to migration matters. [9]

2.3.1.Exchange of good practice

67.  The replies emphasize enhanced consultation, the sharing of good practices and collaboration between Members to achieve decent work in light of national realities and priorities. Many highlight the ongoing exchange of good practices within the framework of ILO assistance in such areas as labour migration, the eradication of child labour and labour inspection. In general, the replies show that Members look to the ILO to assist them in the sharing of examples of good practice and success in achieving decent work at the national and international levels, including through the recurrent discussions in the Conference.

68.  While Members have cooperated bilaterally to exchange good practices for the promotion of decent work through dialogue and cooperation activities, the Office does not have a full overview of the extent of such activities. However, in the case of South–South and triangular cooperation, there is evidence of a significant expansion in areas concerning decent work since 2008, and this form of cooperation is reported to be a particularly useful avenue for exchanging good practice and strengthening the capacity of constituents. [10]

2.3.2.Development cooperation

69.  Many replies refer to development cooperation provided bilaterally or multilaterally through the ILO as being key to the exchange of good practices for decent work and to strengthening the capacity of constituents to advance social justice. Information available to the Office confirms that many development partners have made explicit efforts to incorporate decent work into their development policies. A mapping undertaken by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in 2011 confirms this trend, although it also reports that decent work is not always fully integrated in development cooperation policy and practice. [11]

70.  In a number of replies, Members refer to the significant financial support that they have provided for programmes to promote one or more of the strategic objectives in other countries. Since OECD Development Assistance Committee statistics do not measure the assistance provided by development partners bilaterally or through the multilateral system to promote the strategic objectives, there is no indication whether such support has increased since 2008. However, statistics on the funding provided by development partners to promote decent work through the ILO show a significant increase, from some US$1.4 billion between 2000 and 2007 to US$2.1 billion between 2008 and 2015. This increase in voluntary contributions to the ILO includes some US$172.7 million since 2008 in unearmarked voluntary contributions through the Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA), which have been allocated by the Office to outcomes and priorities established by the constituents in the Strategic Policy Framework and DWCPs over and above voluntary funding for individual programmes or projects. [12]

Figure 2.5.Voluntary contributions from development partners (2000–15)

71.  During the same period, the number of government development partners has grown from 25 in 2008 to 34 in 2015, and now includes Algeria, China, Czech Republic, Israel, Kuwait, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation and Turkey. Like most United Nations agencies, however, the ILO depends to a large extent on a small number of development partners. Between 2008 and 2015, the top six development partners accounted for over half of all voluntary contributions to the ILO. It should be noted in this regard that contributions are at times unpredictable and are in many cases earmarked for specific priorities or projects.

72.  An increasing number of member States are mobilizing domestic public resources to finance ILO technical assistance in their country for the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda. Such so-called domestic development funding amounts to US$64.8 million since 2009, representing a rise of approximately 40 per cent in comparison with 2002–08.

73.  These contributions have been supplemented by US$80 million from foundations, private enterprises and other non-state actors since 2009, amounting to an increase of some 50 per cent in comparison with 2002–08. Overall, it is noteworthy that Members, together with more than 200 non-state actors, have continued to support the ILO’s development cooperation programme at a time when other United Nations agencies have reported a shrinking base of development partners and a decrease in voluntary contributions.

Figure 2.6.Contributions from the ILO’s 25 main development partners (2008–15)

2.3.3.Trade and investment agreements

74.  In their replies to the questionnaire, some Members indicate that trade agreements have prompted coordination with other Members for the implementation of the strategic objectives. One government, referring to labour provisions on fundamental principles and rights at work in an agreement between the European Union (EU) and Central America, recalls the need to develop macroeconomic policies aimed at fostering decent work through cooperation, technical assistance and the exchange of good practice in line with the 1998 Declaration. Workers’ organizations also refer in their replies to trade agreements, but differ on their impact in achieving the ILO’s objectives.

75.  Information available to the Office shows that coordination between Members on the strategic objectives within the framework of both trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties has increased during the period under review. Seventy-five trade agreements with labour provisions have been concluded since 1994, of which 62 per cent entered into force between 2008 and 2015. Thirty-nine of the 103 trade agreements concluded since 2008 refer to the 1998 Declaration and/or to the fundamental Conventions, and a few make explicit references to the Decent Work Agenda and/or the Social Justice Declaration. Several recent bilateral investment treaties also address the protection of labour rights in their preambles.

76.  In most of the agreements, the parties reaffirm their commitment to pursuing sustainable development, of which economic development, social development and environmental protection are recognized as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars. Some agreements specifically provide for cooperation to enhance coherence between trade and labour policies and promote employment and social protection, particularly with the aim of ensuring decent work for all, respect for fundamental principles and rights at work and the promotion of social dialogue. In terms of implementation, activities to strengthen domestic labour legislation and labour law enforcement and to facilitate dialogue and tripartism have been carried out in the context of trade partnerships. They have included seminars, working groups, joint research projects, technical assistance, training and capacity-building activities, often in collaboration with the ILO, and sometimes with other relevant international and regional organizations.

2.3.4.Coordination at the regional level

77.  In their replies, most Members, and particularly those in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia, consider the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work to have been moderate at the regional level.

Table 2.4.Contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the regional level (number of replies)

Region

Not at all

A little

Moderately

Significantly

N/A

Africa

1

4

11

4

5

Americas

0

1

7

8

6

Asia and the Pacific

1

6

9

4

3

Europe and Central Asia

0

3

16

5

10

Total

2

14

43

21

24

78.  The replies to the questionnaire refer to a wide array of resolutions and declarations that have placed decent work at the heart of economic and social integration processes, many of which have been adopted as a result of coordinated action by Members in regional, subregional and interregional organizations. [13] At the same time, the replies also reflect significant differences between regions in the action to translate these commitments into practice. This might explain why the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the regional level is considered to be moderate rather than significant.

79.  Several Members of the Organization of American States (OAS) refer to the regular meetings of American Ministers of Labour and to the Inter-American Network for Labour Administration (RIAL), which coordinates economic, financial, social and labour policies, and focuses on improved social protection systems, the promotion of social dialogue and collective bargaining and respect for fundamental principles and rights at work. RIAL has generated bilateral and regional cooperation, including South–South cooperation, the exchange of good practice and capacity building. Most of the replies from member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) emphasize the role of CARICOM in coordinating positions on labour and full employment.

80.  Replies from the African region mainly refer to the steps taken in relation to specific strategic objectives, or the ratification of ILO instruments, within the framework of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). For example, the SADC Decent Work Programme (2013–19), covering the four strategic objectives, emphasizes ratification, compliance and reporting on standards, as well as improved knowledge of best practices in employment policies.

81.  A number of replies from Asian and Pacific countries refer to cooperation on specific issues within the framework of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and provide information on the promotion of specific strategic objectives. Governments from the Arab States make general reference to membership of the Arab Labour Organization and the Gulf Cooperation Council. One government mentions difficulties in implementing the Declaration at the regional level due to differences of interests and country-specific circumstances.

82.  Many replies from Members of the EU link coordination at the regional level with action by the EU, and emphasize the action on the four strategic objectives driven by European law and policy. One government indicates that the EU system for the coordination of social and economic policy allows for a rapid response to global economic and social changes, thereby meeting the requirements of the contemporary labour market. Reference is also made to action to promote decent work within the framework of the Nordic Council.

2.3.5.Regional migration agreements

83.  The replies to the questionnaire refer to a number of migration agreements and new efforts to enhance coordination in regions affected by the dramatic rise in migration and human displacement. The focus of these agreements is to ensure better governance of labour migration, as well as non-discrimination, the protection of migrant workers and measures to prevent them falling into situations of trafficking and forced labour.

84.  Over the past decade, a comprehensive set of migration policy commitments and recommendations have been elaborated under the auspices of the AU, particularly the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development in Africa, which prioritizes labour migration governance for regional integration, [14] building on the 2006 Migration Policy Framework for Africa. [15] The Framework recommends the adoption of mechanisms that monitor the provision of decent work for migrants and encourages international agencies dealing with migration and human rights issues to exchange information and coordinate activities.

85.  In Europe, the European Commission’s agenda on migration sets out a European response which, among other measures, seeks to link labour market needs in destination countries with development in countries of origin. This critical link was further reinforced at the Valletta Summit on Migration in November 2015, where EU and AU Member States adopted a joint action plan to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, including through reinforcing the development benefits of migration. [16]

86.  In Asia, the annual ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour is an open platform to exchange good practices between governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society on the key issues facing migrant workers in the region. The Forum develops recommendations to advance the implementation of the principles of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The ILO has also provided assistance in relation to interregional labour migration processes, including the promotion of the fair recruitment of migrant workers between Asia and the Arab States, and particularly in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The Office is increasingly working with other regional institutions to encourage the integration of its Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration into their programmes. [17]

2.3.6.Coordination at the multilateral level

87.  In their replies to the questionnaire, 24 members of groupings such as the G20 and the Group of 77 (G77), mostly from Europe and Central Asia, consider the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at this level to have been moderate.

Table 2.5.Contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the level of groupings of States (number of replies)

Region

Not at all

A little

Moderately

Significantly

N/A

Africa

2

6

4

4

9

Americas

0

2

5

4

11

Asia and the Pacific

3

3

6

2

9

Europe and Central Asia

0

1

9

4

20

Total

5

12

24

14

49

88.  The contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the international level is considered significant or moderate by 61 Members in all regions.

Table 2.6.Contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at the international level (number of replies)

Region

Not at all

A little

Moderately

Significantly

N/A

Africa

2

4

5

8

6

Americas

0

0

7

8

7

Asia and the Pacific

2

1

8

7

5

Europe and Central Asia

0

2

8

10

14

Total

4

7

28

33

32

89.  In general, limited information is provided in the replies on the concrete steps taken to coordinate the positions of Members in relevant international forums, as envisaged by the Declaration. A reply from one government highlights how such coordination is explicitly based on the Declaration, and that it has contributed to greater policy coherence in relation to employment, social protection, social dialogue and the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work in the United Nations, the OECD and other international forums. In contrast, other replies indicate that such coordination would have occurred regardless of the Declaration.

90.  G20 members in several regions indicate that their participation in the G20, and particularly its labour and employment ministerial meetings, encourages Members to coordinate their positions on the steps taken in relation to the strategic objectives. However, some workers’ organizations, while acknowledging the existence of coordination, either note the absence of concrete results or emphasize the need to evaluate its effectiveness.

91.  Many replies from all regions refer to initiatives to contribute to the development and adoption of the SDGs in the context of the elaboration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and place emphasis on the effective coordination among Members that resulted in Goal 8 on full and productive employment and decent work. At the same time, a number of governments in various regions highlight the need for better cooperation between the ILO and other United Nations agencies to enhance coherence in the elaboration and implementation of development cooperation projects, avoid duplication of effort and maximize synergies.

2.4.Observations and challenges

92.  The replies to the questionnaire express continued support for the principles set out in the Declaration and acknowledge its significance for the ILO and its Members. While they provide few examples of integrated action to pursue decent work, the constituents confirm the relevance of promoting all four strategic objectives. They also provide rich examples of the varied steps taken by Members individually in the form of the ratification of international labour standards, legislation, policies and programmes, research and statistics, as well as in coordination with each other in the areas of development cooperation, trade, migration and regional integration. Although there is limited evidence that such action has formed part of a coherent broader strategy for decent work, or that it is related to the Declaration, it is nevertheless of relevance to the implementation of the Declaration and has helped to protect and promote decent work in an era of globalization.

93.  The information provided in the replies suggests that governments and the social partners have faced complex choices in addressing the global financial crisis and its economic and social impact. These challenges include the impact of fiscal consolidation measures on economic and social rights, obstacles to meaningful social dialogue, including the need to strengthen the capacity of the social partners, and the lack of human, financial and technical resources. A number of replies highlight the lack of coordination at the national level, and particularly between key ministries and institutions responsible for financial and economic policy, as well as the inadequate and uncoordinated response of international institutions. Many Members refer to the potential of the Declaration in this regard and look to the ILO for advice and assistance on how to pursue economic development, social objectives and environmental goals in an integrated manner.

94.  The replies suggest that the enhanced promotion of the principles and objectives of the Declaration as a rights-based policy framework, combined with evidence-based policy advice on their effective implementation, with due regard to national circumstances, would strengthen efforts for the integrated pursuit of the ILO’s objectives and improve cohesion between social and economic policy measures. While decent work has been mainstreamed into national development strategies and economic and social policies, most of the action by Members has been focused on employment and social protection. The replies reflect the need for enhanced ILO assistance to Members for:

- the production of adequate indicators and statistics, particularly in the area of rights and social dialogue, to monitor and assess the progress made in the implementation of employment and social policy;

- the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work as both rights and enabling conditions for the full realization of all the strategic objectives;

- the increased ratification and application of international labour standards, including the fundamental and governance Conventions, as a means of action for the achievement of all the strategic objectives;

- the promotion of sustainable enterprises and the creation of an environment conducive to their development; and

- strengthened coordination of the action taken by Members through social dialogue at the national level and greater policy coherence at the regional and international levels.

95.  In overall terms, a majority of Members report that the contribution of the Declaration to mainstreaming decent work at all levels has been significant, although it is also clear that this contribution can and must be strengthened. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires the active engagement of Members and the Office to ensure that the implementation of the SDGs furthers the aims of the Declaration and that Members contribute to the achievement of the global goals at the national level. It has been suggested that future efforts should be based on the steps set out in Part II(B) of the Declaration, which continue to be key to raising awareness and encouraging Members to take effective action for the achievement of the four strategic objectives. In this regard, the Office could take the lead in devising a set of priorities or goals as the focus for action at the national, regional and international levels, both as part of the new Strategic Plan 2018–21 and of a new generation of DWCPs.

[1] Steps to be considered include: national or regional strategies for decent work; indicators or statistics to monitor and evaluate progress; the ratification and implementation of ILO instruments; coordination of positions taken in relevant international forums with the steps taken under the Declaration; the promotion of sustainable enterprises; the sharing of national and regional good practice involving decent work; and the provision of resources to support other Members’ efforts. Declaration, Part II(B)(i)–(vii).

[2] ILO: Towards inclusive and sustainable development in Africa through decent work, Report of the Director-General, 13th African Regional Meeting, Addis Ababa, Nov.–Dec. 2015, p. 15.

[3] Declaration, Part II(B)(iii).

[4] ILO: Plan of Action (2010–2016): Towards widespread ratification and effective implementation of the governance Conventions (Geneva, 2011).

[5] ILO: Towards inclusive and sustainable development in Africa through decent work, op. cit., p. 17.

[6] Declaration, Part I(A)(iii).

[7] ILO: Social dialogue: Recurrent discussion under the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, Report VI, International Labour Conference, 102nd Session, Geneva, 2013, para. 365.

[8] ILO: Towards inclusive and sustainable development in Africa through decent work, op. cit., p. 6.

[9] Declaration, Part II(B)(vi) and (vii).

[10] ILO: Triangular cooperation and decent work: Good practices (Geneva, 2015); and ILO Solution Forum: South–South cooperation in the post-2015 development agenda: Decent work solutions, Global South–South Development Expo 2014, Washington, DC (Geneva, 2014).

[11] ITUC: www.ituc-csi.org/decent-work-in-donor-country.

[12] RBSA contributions have been received from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

[13] These include: the Arab Action Agenda for Employment, adopted by the Arab Employment Forum, Beirut, Oct. 2009; the Joint Ministerial Statement, the Fifth APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, 2010; the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Human Resources and Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth, 2010; the Bandar Seri Bagawan Declaration on Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment and the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection, 2013; the Declaration of Medellin: 50 Years of Inter-American Dialogue for the Promotion of Social Justice and Decent Work: Progress and Challenges towards Sustainable Development, 2013, and the Declaration of Cancún: Achieving Decent Work with Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development in the Americas, 2015, both adopted by the Ministers of Labour of the OAS; the MERCOSUR Social and Labour Declaration, 2015; and the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development in Africa, adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the AU in Jan. 2015.

[14] AU: Declaration and plan of action on employment, poverty eradication and inclusive development in Africa, op. cit.

[15] AU: The Migration Policy Framework for Africa, adopted by the Executive Council, Banjul, June 2006.

[16] EU: Action Plan, Valletta Summit on Migration, Nov. 2015.

[17] Guidance on a rights-based approach to labour migration and a framework of good criteria for the development of bilateral labour agreements are contained in ILO: The ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration: Non-binding principles and guidelines for a rights-based approach to labour migration (Geneva, 2006), the model agreement in the Annex to the Migration for Employment Recommendation (Revised), 1949 (No. 86), as well as in the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), and the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143).

Chapter 3

Action by the Organization

96.  The Declaration calls on the ILO to “review and adapt its institutional practices to enhance governance and capacity building in order to make the best use” of its resources and “of the unique advantage of its tripartite structure and standards system” with a view to effectively assisting its Members in their efforts to implement the strategic objectives. [1]

97.  The implementation plan adopted by the Governing Body in March 2009 [2] includes a roadmap with points of action that could be taken during the period of the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15. An analysis of the roadmap carried out for the present review shows that most of the points of action have been implemented. [3]

98.  This chapter contains a review of the measures taken in three main areas: a better understanding and response to the needs and realities of ILO Members through a scheme of recurrent discussions; making the best use of the unique advantage of the ILO’s tripartite structure and standards system; and the promotion of a more integrated approach to the strategic objectives within the ILO.

3.1.Understanding and responding to Members’ realities and needs through recurrent discussions

99.  One of the principal innovations of the Declaration from the viewpoint of ILO institutional practice is the introduction of a recurrent discussion item on the agenda of the Conference to enable the ILO to better understand and more efficiently address its Members’ needs through the coordinated use of all of its means of action, including international labour standards. [4]

100.  Recurrent discussions are intended to serve a dual function. As a knowledge tool, they offer a means for the Organization to provide “a regularly updated review of trends and policies relating to the strategic objectives. Such reviews could also serve to strengthen the knowledge base and analytical capacity of the Office”. As a governance tool, recurrent discussions “help to develop a more direct link between the needs of the constituents, and facilitate the selection of priorities for future action, including standard setting. The review of [the reports prepared for recurrent discussions] could allow for a systematic evaluation of the validity of such priorities and the impact of steps taken to implement them, based on feedback from constituents.” [5]

101.  A number of replies to the questionnaire confirm the ongoing relevance of this dual function of recurrent discussions for Members. The replies add that recurrent discussions offer Members the opportunity to identify a shared and updated vision for the practical implementation of the integrated approach, and the choice of priorities for future action related to the strategic objectives. Two-thirds of the replies to the questionnaire indicate that recurrent discussions have “significantly” or “moderately” contributed to a better understanding and response by the ILO to needs at the national level. They provide examples of action inspired by specific recurrent discussions, ranging from legislative, policy, administrative and programmatic reforms to inter-agency and tripartite consultations.

Figure 3.1.Members’ views on the impact of recurrent discussions on the ILO’s understanding and response to their needs

3.1.1.Modalities

102.  The Organization introduced the scheme of recurrent discussions without delay following the adoption of the Declaration. The Governing Body decided that the first two recurrent discussions would cover the strategic objectives of employment and social protection. It then adopted a seven-year cycle of recurrent discussions, with employment, social protection and fundamental principles and rights at work being discussed twice in the cycle. [6] The seven-year cycle will be completed at the Conference in 2017, [7] and the Governing Body has decided to await the outcome of the Conference’s evaluation before deciding on a new cycle and sequence of recurrent discussions. [8]

103.  In line with the follow-up to the Declaration, [9] in November 2008 the Governing Body decided to align the topics of the General Surveys prepared by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, and discussed by the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards, [10] with the strategic objective covered by the respective recurrent discussion. Since then, General Surveys have covered all or some of the relevant instruments for the strategic objective concerned. In this connection, the format of the report forms sent out to Members under article 19(5)(e) and (6)(d) of the ILO Constitution requesting the information on unratified Conventions and Recommendations used by the Committee of Experts for the preparation of General Surveys has been adapted to accommodate a larger number of instruments and to facilitate their use. The discussion of General Surveys by the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) was held at the same session of the Conference as the related recurrent discussion from 2010 to 2013. Since then, with a view to facilitating the integration of standards-related aspects into recurrent discussions, General Surveys have been examined by the CAS one year in advance of the related recurrent discussion. [11]

3.1.2.Recurrent discussions as a knowledge and governance tool

The reports prepared for recurrent discussions

104.  The reports prepared by the Office for recurrent discussions are intended to: cover key statistical, legislative and other trends reflecting the diverse realities and needs of Members; analyse how these trends affect the pursuit of the strategic objectives and to what extent ILO action has had an impact on the needs identified; and examine the impact of ILO programming priorities. Experience shows that a succinct evidence-based format for the reports encourages tripartite debate on Members’ needs and consensus on the required adjustments to ILO activities and follow-up action. Several replies observe that broad discussion points should be avoided in the reports in order to permit reflection on the practical implementation of the strategic objectives, and that reports should be sent out early enough to facilitate national consultations.

105.  The reports are based on information available to the Office and, in line with the provision in the Declaration on the adaptation of existing article 19 modalities, [12] are prepared without adding to the reporting obligations of member States. Solid research and empirical knowledge are necessary to reflect the current realities and needs of Members. While country databases and statistics relevant to the integrated approach have improved the information available for this purpose, gaps in knowledge are still reported in certain fields. With a view to facilitating the preparation of reports for recurrent discussions, the Office has conducted independent annual synthesis reviews since 2013 on the impact of ILO activities. [13] However, challenges remain in obtaining information on Members’ needs and on the impact of ILO action in relation to each strategic objective, and to gender equality and non-discrimination. Enhanced Office-wide collaboration is therefore needed, involving both headquarters and the field, to ensure that all relevant fields of expertise feed into these reports. For five of the six reports prepared, the Office sought guidance from the Governing Body on the thrust of the report, as well as through informal tripartite consultations in Geneva. [14] Experience has also shown that extensive tripartite debate to forge consensus over the years preceding a recurrent discussion on the specific objective covered has provided a strong foundation for understanding and coverage of the realities and needs of member States. [15]

Recurrent discussions and their outcomes

106.  Several replies to the questionnaire indicate that recurrent discussions are valued as a forum for the exchange of views, experience and practices. These exchanges are seen as facilitating the assessment of ILO action and determining future action to meet the needs of Members. However, some replies call for recurrent discussions to be more focused on national realities and needs, and to avoid general policy discussions or deliberations. In Governing Body discussions, some members have also referred to the need to differentiate recurrent discussions from general discussions in light of their respective mandates. [16] In this regard, consideration could be given to a format for recurrent discussions which more effectively targets both their knowledge and governance functions and enables committee members to benefit from inputs by recognized specialists and other key stakeholders, for example through interactive panel discussions and focused thematic debates.

107.  The resolutions and conclusions resulting from recurrent discussions outline the action to be taken by Members and the Organization on the priorities identified. The resolutions of the last four recurrent discussions have invited the Governing Body “to guide the Office in giving effect” to them and have requested the Director-General to “keep the Governing Body informed of implementation” and to communicate the conclusions to relevant international and regional organizations. [17] The conclusions of recent recurrent discussions have addressed such common topics as: the context facing Members; guiding principles and/or policies for the pursuit of the strategic objective discussed; the role of gender equality; a framework for action by Members and, in some cases, specifically by governments and the social partners; and specific means of action by the ILO to assist Members, including standards-related action.

108.  While the outcomes of recurrent discussions appear to have become increasingly aligned with the purposes of the Declaration, they have yet to achieve full alignment with its focus on the interrelated nature of the strategic objectives, the integration of the cross-cutting issues of gender equality and non-discrimination, and the call for policy coherence for decent work. Moreover, specific guidance has generally been absent on priorities for follow-up action in the programme and budget and on resource mobilization and allocation.

109.  The conclusions of several recurrent discussions have emphasized the interrelated nature of the strategic objectives and the primary role of fundamental principles and rights at work. For example, the 2015 recurrent discussion on labour protection called for the strengthening of labour protection through the achievement of all the fundamental principles and rights at work. [18] Of the cross-cutting issues, gender equality has been addressed in principle in the conclusions of all the recurrent discussions, and has in general been followed up by the Governing Body through linkages with the Action Plan for Gender Equality 2010–15. In contrast, the related cross-cutting principle of non-discrimination has been addressed in only three of the six recurrent discussion conclusions. [19] This may be due in part to the broad nature of the principle and the lack of global estimates on discrimination in the world of work. The conclusions of the recurrent discussion on labour protection call for further research on non-discrimination.

110.  Several recurrent discussions and their follow-up have focused on the increased use of ILO means of action to improve coherence between economic, financial, employment and social policies at the national and international levels, and some Members have called for more to be done in this area. The conclusions of the first recurrent discussion on employment in 2010 called on the Director-General to rapidly initiate discussions with the main relevant institutional bodies on this subject and to submit a document to the Governing Body on a possible framework for action. [20] In response, the Governing Body affirmed the role of the ILO in the G20, United Nations bodies and regional organizations to advocate policy coherence with the Decent Work Agenda, and emphasized the need to build stronger knowledge and research capacity and to focus on the engagement of ILO constituents in such bodies. [21]

Adaptation of ILO institutional practices

111.  Recurrent discussions are also intended to have a direct impact on the setting of the Conference agenda. In addition to the automatic inclusion of a recurrent discussion item on the agenda of the Conference for the duration of the seven-year cycle, recurrent discussions have contributed to identifying further agenda items for the Conference, both for standard-setting and general discussions. For example, the conclusions concerning the recurrent discussion on social dialogue led to a general discussion on decent work in global supply chains being placed on the agenda of the present session of the Conference.

112.  Recurrent discussions have also prompted measures to consolidate and streamline reporting by member States. In addition to the new format of the report forms for General Surveys, the Governing Body has decided that, for reporting purposes, Conventions should be grouped by strategic objective, on the understanding that this classification may also constitute a basis for the selection of instruments to be examined in General Surveys. Some replies to the questionnaire emphasize the need for further action to lighten the reporting burden under articles 19 and 22 of the Constitution, as well as the numerous other questionnaires, surveys and reporting requirements of Members, balanced with the need to ensure the integrity of the reporting system.

113.  In addition, measures have been taken to optimize synergies between recurrent discussions and reporting under the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. In 2010, the Conference decided to align the follow-up to the 1998 Declaration with that of the Social Justice Declaration. Accordingly, the global reports submitted to the Conference each year covering one of the four categories of fundamental principles and rights at work have been replaced by a single report prepared for recurrent discussions on fundamental principles and rights at work. However, the Conference decided to continue the annual reviews submitted to the Governing Body each year on the efforts made by Members that have not yet ratified all the fundamental Conventions, which also include information on the ratification campaign for the fundamental Conventions.

Impact of recurrent discussions on standards-related and other ILO means of action

114.  Recurrent discussions, informed by General Surveys, identify gaps in the implementation of standards and appropriate ILO assistance, as well as the need for standard setting, including the revision of standards, for each strategic objective. Several instruments have been adopted as a direct follow-up to the conclusions of recurrent discussions: the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, and the Forced Labour (Supplementary Measures) Recommendation, 2014 (No. 203). Action taken further to recurrent discussions has also led to the adoption of standards, and particularly the Recommendation on the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy, 2015 (No. 204).

115.  The conclusions of recurrent discussions have called for such action as ratification campaigns, research into country practices and the use of training and technical cooperation. Following the surge in ratifications of the fundamental Conventions resulting from the adoption of the 1998 Declaration, the Governing Body adopted a plan of action for 2012–16 in light of the outcome of the 2012 recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work, which renewed the call for the universal ratification of these Conventions. Advice and assistance has been provided to Members in this connection, although more resources are needed to meet the increasing requests for technical assistance for this purpose.

116.  Recurrent discussions have also resulted directly in the intensified use by the ILO of other means of action, including research and data collection, advisory services, technical programmes and partnerships. For example, the 2010 recurrent discussion on employment led to more concentrated work on pro-employment macroeconomic frameworks, quantitative employment targets and trade and employment linkages. The 2011 recurrent discussion on social protection (social security) prompted the enhancement of technical tools for national social protection floors, including feasibility studies, evidence-based policy papers and the flagship World Social Protection Report. It spurred assistance to member States for the design and implementation of the two-dimensional social security extension strategy, and further stimulated collaboration between the ILO, the World Bank Group and the United Nations Development Group on the implementation of social protection floors. The second recurrent discussion on employment in 2014 also helped to promote the new comprehensive employment policy framework in all countries and renewed partnership with the United Nations on youth employment.

Impact of recurrent discussions on ILO priorities and programming

117.  Some recurrent discussions have helped in the achievement of a new policy consensus and the shared understanding of solutions, which have in turn led to the adjustment of ILO priorities. For example, the 2011 recurrent discussion resulted in a new policy understanding which prompted a programming focus on social security in the following years. The second recurrent discussion on employment in 2014 also showed much greater agreement than in the past in such areas as the importance of employment-friendly macroeconomic frameworks and enabling environments for enterprises, as well as the importance of social dialogue, international labour standards, social protection, and gender and non-discrimination as major elements in such frameworks.

118.  Linkages between the programme and budget and the priorities identified in recurrent discussions are not yet automatic. Some replies to the questionnaire emphasize the need for better coordination between the outcomes of recurrent discussions and the subjects examined by the Governing Body. Yet, there has been some progress in the integration in programming cycles of the priorities identified by recurrent discussions. For example, the Programme and Budget for 2016–17 and the new flagship programmes are designed to build on collaboration across strategic objectives more than in previous cycles. [22] The Governing Body has also linked priorities outlined by recurrent discussions with ongoing plans of action. [23] It may be expected that, as recurrent discussions evolve, much ILO action will be built into programming as a result of the action and priorities outlined in preceding recurrent discussions on the respective objectives. Benefits have also been reported when programme and budget discussions are held immediately following recurrent discussions (as was the case in 2014). However, more can be done to ensure that the outcomes of recurrent discussions are reflected in ILO programming priorities and action, including for the mobilization of extra-budgetary resources.

3.2.Making the best use of the unique advantage of the ILO’s tripartite structure and standards system

119.  The efforts made to strengthen the capacity of the Organization to assist its Members in an era of globalization place emphasis on the enhanced functioning of its tripartite governance bodies, and particularly the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference. The ILO’s standards system is firmly rooted in its tripartite structure, which ensures the broad consensus that endows ILO standards with their authority and influence on policy formulation.

3.2.1.Improving the functioning of the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference

120.  In response to the call made by the Declaration to enhance ILO governance through effective policy-making, oversight and implementation, in June 2009 the Governing Body established a Working Party on the Functioning of the Governing Body and the International Labour Conference. Priority was initially given to the Governing Body, followed by the Conference.

Governing Body reforms

121.  A reform package to improve the functioning of the Governing Body was adopted in March 2011, [24] followed by a revised version of its Standing Orders. [25] The implementation of the reform package was reviewed in March 2014, [26] and the follow-up to the review was examined in March 2015. [27] The reforms are aimed, in particular, at the full involvement of all Governing Body members in its deliberations, decision-making and agenda-setting process, as well as enhanced transparency through regular informal consultations and follow-up to Governing Body decisions. The Governing Body reforms are based on four pillars.

- A streamlined structure, based on five plenary sections of the Governing Body to encourage an integrated review of ILO action in line with the approach set out in the Declaration, [28] which has achieved a stronger balance in policy and governance discussions concerning the strategic objectives. Work in a continuous plenary, rather than concurrent committees, as was previously the case, has enabled the involvement of all Governing Body members in discussions and decision making.

- An improved mechanism for the setting of the Governing Body agenda, which has contributed to an integrated and coherent approach to agenda setting that avoids duplication or gaps and focuses on policy- and decision-making debates. A tripartite screening group reviews items to be placed on the agenda of the Governing Body, including follow-up on matters arising out of the work of the Conference. The discussions of areas of critical importance (during the 2014–15 biennium) and the linkages between programme and budget outcomes and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2016–17 biennium) are examples of the enhanced relevance and coherence of Governing Body agenda setting.

- Enhanced transparency and Office support for tripartite constituents, including the establishment of a Geneva-based tripartite mechanism to facilitate active participation by all groups in consultations on the work of the Governing Body, and the strengthening of technical and logistical support for the Government group. [29] The agreement reached by Governing Body members on certain long-standing contentious issues has shown the value of improved consultation and high-level participation and deliberation in building consensus and problem solving.

- Better document presentation and time management, including a reduction in document length and the delivery of documents within the specified time limits, thereby facilitating more meaningful consultations at the national level before Governing Body sessions. The requirement for amendments to points for decision to be circulated the day before their discussion has also facilitated social dialogue, both in Governing Body discussions and with national constituents.

International Labour Conference reforms

122.  The principal objectives of the reform of the Conference are to: strengthen the Conference as the ILO’s supreme policy-making organ; better meet the needs of constituents and the international community; ensure that the Conference is efficient, transparent and consistent; and increase its visibility and authority by discussing relevant and contemporary issues that are important to the world of work. Since 2011, the key issues identified by the Governing Body to improve the functioning of the Conference have been related mainly to procedure and include: the structure and duration of the Conference; the plenary; the setting of the Conference agenda; and the working methods of Conference committees. The reforms were piloted at the 102nd and 103rd Sessions of the Conference (2013 and 2014). A shorter two-week session of the Conference trialled in June 2015 was generally welcomed as a basis for further refinement, and the Governing Body has confirmed the two-week duration of future Conference sessions, subject to its review of the operation of the Conference in 2016. In addition, concrete steps are under consideration to ensure the participation of full and balanced tripartite delegations at the Conference, and to address the insufficient proportion of women in these delegations.

123.  The manner in which the Conference agenda is set is crucial to the effective operation of the ILO’s tripartite structure. In this regard, in November 2014, the Governing Body adopted a “strategic and coherent approach” to the setting of the Conference agenda for the sessions leading up to the 2019 centenary session. This strategic approach focuses on the closer involvement of the tripartite constituents and greater coherence between the identification of Conference agenda items and other strategic processes, such as the preparation of the Strategic Plan 2018–21 and the follow-up to the centenary initiatives.

3.2.2.Strengthening standards as a means of achieving all the strategic objectives

124.  The Declaration calls on the Organization to promote “the ILO’s standard-setting policy as a corner-stone of ILO activities by enhancing its relevance to the world of work, and ensure the role of standards as a useful means of achieving its constitutional objectives”. [30] In particular, the Declaration identifies international labour standards as playing a prominent role in the implementation of the ILO’s constitutional mandate, [31] with the principles and provisions of international labour standards guiding Members in the achievement of the strategic objectives. [32] The replies to the questionnaire express the support of constituents for the ILO’s international standards-based global governance function.

125.  In the context of globalization, the fuller use of the article 19 reporting procedure has become an important element in the measures taken to strengthen the impact of standards on the achievement of the ILO’s objectives. This recognizes the original intent of this constitutional provision to enable the ILO to identify the need for standards-related action by gathering information on the influence on national law and practice of Conventions, whether or not they have been ratified, and of Recommendations, and on obstacles preventing the more widespread ratification of Conventions.

126.  However, as experience has shown that General Surveys and the reports prepared for recurrent discussions do not cover all the standards related to a strategic objective, the Governing Body decided to supplement these sources and the results of recurrent discussions in order to provide, for each strategic objective, a complete picture of the standards which require promotion, revision or consolidation, and the possible need for new standards. To this end, it established the Standards Review Mechanism (SRM) in November 2011, [33] and created the SRM Tripartite Working Group in March 2015. [34] The review of standards will be carried out according to the ILO’s four strategic objectives, [35] having due regard to their interdependence, as set forth in the Declaration. Any other matter related to standard setting and standards policy may also be addressed, as requested by the Governing Body, [36] such as the identification, updating and promotion of the list of governance instruments.

127.  In the context of the standards initiative, [37] the SRM, together with other arrangements, is intended to contribute to the implementation of ILO standards policy and to consolidate tripartite consensus on the role of international labour standards in achieving the ILO’s objectives. The identification of concrete procedures for coordination between the Governing Body review through the SRM and the guidance provided through recurrent discussions will be critical in ensuring coherence in standards policy as a cornerstone of ILO activities.

128.  Another significant trend observed in standard setting in light of the Declaration is the integration of the four categories of fundamental principles and rights at work in recently adopted instruments. The Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), together with its accompanying Recommendation No. 201, sets out a comprehensive decent work strategy for the realization of the four categories of fundamental principles and rights at work as a basis for the employment and social protection policies applicable to domestic workers. A broader focus in standard setting is also reflected, for example, in Recommendation No. 202, which reaffirms that social security is a human right and a social and economic necessity. The Recommendation aims to assist member States to cover all in need, including the unprotected, the poorest and most vulnerable workers, and those in the informal economy and their families. Similarly, Recommendation No. 204, which is intended to facilitate the transition to formality, also calls for respect for workers’ fundamental rights and opportunities for income security, livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

3.3.Promoting a more integrated approach within the ILO

129.  Steps have been taken and progress made in light of the Declaration in several other complementary areas in promoting a more integrated approach in the work of the ILO.

3.3.1.Efficient and effective work by the Office

Programming and results-based management

130.  The Declaration significantly influenced the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15 and the three respective programme and budget cycles, with the Office’s priorities, capacity and methods of work being re-examined within a renewed affirmation of the Organization’s mandate. The new results-based framework focused on essential priorities in the world of work captured in 19 outcomes under the four strategic objectives, with gender equality and non-discrimination being mainstreamed across all outcomes. With a view to achieving greater focus, enhanced critical mass and higher impact through a multidisciplinary approach, eight areas of critical importance were introduced in 2014–15, each of which combines work from several of the 19 outcomes and two or more strategic objectives. International labour standards, social dialogue and gender equality and non-discrimination are identified as cross-cutting policy drivers in the Programme and Budget for 2016–17, reflecting the emphasis in the Declaration.

Efficient and effective use of ILO resources

131.  One of the key objectives of the Office-wide reform plan launched by the Director-General in 2012 has been to harness ILO human, financial and system resources in the most efficient and integrated manner to meet the needs of constituents. [38]

132.  The reform initiatives, the key objectives of which are to provide value for money, achieve technical excellence, provide quality service to constituents and promote teamwork as “One ILO”, cover the restructuring of top management, the reorganization of headquarters, field operations and technical cooperation, human resources management, communications and administrative services. The implementation of the Human Resources Strategy and related reform initiatives have provided tools to improve staff diversity, mobility, competence, team working and accountability. Reforms include the strengthening of the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee and the full implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards, beginning in 2012. The reform has yielded significant benefits, reflected in the Programme and Budget for 2016–17, with some US$25 million in savings being moved from administration and support to technical work and from headquarters to the regions. [39]

Evaluation for results

133.  With a view to harmonizing Office-wide evaluation practice and ensuring that evaluations are framed within the context of the Declaration, an independent evaluation was carried out in 2010 of the ILO evaluation function. A new evaluation strategy was formulated for 2011–15, placing emphasis on the improved use of evaluation, the harmonization of evaluation practices and the reinforcement of evaluation capacity. Follow-up to evaluation recommendations and lessons learned improved between 2009 and 2014, and an independent external evaluation will be conducted in 2016 to assess how effectively evaluation findings have been used to align the Office’s work with the aims of the Declaration.

3.3.2.Research and knowledge building for policy and advocacy

134.  In line with the call made in the Declaration to strengthen the ILO’s research capacity, the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15 established a framework for the reinforcement of the Office’s technical capacities, particularly in the field of knowledge management. The Knowledge Strategy endorsed by the Governing Body in 2009 focuses on the three interrelated outcomes of evidence-based analysis, knowledge exchange and the dissemination of ILO knowledge. [40]

135.  With regard to evidence-based analysis, the establishment of the Research Department in June 2013 has helped to achieve a critical mass of technical staff to conduct cross-cutting empirical research and policy analysis. The introduction of flagship reports, including the Global Wage Report, the World Social Protection Report and the World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) and WESO Trends as ILO flagship reports has increased the scope for addressing emerging and relevant global issues and the visibility of ILO knowledge. It has also contributed ILO expertise to global policy debates by feeding into discussions at the United Nations, the G20, with the Governments of Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and other international and regional forums. The establishment of global technical teams comprising specialists across the field and headquarters has reinforced synergies between global analytical findings and country operations. The creation of a Research Review Group has reinforced the credibility and quality of ILO research. [41] Finally, statistical capacities for macroeconomic analysis and data collection and analysis, for example through labour force surveys, have been strengthened. Moreover, the conclusions of the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) revisited key concepts of decent work, thus paving the way for better empirical knowledge of the world of work through more accurate measurement.

136.  Between 2008 and 2013, under a pilot programme largely funded by the European Commission, the Office provided assistance to 20 countries for the development of decent work indicators and the preparation of decent work country profiles. The profiles provide data and information on the major dimensions of decent work, enabling analysis of the progress made in the framework of national economic, labour and social policies. [42] Decent work country profiles have proved to be very useful in providing evidence on the status of decent work and in informing national priorities and policy-making across social and economic spheres. Drawing on these and other experiences, the Office developed technical guidelines for the preparation of decent work country analyses in 2015 to provide a brief diagnosis of the national growth, productive employment and decent work situation in countries where they are undertaken. This will serve as an important input for the development of DWCPs and other frameworks, including United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs).

137.  The visibility and dissemination of ILO data, research and policy analysis have been strengthened through digitalization, the expansion of media coverage to include the social media, the development of new multimedia products and more effective use of the ILO website, including the creation of the Knowledge Gateway. Knowledge building and sharing has been facilitated through Office-wide collaboration and partnerships with governments, the social partners, and international and regional institutions, including other United Nations agencies, research institutes and expert groups.

3.3.3.Technical cooperation and expert advice

138.  In response to the call in the Declaration for the ILO to strengthen and streamline its technical cooperation and expert advice, the ILO’s Technical Cooperation Strategy 2010–15 was developed and implemented to align technical cooperation resources with DWCPs and programme and budget outcomes, meet results-based management requirements and engage in United Nations system-wide coherence through UNDAFs and United Nations reform. [43] Since 2010, all new and ongoing ILO projects have been linked to specific DWCP outcomes or global products and fully aligned with the priorities and needs of ILO constituents, as expressed in the 19 outcomes identified in the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15.

139.  Since the adoption of the Declaration, the share of voluntary contributions for technical cooperation has remained steady at around 40 per cent of the overall resources available to the ILO. [44] Over the past seven years, ILO technical cooperation expenditure has increased from US$193.5 million in 2009 to US$211.5 million in 2015, and there has been an important trend to implement fewer but larger projects with greater potential for impact, with average project size rising from US$1 million in 2008 to US$1.3 million in 2015.

Figure 3.2.Contributions to the ILO (2004–15)

140.  Since 2009, technical cooperation expenditure on employment has been almost as high as for the three remaining strategic objectives combined. Expenditure on social dialogue has grown by 121 per cent [45] and employment by 29 per cent, [46] while expenditure on fundamental principles and rights at work [47] and social protection has decreased by some 18 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. This is a result of many factors, including the changing priorities of development partners and Members, and the varying costs of different types of intervention at the country level. [48]

Figure 3.3.ILO extra-budgetary technical cooperation (XBTC) expenditure by strategic objective (2009–15)

141.  In this context, the target set in the Action Plan for Gender Equality of reducing the share of “gender blind” or “gender weak” projects to 15 per cent has not been achieved. The share of ILO projects with Gender Marker One or Two [49] is currently 77.5 per cent, compared with 72 per cent in 2010. The scheduled review by the Governing Body in March 2016 of progress in achieving the targets of the ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2010–15 will offer an opportunity to discuss measures for the promotion of gender equality in ILO technical cooperation projects.

142.  At the regional level, technical cooperation expenditure has increased in Africa and in Asia and the Pacific, but stagnated or declined in the Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia, with the share of global or interregional expenditure remaining at 20–25 per cent of overall technical cooperation expenditure. The fall in technical cooperation expenditure in Latin America and the Caribbean, and also in Europe and Central Asia, is probably a reflection of the fact that many development partners are focusing their development assistance on the poorest countries. The trend to cut funding for wealthier developing countries has resulted in controversial debates within the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, particularly as the profile of poverty is changing and the majority of the world’s poorest people now live in middle-income countries. [50]

Figure 3.4.ILO XBTC expenditure by region (2009–15)

Role of DWCPs and United Nations country programmes

143.  DWCPs are the primary means through which the ILO supports and assists Members “to make progress on a tripartite basis towards all the strategic objectives”. [51] They are also governance instruments, designed in consultation with constituents, which guide the most effective and efficient use of ILO resources and assist Members to achieve results in the form of country programme outcomes which are typically implemented over a four- to six-year period in a specific country, or occasionally a subregion.

144.  The number of member States with DWCPs, or which are in the process of preparing them, has grown from 94 in 2009 to 107 in 2015. The number of DWCPs has increased significantly in Africa and in Europe and Central Asia over that period, remained constant in Asia and the Pacific, but decreased in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Figure 3.5.Status of DWCPs by region, 2008 and 2015

145.  In their replies to the questionnaire, Members in countries with DWCPs emphasize their importance as a primary tool for the implementation of the integrated approach of the Declaration. ILO constituents report that DWCPs have ensured greater ownership by constituents and partners, and thus responded more adequately to their needs. They add that DWCPs have enhanced ILO visibility, profile and positioning at the national level, as well as creating opportunities for resource mobilization and facilitating a more integrated and coordinated approach to the delivery of services under interrelated outcomes.

146.  During the implementation of the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15, the Office recorded more than 2,350 “results” [52] corresponding to country programme outcomes. A little over 30 per cent of these results were achieved in the area of fundamental principles and rights at work, just under 30 per cent in the area of social protection, and 20 per cent each in the areas of employment and social dialogue and tripartism respectively. In the area of fundamental principles and rights at work, the majority of results were in the area of child labour (338), followed by freedom of association and collective bargaining (33), discrimination at work (28) and forced labour (24). [53]

147.  Although ILO databases do not capture whether each result or outcome contributes to the achievement of more than one strategic objective, a desk review of 78 DWCPs found that the priorities and outcomes in all countries include several strategic objectives in an integrated way. The ratification or implementation of international labour standards is referred to in all the DWCPs reviewed, which all reflect gender and to some extent non-discrimination as cross-cutting issues, although not in an equally systematic and coordinated way. Moreover, the proportion of DWCPs with at least 35 per cent of gender inclusive indicators has increased from 17 per cent in the biennium 2010–11 to 50 per cent in 2014–15. There is still room for improvement, particularly in light of the resolution concerning gender equality at the heart of decent work, [54] which calls for DWCPs to be developed with a gender lens and to specify how their intended outcome will affect both women and men.

148.  In all regions, the ILO has been actively engaged in the development and implementation of UNDAFs. An ILO review in 2015 shows that, of the 43 UNDAFs analysed, all incorporate at least one of the four strategic objectives, with employment generation and social protection being most frequently integrated overall. Of these UNDAFs, 70 and 60 per cent, respectively, contain specific references to social dialogue and international labour standards, an increase of 6 and 10 per cent in comparison with 2012.

149.  The alignment of DWCPs and UNDAFs has in general been strengthened, with over half of DWCPs being conducted in the framework of broader United Nations programmes. In-country ILO services have also benefited from greater access to United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Funds and other pooled funding mechanisms, which have become a significant source of funding for ILO technical cooperation programmes, particularly in Africa. Between 2008 and 2015, some US$258 million was mobilized by the ILO through the United Nations, which represents just over 13 per cent of total ILO technical cooperation funding over the past eight years, and is 139 per cent higher than between 2000 and 2007 (See figure 2.6).

Institutional capacity building

150.  The Declaration calls on the ILO to “help, wherever necessary, the institutional capacity of member States, as well as representative organizations of employers and workers, to facilitate meaningful and coherent social policy and sustainable development”. [55] The Declaration emphasizes that capacity development should enable constituents both to pursue their own mandates and to deliver on the Organization’s objectives. [56]

151.  Most DWCPs designed and implemented since 2008 contain explicit outcomes or outputs on capacity development of constituents. In terms of DWCP results achieved between 2010 and 2015, some 17 per cent concerned changes supported by the ILO resulting in the enhanced capacity of national institutions, including employers’ and workers’ organizations. Building on existing support structures and promoting national advisory groups have been found to be effective means of levering capacity development. South–South and triangular cooperation, peer-to-peer learning and twinning arrangements in the form of study tours, knowledge-sharing experiences and advisory services have also been found to contribute to capacity development.

152.  The ILO’s current technical cooperation portfolio is already largely composed of capacity development components, the vast majority of which focus on developing the technical capacities of Members and of employers’ and workers’ organizations in thematic areas within the ILO’s mandate. Some US$10.2 million (0.8 per cent) of all ILO technical cooperation expenditure between 2010 and 2015 was linked to outcome 9 (Employers’ organizations) and US$21.7 million (1.7 per cent) to outcome 10 (Workers’ organizations). These figures are probably understated, as they do not capture expenditure under other outcomes on strengthening the capacity of employers’ and workers’ organizations. Nevertheless, more emphasis needs to be placed on targeted institutional capacity-development measures, both for individual constituent groups and within a tripartite setting to achieve the objective of institutional capacity development set out in the Declaration and to maximize its impact.

153.  The ILO International Training Centre in Turin (Turin Centre) already plays a significant role in providing training for capacity development. Between 2010 and 2015, the Turin Centre provided training and learning programmes to some 47,900 participants from ministries of labour, workers’ organizations, employers’ organizations and other governmental and public institutions. To further strengthen its role in building the institutional capacity of constituents, the Turin Centre has established a strategic framework and working methods driving an integrated approach to the achievement of results and decent work outcomes through capacity building for ILO tripartite constituents.

Figure 3.6.Share of participants from tripartite constituent organizations in Turin Centre courses (2010–15)

154.  While capacity development is a common denominator in all the ILO’s means of action, reviews carried out by the Office and discussed by the Governing Body have shown that approaches to capacity development are fragmented along thematic lines, uncoordinated and piecemeal within projects, and do not constitute a capacity-development programme as a whole. [57] In order to address this situation, capacity development has been included as one of the four building blocks of the revised ILO Development Cooperation Strategy 2015–17, which envisages the development of specific capacity-development programmes for each constituent and the inclusion of bipartite and tripartite capacity-development programmes in large development cooperation operations.

Special needs of developing countries

155.  In accordance with the emphasis placed by the follow-up to the Declaration on the need to address “the special needs and capacities of developing countries”, [58] ILO action has focused on the needs of constituents in least developed countries, fragile States and small island developing States.

156.  In least developed countries, ILO support focuses on comprehensive employment policies, investment in rural infrastructure and the urban informal economy, with a view to gradually facilitating the transition to formality. Since 2011, the share of ILO country-level technical cooperation expenditure in least developed countries has increased from 30.6 to 44.6 per cent, representing US$75.4 million in 2014. While this is a substantial increase, more is needed to ensure that no one is left behind.

157.  Between 2009 and 2014, some 11.4 per cent of ILO technical cooperation expenditure was devoted to 18 fragile States. In November 2015, the Governing Body adopted a new ILO flagship programme on Jobs for Peace and Resilience, designed as an employment-generation programme for conflict- and disaster-affected countries, fully anchored in the Decent Work Agenda. The Conference will hold a first discussion at its present session of a standard-setting item (double discussion) on decent work for peace, security and disaster resilience: Revision of the Employment (Transition from War to Peace) Recommendation, 1944 (No. 71).

3.4.Observations and challenges

Recurrent discussions

158.  When, at the request of the Conference, the Governing Body evaluated the impact and organization of the first recurrent discussion, it emphasized a number of issues that remain relevant, including: the importance of considering recurrent discussions as governance tools, the outcomes of which should be reflected in programme and budget proposals and the other work of the Governing Body; the need to balance policy challenges with ILO activities and lessons learned on implementation; the usefulness of holding preliminary discussions in the relevant Governing Body committees; and the need for focused and timely reports and collaboration across strategic objectives. [59]

159.  While many of the replies to the questionnaire express appreciation of the role of recurrent discussions in improving understanding of and the ILO’s response to Members’ needs, and several important measures have been adopted by the Organization as a result of the guidance provided by recurrent discussions, more can be done to enhance their value as a knowledge and governance tool. The reports prepared for recurrent discussions could be further improved to address and analyse the diverse realities and needs of ILO Members in greater depth, based on better information collection and knowledge sharing through broad Office-wide collaboration, input from constituents and a more standardized format for the reports.

160.  The organization of the discussions themselves could be more varied and innovative to encourage better exchanges of information and views, with more intense involvement by all stakeholders, including representatives of key international and regional organizations. Consideration could be given to the designation of the recurrent discussion Committee as a standing committee of the Conference with a mandate based on the aims of the Declaration. The integration of the outputs of recurrent discussions into Office practices and procedures could be further improved, for example through the earmarking of resources in the programme and budget for a time-bound cycle of follow-up action for the outcomes of recurrent discussions.

Governing Body and International Labour Conference reforms

161.  Although constituents highlight the positive impact of the Governing Body reforms in improving its policy-making and oversight functions, as well as greater involvement by all of its members, the practical implementation of the reforms still raises a number of challenges, such as further improving the Conference agenda-setting process and appropriate planning and distribution between Governing Body sections/segments. [60]

162.  The ongoing reforms to increase the efficiency, transparency and authority of the Conference as the Organization’s supreme policy-making organ will continue to be shaped by the lessons learned from the trial two-week session in 2015, the strategic approach to Conference agenda setting, the functioning of the SRM and the Conference’s evaluation of the Declaration. While much still remains to be done to meet the objectives of the reform, experience shows that confidence and trust between constituents and the Office, and among the partners themselves, together with an active but neutral role of the Office, are critical to the success of the governance reform. The ongoing reforms, including reforms of the Conference and the envisaged reform of regional meetings, may be expected to address through tripartite dialogue the enhancement of the representative legitimacy of ILO governance in the changing world of work.

ILO standards-related action

163.  The integrated approach set out in the Declaration and the outcomes of recurrent discussions have started to yield results in terms of the ILO’s standard-setting action. The establishment of the SRM is expected to further enhance the role of standards in the achievement of all the strategic objectives, particularly by ensuring that the ILO has a clear, robust and up-to-date body of standards.

164.  Challenges include further action to enable the ILO and its Members to have a comprehensive overview of the state of ratification and implementation of ILO instruments pertaining to each strategic objective. Such an overview would inform standards policy, based on improved tripartite governance, and the support provided to Members to review the ratification and implementation of instruments in order to achieve progressively increasing coverage of each of the strategic objectives.

Efficient work of the Office

165.  Even though a number of steps have been taken to translate the integrated approach into the work of the Office, implementation remains a challenge, and the integrated approach is more demanding in terms of the knowledge and methods required for its delivery. There was greater alignment in the Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15 between resources for technical capacities, delivery channels and outcomes to support the four strategic objectives, and there are some improvements in the Programme and Budget for 2016–17. Further progress needs to be made in the Strategic Plan 2018–21, including the integration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

166.  The ILO is currently working to review and streamline its business processes to achieve greater efficiency. Further reform measures are required in human resources policies and practices to improve competencies, knowledge and skills in the Office. A differentiated global typology that has been developed by grouping member States with similar needs for ILO support will further contribute to aligning ILO services to meet the diversified needs of constituents. Efforts are also needed to address the lack of indicators and accurate information to measure substantive results and impact. These steps need to be combined with a strengthened evaluation culture through knowledge management, enhanced linkages to programming, further organizational learning initiatives and incentives to ensure that the relevance and effectiveness of Office action is constantly improved.

Knowledge

167.  Challenges in the implementation of the Knowledge Strategy include gaps in the way that information and knowledge are captured, produced and disseminated, as well as inconsistencies between headquarters and the field in this regard. In particular, there are gaps in the availability of statistical indicators covering all of the four strategic objectives. Improvements could focus on: further improving statistical capacity; improving the dissemination of official documents and publications; and further building ILO expertise. Implementation of the ICLS conclusions on decent work indicators will require additional technical and financial resources in many countries, together with technical support from the ILO. This is particularly relevant to the monitoring of targets and indicators within the SDG framework.

Technical cooperation and expert advice

168.  Technical cooperation remains critical for the implementation of the ILO’s core mandate, and evaluations have found the ILO’s performance to be “satisfactory” to “very satisfactory” in a large majority of technical cooperation projects. [61] But evaluations also find that technical cooperation projects should be designed with greater attention to the integrated objectives. The ILO’s new Development Cooperation Strategy 2015–17 offers an important opportunity to mobilize additional resources for decent work, further diversify funding sources and enhance the integrated pursuit of the four strategic objectives through larger technical cooperation projects and programmes.

169.  Moreover, although DWCPs have the potential to produce significant changes at the country level and to maximize the impact of ILO interventions on national policy, evaluation has also found that there is a lack of clarity among constituents as to their ownership of DWCPs. Many DWCPs still tend to be conceptual documents, often not informed by a clear analysis of the country situation. Few DWCPs are fully budgeted and funded, due to ILO funding constraints and the limited level or absence of direct budgetary allocations from national governments and/or development partners. There is also a need for more flexible and agile country programming modalities for different groups of countries and, with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is critical for the ILO and its constituents to step up efforts to ensure that the four strategic objectives are better integrated in new or revised national sustainable development strategies and/or UNDAFs. [62]

170.  Such considerations point to the need to adopt a strategic approach to: building the capacity of constituents – including through the Turin Centre – to achieve the aims of the Declaration, and to monitor and measure results of such capacity-development efforts in a systematic, comparable and coherent manner based on a differentiated approach to the specific needs of different categories of countries.

[1] Declaration, Part II(A).

[2] ILO: Implementation plan: ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, Governing Body, 304th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2009, GB.304/SG/DECL/1(Rev.). See also GB.309/SG/DECL/2.

[3] E.g., action for the establishment of peer reviews is still pending.

[4] Declaration, Part II(A)(i).

[5] ILO: Conclusions on strengthening the ILO’s capacity, International Labour Conference, 96th Session, Geneva, 2007, para. 5.

[6] ILO: Minutes of the 304th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, Mar. 2009, GB.304/PV, para. 183(b).

[7] The second recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work was deferred from 2016 to 2017 to make room for the item on the evaluation of the impact of the Declaration at the present session of the Conference.

[8] ILO: Minutes of the 325th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/PV, para. 56.

[9] Declaration, Annex, Part I(B).

[10] On the basis of the information provided under article 19 of the ILO Constitution, General Surveys analyse national law and practice in member States in relation to a specific subject covered by instruments selected by the Governing Body. They examine the impact of the instruments concerned and difficulties in their application, and cover all member States, regardless of whether or not they have ratified the Conventions concerned.

[11] ILO: Report of the Steering Group on the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, Governing Body, 309th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2010, GB.309/10, para. 8. To achieve synchronization, there was no General Survey corresponding to the second recurrent discussion on employment in 2014.

[12] Declaration, Annex, Part I(B).

[13] ILO: Social dialogue interventions: What works and why? A synthesis review 2002–2012 (Geneva, 2013); Decent work results of ILO employment promotion interventions: Lessons learned from evaluations, 2003–2013 (Geneva, 2014); and Effective labour protection for all: Lessons learned from a synthesis review, 2004–2014 (Geneva, 2015).

[14] No consultation was held in the Governing Body for the 2011 recurrent discussion report on social security in view of the extensive consultations on a two-dimensional social protection extension strategy undertaken in the years leading up to 2011.

[15] E.g., the report prepared for the recurrent discussion on employment in 2014 was informed by discussions on employment issues in the Governing Body, informal briefings, consultations during earlier sessions of the Conference and Governing Body, and best practices reported by member States and country offices.

[16] ILO: Improving the functioning of the International Labour Conference, Governing Body, 325th Session, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/WP/GBC/1, paras 5 and 6.

[17] See, e.g., ILO: Resolution concerning the recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work, International Labour Conference, 101st Session, Geneva, 2012.

[18] ILO: Conclusions concerning the recurrent discussion on social protection (labour protection), International Labour Conference, 104th Session, Geneva, 2015.

[19] The inherent linkage between equality and non-discrimination only appears in the outcomes of two recurrent discussions. See ILO: Conclusions concerning the recurrent discussion on fundamental principles and rights at work, International Labour Conference, 101st Session, Geneva, 2012, para. 15(d); and ILO: Conclusions concerning the second recurrent discussion on employment, International Labour Conference, 103rd Session, Geneva, 2014, para. 7(e)(v).

[20] ILO: Conclusions concerning the recurrent discussion on employment, International Labour Conference, 99th Session, Geneva, 2010, para. 50.

[21] ILO: Matters arising out of the work of the 99th Session (2010) of the International Labour Conference: Follow-up to the adoption of the resolution concerning the recurrent discussion on employment, Governing Body, 309th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2010, GB.309/3/1, paras 14–17.

[22] The five flagship programmes are: (i) Better Work; (ii) A revised International Programme on the Elimination of Child and Forced Labour (IPEC+); (iii) Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Global Action for Prevention; (iv) Jobs for Peace and Resilience; and (v) the Social Protection Floor. ILO: The ILO’s global flagship programmes, Governing Body, 325th Session, Geneva, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/POL/7.

[23] ILO: ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2010–15 – Phase II: Aligned with the Programme and Budget for 2012–13 (Geneva, 2012).

[24] ILO: A reform package to improve the functioning of the Governing Body, Governing Body, 310th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2011, GB.310/9/1.

[25] ILO: Compendium of rules applicable to the Governing Body of the International Labour Office (Geneva, 2011).

[26] ILO: Review of the implementation of the Governing Body reform, Governing Body, 320th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2014, GB.320/WP/GBC/2.

[27] ILO: Improving the functioning of the Governing Body: Follow-up to the review of the implementation of the Governing Body reform, Governing Body, 323rd Session, Mar. 2015, GB.323/WP/GBC/2.

[28] The sections are the Institutional Section (INS), Policy Development Section (POL), Legal Issues and International Labour Standards Section (LILS), Programme, Financial and Administrative Section (PFA) and High-level Section (HL).

[29] Following the 2011 reform package, the role of the Chairperson of the Government group and the regional coordinators also comprises participation in consultative procedures, and in the tripartite screening group which determines the agenda of the Governing Body. ILO: Compendium of rules applicable to the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, op. cit., Introductory note, paras 20 and 22.

[30] Declaration, Preamble. The ILO’s standards policy involves the following components: the determination of the best means of keeping the body of standards up to date; the identification of standards in need of revision or other action; the identification of up-to-date standards and their promotion; the determination of new subjects and approaches for standard setting; and the preparation and adoption of standards. See ILO: Improvements in the standards-related activities of the ILO standards policy: The establishment and the implementation of a standards review mechanism, Governing Body, 312th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2011, GB.312/LILS/5, para. 3.

[31] Declaration, Preamble.

[32] Declaration, Part I(C)(iii).

[33] ILO: Minutes of the 312th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, Geneva, Nov. 2011, GB.312/PV, para. 577.

[34] ILO: Minutes of the 325th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, Geneva, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/PV, para. 612.

[35] A possible classification of standards by strategic objective was presented to the Governing Body in March 2011, but was not formally adopted. See ILO: Improvements in the standards-related activities of the ILO – ILO standards policy: An approach for a robust and effective international labour code, Governing Body, 310th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2011, GB.310/LILS/3/1(Rev.), Appendix.

[36] ILO: The standards initiative: Terms of reference of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, Governing Body, 325th Session, Geneva, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/LILS/3, para. 12.

[37] The standards initiative is one of seven centenary initiatives proposed by the Director-General in 2013. See ILO: Towards the ILO centenary: Realities, renewal and tripartite commitment, Report I(A), International Labour Conference, 102nd Session, Geneva, 2013; and ILO: The future of work centenary initiative, Report I, International Labour Conference, 104th Session, Geneva, 2015.

[38] ILO: Progress on the internal reform, Governing Body, 317th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2013, GB.317/INS/12/2.

[39] ILO: Programme and Budget proposals for the biennium 2016–17, Geneva, 2015, paras 18–19.

[40] ILO: Results-based strategies 2010–15: Knowledge Strategy – Strengthening capacity to deliver decent work and the Global Jobs Pact, Governing Body, 306th Session, Nov. 2009, GB.306/PFA/12/3.

[41] ILO: Report of the Director-General – Second Supplementary Report: Follow-up to the discussion on the dissolution of the International Institute for Labour Studies and the establishment of the central Research Department, Governing Body, 320th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2014, GB.320/INS/14/2, para. 10.

[42] The investment in decent work indicators has also proved to be a valuable resource in continuing discussions in the United Nations on an indicator framework for the SDGs.

[43] ILO: The ILO’s technical cooperation strategy and tripartism in the context of the United Nations reform process, Governing Body, 306th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2009, GB.306/TC/1.

[44] The term “technical cooperation” refers to all ILO programmes and projects funded by development partners through earmarked extra-budgetary technical cooperation contributions (XBTC) or un-earmarked voluntary contributions through the Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA). While the Governing Body recently decided to replace the term “technical cooperation” with the term “development cooperation”, the original term is retained in this section as it was used in the Declaration and by the Office until the end of 2015.

[45] Under the strategic objective on social dialogue, expenditure on projects in the area of sectoral activities has grown from a little over US$2 million in 2009 to almost US$12 million in 2015, largely due to the expansion of the Better Work programme to eight countries.

[46] Under the strategic objective on employment, expenditure on projects to promote employment jumped from just under US$36 million in 2009 to over US$54 million in 2010 and has remained high since.

[47] Under the strategic objective concerning fundamental principles and rights at work, expenditure on projects to combat child labour has decreased from close to US$43 million, or 78.5 per cent of total expenditure on projects to promote and protect fundamental principles and rights at work in 2009, to US$22.5 million, or 50 per cent of total XBTC expenditure on fundamental principles and rights at work in 2015.

[48] It should be noted that ILO databases do not capture whether projects contribute to more than one strategic objective. It is not therefore possible to analyse whether and how technical cooperation supports efforts by Members to make progress towards all the strategic objectives in an integrated manner at the level of each technical cooperation project.

[49] Gender Marker One is defined as: “Project contains no objectives, outcomes, outputs or activities that aim to promote gender equality”, and Gender Marker Two as: “Project does not include gender equality as an outcome, but some outputs and/or activities specifically address gender issues”.

[50] A. Sumner: Global poverty and the “New Bottom Billion” revisited: Exploring the paradox that most of the world’s extreme poor no longer live in the world’s poorest countries, working paper (London, 2012).

[51] Declaration, Part II(A)(ii).

[52] A “result”, in this context, refers to the achievement of a country programme outcome, which is usually defined in the context of a DWCP.

[53] ILO: ILO programme implementation 2014–15, Governing Body, 326th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2016, GB.326/PFA/1, Appendix.

[54] ILO: Resolution concerning gender equality at the heart of decent work, International Labour Conference, 98th Session, Geneva, 2009.

[55] Declaration, Part II(A)(ii).

[56] Capacity development is commonly understood as a process through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives over time. The terms “capacity building” and “capacity development” overlap: capacity building is defined as the means to achieve capacity development. Both terms are used in the present report, as appropriate.

[57] ILO: Capacity development for constituents in Decent Work Country Programmes and technical cooperation: Follow-up, Governing Body, 312th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2011, GB.312/POL/9.

[58] Declaration, Annex, Part II(C)(iv).

[59] ILO: Report of the Steering Group on the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, Governing Body, 309th Session, Geneva, Nov. 2010, GB.309/10.

[60] ILO: Review of the implementation of the Governing Body reform, 2014, op. cit.

[61] ILO: Decent work results and effectiveness of ILO technical cooperation: A meta analysis of project evaluations, 2011–2012 (Geneva, 2013).

[62] ILO: A meta analysis of lessons learned and good practices arising from nine Decent Work Country Programme evaluations (Geneva, 2011).

Chapter 4

Action by and with international and regional organizations

171.  The recognition of decent work by the international community as an effective response to the challenges of globalization was a source of inspiration for the adoption of the Declaration. Along with the ILO and its Members, other international and regional organizations with mandates in closely related fields are recognized in the Declaration as having an important contribution to make to the implementation of its principles and aims.

172.  Acknowledging the need for broad collaboration to address the significant decent work deficits throughout the world, the ILO and its Members have progressively developed partnerships within the multilateral system, as well as with economic actors and non-state entities, in pursuit of greater policy coherence for the achievement of decent work. [1] Across the multilateral system, an important driver of increased collaboration and policy coherence has been the impact of the global financial and economic crisis and the need to address its social consequences, especially in relation to employment and social protection, and the key role of social dialogue in this regard.

173.  As reported to the Conference in 2014, “partnerships with other international, regional and national institutions have proved critical in the effective and timely delivery of services to constituents and in leveraging policy influence”. [2] The following sections address action by and with international and regional organizations, groupings of States and non-state actors.

4.1.International organizations

4.1.1.United Nations system

174.  The United Nations system has supported the contemporary vision set out in the Declaration of the ILO’s mandate in an era of globalization. Following the adoption of the Declaration, the General Assembly swiftly called on Members of the United Nations, as well as all United Nations funds, programmes and agencies, to mainstream the goals of full and productive employment and decent work in all their policies, programmes and activities through the promotion of an integrated approach. [3] As indicated in Chapter 1, the inclusion of decent work as a major goal in the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for development financing can be seen as the culmination of the concerted efforts of ILO Members in the framework of the United Nations to promote the four strategic objectives and greater policy coherence as part of a global strategy for decent work. [4]

175.  Similarly, ECOSOC added further momentum to the mainstreaming of decent work through a resolution in 2008 reaffirming the central importance of full and productive employment and decent work for poverty eradication and social integration, and calling on the Members of the United Nations to ratify the ILO’s fundamental Conventions. The resolution also encourages all relevant organizations of the United Nations system to collaborate in the use, adaptation and evaluation of the Toolkit for mainstreaming employment and decent work, [5] which had been developed by the ILO and endorsed by the CEB prior to the Declaration. [6] Decent work has since remained at the top of the agenda of ECOSOC Coordination Segments in 2012, 2013 and 2015, with the latter focusing on achieving decent work through sustainable development.

176.  The Strategic Policy Framework 2010–15 contained a clear strategy and targets for the ILO to mainstream decent work into the policies and programmes of key international organizations and multilateral institutions, including through established collaboration mechanisms in the United Nations system. These include the CEB, the High-Level Committee on Programmes, the High-Level Committee on Management, the United Nations Development Group, Regional Commissions and United Nations Country Teams, as well as mechanisms in response to global issues (such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) and joint research and training, including the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development and the United Nations System Staff College.

177.  The partnership strategy had the dual goal of: mainstreaming decent work in country programmes through the active participation of the ILO and its constituents in the “Delivering as One” United Nations reform initiatives and the implementation of the Triennial comprehensive policy review, 2007–10; [7] and mainstreaming the Decent Work Agenda at the global and regional levels. In this regard, the Decent Work Toolkit was promoted as a decent work “lens” for agencies, governments and the social partners for the evaluation of their policies, programmes and activities, and to facilitate the integration and improvement of decent work related outcomes at the global, regional and country levels.

178.  With the onset of the crisis in 2009, attention shifted to the nine Joint Crisis Initiatives adopted by the CEB. The ILO was asked to lead the Global Jobs Pact initiative and to co-lead the initiative on social protection floors with the World Health Organization. These initiatives further contributed to establishing the goal of decent work and full and productive employment as key objectives of economic recovery, social cohesion and sustainable development policies and programmes across the United Nations system.

179.  An evaluation by the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) in 2015 found that the overall response of United Nations system organizations to mainstreaming full and productive employment and decent work through the application of the CEB Toolkit had been a “moderate success”, with efforts to mainstream decent work at the organizational level varying significantly. The JIU found that none of the United Nations organizations had fully implemented the CEB Toolkit, and that awareness of the Decent Work Agenda was low among United Nations staff, particularly at headquarters.

Figure 4.1.JIU overall analysis of the level of mainstreaming of full and productive employment and decent work by United Nations system organizations

180.  In comparison, the country-level response through UNDAFs was generally found by the JIU to be stronger. The work to mainstream decent work by the five United Nations Regional Commissions was also found by the JIU to be rich, although it varied significantly in accordance with the mandate of each organization and the geopolitical context of each region.

181.  According to the JIU, specific strategic objectives, and particularly employment creation and enterprise development, are considered highly relevant to the mandates of almost all of the organizations evaluated. The JIU also noted that many organizations are starting to consider social dialogue, standards and rights at work to be relevant to their mandates, but that it is “rare for organizations to have embraced the concept of decent work as a package and mainstreamed it in an integral way”. [8]

182.  Consultations with over 30 international and regional organizations in preparation for the present report confirm these findings and also point to notable best practices. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has shown how decent work can be successfully incorporated into strategic programming, based on a strong commitment by the Director-General of the FAO, which led to the inclusion of an Organizational Outcome on decent rural employment in the FAO Strategic Framework, the inclusion of decent work indicators and targets in many FAO country programmes, the development of guidance, training and awareness-raising materials, and the inclusion of decent work among the criteria to assess feasibility and sustainability in project appraisal and design.

183.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has also included decent work related concepts in its strategic plans and programme documents, and has promoted decent work alone and in cooperation with other United Nations agencies at the country level in the framework of the UNDAF design and implementation. The focus of UNDP’s flagship Human Development Report in 2015 on “work for human development” reflects how the UNDP has fully recognized the centrality of decent work for human development and the key role of the Decent Work Agenda in realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [9]

184.  To ensure synergies between the international labour standards that inform the Decent Work Agenda and United Nations instruments promoting workers’ rights, the ILO has collaborated closely with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights. This collaboration has included the provision of standards-related technical reports and briefings to the expert committees supervising United Nations human rights treaties and the Human Rights Council and its special bodies and procedures. Synergies in country policies and operations have also been promoted, especially on fundamental principles and rights at work, through the United Nations working group on business and human rights.

185.  Partnerships between the ILO and other United Nations agencies have focused on initiatives to embed decent work in planning and operations, and on joint programmes and projects at the global and national levels. The growing number of joint United Nations programmes focusing on decent work is welcome, in particular in countries without an ILO office. However, more efforts are needed to ensure that decent work outcomes are achieved in an integrated manner. This is of particular concern at a time when increasing competition for voluntary contributions from development partners has resulted in several cases in which other agencies have designed and implemented programmes or projects that fall squarely within the ILO’s mandate, without the participation of the Office or the tripartite constituents.

4.1.2.Collaboration with global economic institutions

186.  Since 2008, the global economic institutions have also taken steps towards greater coherence with decent work in their policies and operations. The ILO’s influence, both through bilateral relations and inter-agency work requested by the G20, has broadened dialogue with these institutions on social and employment issues. Analytical knowledge-based policy advice has been prepared jointly for the G20, the BRICS Governments, and other groupings by the ILO, working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the OECD, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Bank Group. In these strategic partnerships with global and multilateral economic institutions, the ILO has consistently promoted macroeconomic policies that address both the demand and supply sides of labour markets and has positioned employment creation and decent work as a key priority in the global development agenda.

187.  Collaboration with the World Bank Group has progressed significantly in recent years, as illustrated by the joint statement issued in 2015 by the executive heads of the ILO and the World Bank Group on a plan of action for universal social protection. [10] Collaboration intensified in response to the crisis, starting with an inventory of policy responses to the global financial and economic crisis requested by the G20, which follows the structure of the Global Jobs Pact. [11] It was further strengthened by ILO contributions to the World Bank 2012–2022 Labor and Social Protection Strategy [12] and the World Development Report: Jobs, which emphasize the centrality of employment for poverty reduction and the importance of job quality. [13] The recent reorganization of the World Bank Group and the creation of a “cross-cutting solutions area” on jobs, designed to integrate and mainstream employment and social protection in its policies and operations, as well as the Let’s Work Partnership [14] have also facilitated closer collaboration between the ILO and the World Bank Group. This has included the development of a joint roadmap identifying a broad collaboration agenda in areas of growing policy and operational convergence. The roadmap covers subjects of common interest, including labour market data collection and dissemination, a joint research programme, the promotion of social protection floors, country-level collaboration and the expansion of the Better Work programme. Most recently, the World Bank Group has incorporated extensive ILO suggestions into a labour regulation manual for use by World Bank Group staff for the provision of advice to governments requesting assistance from the World Bank Group for the revision of labour laws. The manual was launched jointly in December 2015. [15]

188.  Cooperation with the IMF has progressed in certain areas following the 2010 joint ILO–IMF conference on the challenges of growth, employment and social cohesion, [16] and has included joint discussions on employment policy and social protection at the country level. Following the IMF Board paper on jobs and growth in 2013, [17] the Fund has increased its analytical work on growth and employment challenges, including research on the labour force participation of women and equity in income distribution. The IMF guidance note on jobs and growth calls on its staff to collaborate with other institutions, such as the World Bank Group, the OECD and the ILO, and notes that it is “important in surveillance and program contexts to ensure an ongoing dialogue with social partners, including labor unions [and] the business community”. [18] Nonetheless, the strategic objective concerning fundamental principles and rights at work is not currently part of the IMF’s approach to promoting growth and employment.

189.  Collaboration between the ILO and the OECD intensified in 2010 when the two organizations were requested to work together, with inputs from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on the G20 Training Strategy. [19] The ILO and the OECD have also collaborated on joint country employment policy and statistical profiles, and on reports on youth employment and the green economy. The partnership was given further impetus by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011, which specifically refers to the integrated approach of the Declaration, the need to increase policy coherence between public international organizations and to strengthen collaboration in the areas of ensuring a jobs rich economic recovery, employment and social protection, international labour migration, multilateral enterprises and investment issues, and the effects of a long-term shift to a low-carbon economy. [20] The OECD has indicated its intention to work more closely with the United Nations, the ILO and other organizations to ensure a coherent interpretation and mutually supportive implementation of the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. [21] New areas of OECD work include inequality and growth, [22] a new framework for job quality indicators [23] and the future of work.

190.  Since the first joint ILO–WTO study on trade and employment in 2007, the organizations have jointly published studies on trade and informal employment, [24] and on trade and social sustainability, [25] with the aim of enhancing the knowledge base on the social outcomes of trade and contributing to the elaboration of relevant policy proposals. The ILO and the WTO have also worked together in the framework of broader inter-agency collaboration, including with the OECD and the World Bank for the preparation of a report on the relationship between trade, growth and employment for the G20 Summit in Seoul in 2010.

191.  Despite these advances in policy coherence and collaboration with the World Bank Group, the IMF, the OECD and the WTO, awareness of the Decent Work Agenda and the relevance of the strategic objectives to their work is still uneven. While there are numerous examples of joint work on research, policy and advocacy, particularly in the G20 context, policy coherence and systematic coordination with constituents at the country level still needs to be developed. [26] Although steps have been taken to ensure more systematic collaboration at the headquarters level, the United Nations system, including the ILO, World Bank Group and the IMF, apply different country diagnostic tools and different country-level programming frameworks and cycles. Neither the ILO nor its constituents are consistently offered opportunities to contribute to or comment on the economic, environmental and social policies and plans developed by global economic institutions at the country level.

4.2.Regional organizations

192.  Since 2008, regional, subregional and intraregional organizations have embraced the Decent Work Agenda in a remarkable array of declarations. [27] The ILO has collaborated and participated in many of these initiatives, which have been informed by the outcomes of ILO regional meetings. [28]

193.  In Africa, the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda is anchored in the work of the AU tripartite Labour and Social Affairs Commission (which became the Specialized Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment in 2014). While significant progress has been made, representatives of the AU note that much remains to be done, including in terms of building the capacity of regional and subregional organizations to promote decent work. The recent Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development offers an effective basis for further strengthening the partnership with the AU Commission for decent work outcomes in Africa. The African Heads of State and Government have also requested the ILO, along with other key international partners, to develop a five-year programme to ensure the implementation of the Declaration. The ILO and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have continued to pursue common interests in relation to decent work, as witnessed by the recently adopted requirement for all AfDB borrowers to comply with international labour standards, provide written information to workers about their working conditions and rights, comply with basic occupational health and safety standards, and take responsibility for the working conditions of third-party workers.

194.  In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Declaration of Cancún and Plan of Action, adopted by the OAS Conference of Ministers of Labour in December 2015, has established two working groups on integrated public policies for productive employment and decent work with social inclusion, and on institutional strengthening to protect workers’ and employers’ rights and promote cooperation. [29] The ILO has also participated actively in the United Nations Development Group for Latin America and the Caribbean and has held meetings with regional financial institutions to encourage them to contribute to decent work. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the ILO Director-General and the President of the Inter-American Development Bank is aimed at facilitating joint initiatives and projects to tackle low productivity, inequality and social exclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean through better jobs and the formalization of the informal economy. [30]

195.  In the Arab States, the Arab Labour Organization and its five affiliated centres or institutes [31] undertook to promote decent work in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2007. The Arab Action Agenda adopted by the Arab Employment Forum in October 2010 is based on the Global Jobs Pact, as well as commitments made in the Arab Decade for Employment (2010–20) and at the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit in Kuwait in 2009. The Algeria Declaration of the Arab Labour Conference in 2013 further expresses the commitment to intensify efforts to improve employment conditions and achieve the objectives of the Arab Decade for Employment. The recommendations of the regional conference on labour market governance in the context of changing Arab societies, jointly organized by the Arab Labour Organization and the ILO in Egypt in 2013, reaffirm the commitment of governments and the social partners to adopt inclusive pro-employment development policies with social dialogue, social protection and coherent labour governance.

196.  In Asia and the Pacific, over the past decade, in addition to its work with the United Nations Regional Commission and the Asia–Pacific Thematic Working Group on International Migration, the ILO has promoted the Decent Work Agenda through its collaboration in the ASEAN Labour Ministers Work Programme for 2010–2015. Cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has gained momentum since 2008, particularly in the areas of labour market analysis and statistics, social protection and HIV and AIDS, education and skills development, and inclusive job creation strategies and green jobs. The joint statement by the ILO Director-General and ADB President in December 2012 reaffirmed the support of the two organizations for core labour standards, [32] and the ADB has recently made the area of inclusive and sustainable growth a priority of the ADB Strategy 2020, [33] which offers opportunities for the ILO and ADB to increase policy coherence for inclusive growth in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

197.  In Europe, the EU’s approach to decent work is reflected in the European Commission communication Promoting decent work for all, [34] which contains principles and aims similar to those later included in the Social Justice Declaration. The Communication has guided action by the EU, and particularly the European Commission, to promote decent work through an integrated approach and with policy coherence for at least ten years. The Europe 2020 Strategy, [35] the EU Agenda for Change, [36] the 2012 Employment Package [37] and, most recently, the new Trade for All strategy, [38] all reflect the importance of decent work, job creation, green jobs, social protection, social dialogue and rights at work for inclusive growth and sustainable development. One of the key priorities of the Juncker Commission is to create jobs and boost growth, and the Commission took the initiative to relaunch social dialogue in the EU in 2015. Decent work features in the Investment Plan for Europe, and has also been embraced by both the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank (EIB). [39] Since 2008, European Commission support for ILO projects has exceeded US$165.8 million (see Figure 2.6). [40]

4.3.ILO cooperation with groupings of States

198.  Groups of States, such as the G77, the G20, the Group of Fifteen (G15), the G8 and the g7+ group of fragile states, [41] have increasingly recognized the need to place emphasis on the creation of decent work. In the same way as with the global economic institutions, the ILO’s cooperation with these groups has been guided by the call in the Declaration to evaluate the employment effects of trade and financial market policies and to place decent work at the heart of economic policies. [42]

199.  The ILO has been invited to participate in G20 Summits since 2009. Since then, recognition and support for an integrated approach to decent work in the multilateral system has developed in the G20, as the ILO now holds a seat in the Sherpa track and is increasingly requested to provide technical expertise and reports in support of its work. The ILO’s consistent calls for an integrated and coherent approach to employment and social policies are strongly reflected in the 2015 Antalya G20 Leaders’ communiqué, [43] and in a number of reports prepared in recent years by the Office (often in collaboration with other international organizations), which are available on the G20 and ILO websites.

200.  The employment and social dimensions of economic policy are now permanent features of G20 work, with meetings of G20 labour and employment ministers being held since 2010 and the creation in 2014 of the G20 Employment Working Group as a permanent body. The ministerial declarations of the annual G20 labour and employment ministers meetings reflect a range of ILO positions. The ILO also participates actively in the G20 Finance Working Group and Development Working Group. As with other areas of strengthened advocacy, the ILO’s growing influence is the result of numerous factors, including the production of quality statistics, robust research and evidence-based policy analysis, and improved internal coordination and policy coherence across the Office, based on its new organizational structure.

201.  In general, the ILO’s analytical work, often prepared in collaboration with the World Bank Group, the United Nations, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the OECD and the IMF, has led to a growing convergence among the agencies, in certain cases on issues central to the ILO’s mandate, such as the negative impact of income inequality on growth and the key role played by social protection and labour market policies in addressing inequality.

202.  The Group of Seven (G7 – formerly the G8) no longer plays the role of coordinator of international economic policy since the creation of the G20. However, in 2015, the G7 invited the ILO to participate in the preparation of a Vision Zero Fund to foster occupational health and safety in global supply chains. The initiative includes collective action by workers’ organizations, companies and governments locally and globally, led by the ILO in collaboration with the World Bank Group, the International Trade Centre, the OECD and the United Nations. [44]

203.  In recent years, the BRICS have extended their core agenda to include employment issues. As a first step, the Russian presidency held the first meeting of Ministers of Labour and Employment of BRICS countries in January 2016, which adopted a ministerial declaration focusing on the formalization of employment and enterprises, skills development, and the quality of employment and labour statistics. In an earlier development, the 2012 Declaration by Ministers of Labour and Employment of India, Brazil and South Africa was signed by government representatives of the three countries. [45]

4.4.Non-state actors

204.  The period under review has seen a significant increase in the economic and social impact of private enterprise, both within and across borders. Non-state action at the international, regional and national levels has become increasingly important for the achievement of economic and social goals. Donations and other action by NGOs, foundations, multi-stakeholder partnerships and issue-based alliances have increased and proliferated significantly, and more companies are pursuing ways of creating shared value and of contributing to sustainable development. [46]

205.  In this context, and in response to the call made in the Declaration for the ILO to develop “new partnerships with non-state entities and economic actors, such as multinational enterprises and trade unions operating at the global sectoral level”, [47] the ILO has increased its engagement with, among others, parliamentarians, [48] business and social leaders, global sectoral and supply chain actors, and other non-state entities. At the sectoral level, the ILO’s tripartite sectoral meetings have continued to facilitate consensus building among governments, and workers’ and employers’ organizations operating in 22 sectors at the global level.

Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety

One particularly innovative partnership with MNEs and trade unions operating at the global sectoral level is the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, signed by global trade union federations and MNEs in the garment industry in Bangladesh, along with the somewhat similar Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. Through the Accord worker organizations, factory owners, NGOs, civil society, technical and engineering consultants, industry associations, educational and training institutions, and the Government of Bangladesh work to inspect factories and ensure that safety improvements are technically sound, effective and sustainable. Both of the initiatives arose in response to the Rana Plaza collapse, which killed 1,129 workers, and are designed to work towards a safe and healthy ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. The Accord represents a new type of engagement for the ILO, in which it provides support for the design, negotiation and implementation of the Accord and acts as a neutral chair of the Steering Committee based on its technical and standards expertise and convening authority, but is not itself a partner to the initiative. A similar arrangement with global economic actors, developed through the good offices of the ILO and signed by the Government of Bangladesh, local industry and trade unions, has operated with ILO expertise to assess claims and award payments to the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster or, for those who died, their dependants.

206.  Since 2009, the ILO has stepped up its involvement with MNEs, including for the promotion of sustainable enterprises, as guided by the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (the MNE Declaration). Progress has been made in this context in awareness-raising activities and capacity building, country level assistance, promotion at the sectoral level, and in collaboration with other international organizations. Since 2009, the ILO Helpdesk for Business on International Labour Standards has seen a remarkable growth in the queries received and visits to its website. [49] In response to concerns that the MNE Declaration and its follow-up do not fully capture the current realities of globalization and sustainable development, the Governing Body has requested the Office to propose modalities to review the MNE Declaration. [50]

207.  The Better Work Partnership established by the ILO and the International Finance Corporation in 2009 is a distinctive global supply chain intervention operating in eight major supplier countries, where it collaborates with local factories and the tripartite constituents, several development partners, global sector trade unions and over 60 global garment retailers and brands. The programme monitors and reports on factory-level compliance, builds the capacity of managers to implement decent working conditions and wages, promotes fundamental principles and rights at work and workplace safety and trains workers and employers. Social dialogue is central to the Better Work strategy, beginning with the establishment of bipartite committees and the facilitation of dialogue between management and worker representatives at factory level and extending to oversight of the country programme by a tripartite committee. Since it began in Cambodia in 2001, the programme has fostered improvements in compliance with national labour law and core labour standards in workplaces employing over 3 million workers in the garment and footwear sectors, including in the areas of fundamental principles and rights at work and gender equality. It has been shown that poverty is reduced in the households of workers in the factories covered by the programme through better wages and remittances.

208.  The Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises programme, the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour and the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour have also developed innovative partnerships with business on specific themes and issues in their supply chains which contribute to one or more of the strategic objectives. In 2015, 11 MNEs were the first signatories to the ILO Global Business and Disability Network Charter and the ILO assisted in the launch of a new Global Business Network for Social Protection Floors with MNEs, employers’ organizations and corporate foundations.

209.  In general, public–private partnerships have become an increasingly important feature of ILO development cooperation during the period under review. Since the adoption of the ILO basic principles governing public–private partnerships in 2006, [51] over 250 innovative partnerships have been developed with enterprises, foundations, academia, think tanks and other non-state actors. The majority of these partnerships have promoted employment (35 per cent), followed by standards and social dialogue (26 per cent each). In line with the guiding principles and decisions taken by the Governing Body, [52] there has been a shift from stand-alone initiatives towards better targeted partnerships in areas with the greatest potential for achieving systemic change in a supply chain or sector, with the active involvement of the tripartite constituents. [53]

Figure 4.2.Number of public–private partnerships with ILO involvement (2008–15)

210.  With a view to promoting coherence with ILO standards in the context of global and industry standardization, the ILO entered into a new agreement with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2014 intended to promote ISO standards in areas of ILO expertise that are coherent with relevant international labour standards. The agreement is being piloted in the development of an ISO standard on occupational health and safety management systems and is due to be reviewed by the Governing Body in November 2016. The experience will provide a basis for the Governing Body to decide whether coordination is feasible in the development of such industry standards on social policy issues that overlap with ILO standards.

211.  In general, the proliferation of private standards initiatives constitutes an increasingly important development for the ILO. Such initiatives sometimes have large memberships and may apply across several supply chains spanning a number of countries. However, they do not consistently incorporate ILO objectives, or apply ILO standards correctly, and ILO constituents are often not involved in their design, implementation or monitoring.

212.  With regard to business and social leaders, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is an example of the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships with non-state actors in bringing together political, business and other leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The ILO has contributed to several WEF Global Agenda Councils, including the recently established Global Agenda Council on the Future of Jobs.

213.  In June 2014, the Governing Body adopted a strategy for wider engagement with the private sector with a view to the implementation of the enterprises initiative, one of the seven centenary initiatives proposed by the Director-General in 2013. [54] Recognizing that productive, profitable and sustainable enterprises are critical to sustainable economic development and employment opportunities, the significant growth in foreign direct investment and the considerable industrial concentration and power of MNEs, the strategy proposes a more coherent approach to working with enterprises to develop enterprise and supply chain policies and practices, build knowledge and outreach, and engage in international initiatives on enterprise behaviour.

4.5.Observations and challenges

214.  Numerous resolutions and statements by key international and regional organizations and groupings of States reflect the increased recognition and support in the multilateral system for an integrated approach to decent work since the adoption of the Declaration, culminating in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Decent work, and particularly employment and social protection, are seen by all the agencies consulted in preparation for this report as increasingly important for growth, employment creation and sustainable development.

215.  However, the manner in which their mandates are applied largely determines the scope for greater coherence with the integrated approach called for by the Declaration, and for collaboration with the ILO and its constituents. While the United Nations Regional Commissions and regional organizations, such as the OAS, EU and AU, have taken steps to pursue all four strategic objectives in an integrated manner as part of their work to promote regional integration, the action taken by and with other international and regional organizations has been more ad hoc, particularly in relation to the strategic objectives concerning social dialogue and fundamental principles and rights at work. Although increased collaboration with global economic institutions has resulted in greater policy coherence – and the G20 has played an important role in this regard – the promotion of decent work within the financial institutions depends more on a network of engaged officials rather than established institutional partnerships or collaboration mechanisms. One notable exception in this regard is the roadmap for collaboration between the ILO and the World Bank Group.

216.  More needs to be done to develop policy coherence around the Decent Work Agenda within and across international and regional organizations and groupings of States. In order to address this situation, resolutions, declarations and reports recognizing the importance of decent work should be accompanied by decisions by the governing bodies of the respective agencies to incorporate decent work priorities into their policies and programming frameworks, and to allocate the resources required to mainstream decent work into their policies and operations. In this regard, it is of key importance that governments strengthen coordination between different line ministries to enhance policy coherence and promote decent work consistently in their capacity as members of international and regional organizations and groupings of States.

217.  It continues to be a challenge to translate high-level commitment into policies and programmes that generate concrete decent work outcomes and advance social justice at the country level. The relative increase in policy coherence across the United Nations needs to be matched by greater coherence with the global economic institutions and between line ministries at the country level. In developing countries, an integrated approach to decent work has frequently faced difficulties arising out of the absence of the tripartite constituents in consultations between global economic institutions and ministries of finance and economy, or between the UNDP and ministries of planning. Furthermore, cooperation between agencies in the poorest and most crisis-affected countries has been described as ad hoc, and the relevance of decent work has been questioned in such countries, as well as in labour markets in which “informal is the new normal”.

218.  A more systematic approach to promoting decent work is therefore needed to persuade these institutions that the Decent Work Agenda relates to their mandates and priorities. At the country level, more progress should be possible with the World Bank Group, based on its new twin goals of eliminating poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Concerns about the growth of the informal economy and the feminization of an informal and marginalized labour force offer opportunities for further work with the global economic institutions as the ILO implements the follow-up to Recommendation No. 204. Representatives consulted in preparation for this report urged the ILO to enhance its research and evidence-based analysis to improve the level of understanding of decent work interventions and policies that work best in specific country contexts.

219.  Collaboration with non-state actors has largely been driven by events and opportunities, rather than a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to enhance the effectiveness of ILO programmes and activities or to promote the strategic objectives. In a context of growing competition for resources and the rapid growth of alliances and partnerships with non-state actors, it is increasingly important for the Office to prioritize the initiatives that it will support and to develop a strategic and selective approach to partnerships with international and regional organizations and other international and non-state actors which can contribute to the implementation of the integrated approach to decent work.

220.  In light of the challenges and opportunities of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is particularly important to:

- Contribute to the follow-up and review framework of the 2030 Agenda through inputs to national reports that assess progress and identify challenges, and regional and global reports that will feed into the annual reviews by the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

- Develop suitable decent work indicators for the 169 targets under the 17 SDGs and ensure that guidance and support is provided to national statistical offices to collect, analyse and report on these decent work indictors. The ILO has engaged actively in the work of the United Nations Statistical Commission at the global level to ensure that a core set of decent work indicators are adopted as part of the final set of indicators. This needs to be followed by action and support to allow the ILO and its constituents to address the diverse realities and needs of each Member in this context in relation to all four strategic objectives.

- Lead or engage in innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships and issue-based alliances with the social partners, similar to the Partnership for Action on the Green Economy or the newly launched Global Initiative for Decent Jobs for Youth. Taking the lead role in partnerships and alliances related to Goal 8 on decent work and decent work-related targets will ensure that this goal is implemented in consultation with the tripartite partners.

221.  In general, strengthening the capacity of the ILO and the tripartite constituents will be key to ensuring that they can contribute to an integrated approach to decent work in new or revised national sustainable development strategies. Many Members are already in the process of designing or updating national development strategies or economic and social policies in line with the SDGs. A significant volume of requests for technical assistance can be expected for the integration of the decent work perspective into these strategies. This will also require closer collaboration with United Nations country teams, and particular attention to ensure that the country programmes of the global economic institutions in support of national sustainable development strategies contribute to the integrated approach to decent work.

[1] ILO: The ILO at work: Development results 2012–2013 (Geneva, 2014). In 2012 and 2013, the ILO was engaged in over 800 joint activities with partners in addition to its tripartite constituency, including multilateral organizations, development partners, private sector institutions and foundations, universities, research and knowledge centres, and civil society organizations.

[2] ILO: ILO programme implementation 2012–13, Report I(A), International Labour Conference, 103rd Session, Geneva, 2014, para. 44.

[3] United Nations: International Labour Organization Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, A/RES/63/199 (New York, 2008).

[4] United Nations: Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1 (New York, 2015). The 2030 Agenda has been welcomed by both the ITUC and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). See ITUC: Trade union reaction to transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Brussels, 2015); and IOE: The post-2015 development agenda and its impact on business (Geneva, 2015).

[5] ILO: Toolkit for mainstreaming employment and decent work: Country level application (Geneva, 2007).

[6] ECOSOC: Promoting full employment and decent work for all, Resolution 2008/18 (Geneva, 2008).

[7] United Nations: Triennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, A/RES/62/208 (New York, 2008).

[8] JIU: Evaluation of mainstreaming of full and productive employment and decent work by the United Nations system organizations (Geneva, 2015), para. 28.

[9] UNDP: Human Development Report 2015: Work for human development (New York, 2015).

[10] Launch of the World Bank Group and ILO Universal Social Protection Initiative, calling the attention of world leaders to the importance of universal social protection policies and financing, joint statement by the World Bank Group President and ILO Director-General (Geneva, 20 June 2015).

[11] ILO–World Bank: Joint Synthesis Report: International Labour Organization/World Bank inventory of policy responses to the financial and economic crisis (Geneva, 2012).

[12] World Bank: World Bank 2012–2022 Labor and social protection strategy: Resilience, equity, and opportunity (Washington, DC, 2012).

[13] World Bank: World Development Report 2013: Jobs (Washington, DC, 2012).

[14] World Bank Group, www.letswork.org.

[15] A. Kuddo, D. Robalino and M. Weber: Balancing regulations to promote jobs: From employment contracts to unemployment benefits (Washington, DC, World Bank, 2015).

[16] “The Challenges of Growth, Employment and Social Cohesion”, a joint ILO–IMF conference held in cooperation with the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, Oslo, 13 Sep. 2010.

[17] IMF: Jobs and growth: Analytical and operational considerations for the Fund (Washington, DC, 2013).

[18] IMF: Guidance Note on jobs and growth issues in surveillance and program work (Washington, DC, 2013).

[19] ILO: A skilled workforce for strong, sustainable and balanced growth: A G20 Training Strategy (Geneva, 2010).

[20] Memorandum of Understanding between the International Labour Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Paris, 2011).

[21] OECD: Annual report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2013: Responsible business conduct in action (Paris, 2012), p. 10.

[22] OECD: Focus on inequality and growth (Paris, Dec. 2014).

[23] OECD: OECD Employment Outlook 2014 (Paris, 2014).

[24] ILO: Globalization and informal jobs in developing countries (Geneva, 2009).

[25] ILO: Making globalization socially sustainable (Geneva, 2011).

[26] A key lesson learned from ILO experience with World Bank poverty reduction strategy papers is that it is crucial for the Office and the constituents to be involved from the outset to ensure that decent work deficits at the country level are duly analysed and that an integrated approach to decent work is proposed as part of the solution.

[27] See Ch. 2, section 2.3.4.

[28] ILO: Conclusions of the 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting: Inclusive and sustainable development for Asia and the Pacific through decent work for all (Kyoto, 2011); The Oslo Declaration: Restoring confidence in jobs and growth, Ninth European Regional Meeting, Oslo, 2013; Lima Declaration, 18th American Regional Meeting, Lima, 2014; and Addis Ababa Declaration: Transforming Africa through decent work for sustainable development, 13th African Regional Meeting, Addis Ababa, 2015.

[29] OAS: Declaration of Cancún 2015: Achieving decent work with social inclusion and sustainable development in the Americas (Cancún, 2015).

[30] Memorandum of Understanding between the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Labour Organization (2013).

[31] The five centres or institutes are: the Arab Centre for Labour Administration and Employment (Tunisia), the Arab Occupational Safety and Health Institute (Damascus), the Arab Centre for Workers’ Education (Algeria), the Arab Centre for Social Security (Khartoum) and the Arab Centre for Human Resources Development (Libya).

[32] ADB, ILO reaffirm support for core labor standards, joint statement by the President of the ADB and the ILO Director-General (Manila, 2012).

[33] ADB: Strategy 2020: The long-term strategic framework of the Asian Development Bank 2008–2020 (Manila, 2008).

[34] European Commission: Promoting decent work for all: The EU contribution to the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda in the world, Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 24 May 2006, COM(2006)249.

[35] European Commission: Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, Communication from the Commission, COM(2010)2020.

[36] European Commission: Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: An Agenda for Change, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 13 Nov. 2011, COM(2011)637.

[37] European Commission: Towards a job-rich recovery, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 18 Apr. 2012, COM(2012)173.

[38] EU: Trade for all: Towards a more responsible trade and investment policy (Brussels, 2015).

[39] In 2015, the ILO and the EIB signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reinforce and expand cooperation between the two organizations in the fields of employment and social affairs.

[40] ILO: The ILO and the EU, partners for decent work and social justice: Impact of ten years of cooperation (Brussels, 2012).

[41] In March 2014, during a High-Level Panel on Decent Work in Fragile States, the ILO and the g7+ signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a partnership for cooperation in job creation, skills development, social protection, South–South and triangular cooperation, migration and labour market monitoring.

[42] Declaration, Part II(C).

[43] G20 Leaders’ communiqué, Antalya Summit, 15–16 Nov. 2015.

[44] Action for Fair Production, Ministerial Declaration, Meeting of the G7 Employment and Development Ministers, Berlin, 2015.

[45] Declaration of Ministers of Labour and Employment of IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) (Geneva, 2012).

[46] The concept of shared value was defined by M.E. Porter and M.R. Kramer: “Creating shared value”, in Harvard Business Review, Jan./Feb. 2011.

[47] Declaration, Part II(A)(v).

[48] In this context, the ILO has developed cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Latin American Parliament, the European Parliament and the Pan African Parliament.

[49] Around two-thirds of the queries received by the Helpdesk (over 1,000 since 2010) have been from MNEs.

[50] ILO: Update on the implementation of the promotional framework and follow-up to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, including ILO collaboration with other intergovernmental and international organizations, Governing Body, 325th Session, Geneva, Oct.–Nov. 2015, GB.325/POL/9, para. 31.

[51] ILO: “Conclusions concerning technical cooperation”, in Provisional Record No. 19, International Labour Conference, 95th Session, Geneva, 2006.

[52] ILO: An analysis of public–private partnerships (PPPs), Governing Body, 320th Session, Geneva, Mar. 2014, GB.320/INS/5/2.

[53] ILO: ILO and public–private partnerships (Geneva, PARDEV, 2014).

[54] ILO: Strategy for wider ILO engagement with the private sector, Governing Body, 321st Session, Geneva, June 2014, GB.321/INS/6.

Chapter 5

Achieving the full potential of the Declaration

5.1.Evidence of impact and challenges ahead

222.  While sustained commitment over a long period of time is required to fulfil its full potential, the present review shows that the Declaration has had a significant impact since its adoption. Its aims and principles have served as a reference point for Members and international and regional organizations, and as an organizing framework for the service provided by the ILO. Members acknowledge its significance and express continued support for the Declaration, together with a shared interest in its further implementation.

223.  The Declaration has played an important role in addressing the social consequences of financial and economic crises and challenges at the national, regional and global levels. Trade, investment and migration policies are increasingly being linked to decent work in regional action and between States, including such groupings as the G20 and the BRICS Governments. The centrality of decent work in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the most tangible impacts of ILO advocacy of the integrated approach called for in the Declaration.

224.  Members have taken varied steps to promote decent work, both individually and in coordination with each other. Traditional and emerging development partners have provided significant resources to support the efforts of other Members, and a growing number of countries have DWCPs. At the same time, Members have faced complex choices in their efforts to advance decent work. Additional work is needed to raise awareness and understanding of the Declaration as an instrument to guide future action and to implement its principles in pursuit of the strategic objectives. More work is also needed for the production of adequate indicators and statistics to monitor and evaluate progress against all the strategic objectives. The ILO can further assist Members to enhance institutional capacity and strengthen coordination through social dialogue and policy coherence at the national, regional and international levels. Advancing the integrated approach requires more efforts to promote fundamental principles and rights at work as both rights and enabling conditions, increase the ratification and application of international labour standards, and to foster sustainable enterprises through an environment conducive to their development.

225.  The Declaration has been a source of the continued commitment of the ILO to reforms for improved governance, enhanced relevance, technical excellence, and efficiency and increased impact. The ILO has reviewed and adapted a number of its institutional practices, starting with the implementation of the scheme of recurrent discussions. More can be done, building on the progress made, to improve the modalities and follow-up of these discussions and to enhance their value as both a knowledge and governance tool. Ongoing action to improve the functioning of the Conference and Governing Body has been welcomed. Continuing efforts have focused on management reform with the introduction of more focused programming frameworks, results-based management and oversight systems, and a new initiative to streamline business processes.

226.  The ILO standards policy is being implemented in response to the call made by the Declaration to enhance its relevance to the world of work. Further action is needed to ensure that standards play their critical role as a means of achieving the ILO’s objectives. Progress is being made in enhancing the analytical work of the Office to achieve a critical mass of evidence-based analysis and policy advice to assist Members in pursuing the aims of the Declaration in their specific national circumstances and in coordination with each other. Members have used DWCPs to pursue an integrated approach, and technical cooperation has been critical in this regard. More remains to be done to diversify funding sources for technical cooperation, implement a more strategic approach to developing the capacity of Members and fully mainstream gender equality and non-discrimination into the services provided to constituents.

227.  Decent work, and particularly the strategic objectives of employment and social protection, is seen by the international and regional institutions consulted in preparation for this report as increasingly important for growth, employment creation, inclusive societies and sustainable development. Convergence is growing between the ILO and the World Bank Group, due in part to the ILO’s knowledge base on employment and social issues and its experience on the ground. Contributions requested from the ILO and the global economic institutions by the G20 and BRICS are promoting international institutional convergence and inter-agency consultations at the country level. The adoption of a more strategic and targeted approach to partnerships could maximize the joint contribution to decent work of international and regional organizations and non-state actors.

228.  Greater policy coherence and deeper collaboration between the ILO, the United Nations and other international and regional organizations working at the national and multilateral levels would further support Members in their efforts to translate international commitments into policies and programmes that generate concrete decent work outcomes at the country level. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development represents a watershed opportunity for Members to design and finance sustainable development plans in consultation with constituents to reinforce a fully integrated approach to decent work.

5.2.Equipping the ILO for its second century

229.  In the light of its evaluation, facilitated by the present report, the Conference is expected to draw conclusions regarding “the desirability of further evaluations or the opportunity of engaging in any appropriate course of action.” [1] The following elements offer a basis for consideration in this respect.

5.2.1.Areas for specific action to improve the implementation of the Declaration

1. 1. Awareness raising, exchange of experience, knowledge building and advocacy

1. (i)    Strengthened understanding of the contribution of the integrated approach to decent work for sustainable development and its application in practice through research, the exchange of information and tripartite discussion, with emphasis on raising awareness of the role of international labour standards as a useful means of achieving all four strategic objectives.

2. (ii)   Development of concrete and practical policies and tools to support efforts for the integrated pursuit of the four strategic objectives at the national level, including through national development plans.

3. (iii)   Improved understanding of the significance of fundamental principles and rights at work as enabling conditions for the full realization of all the strategic objectives and for the promotion of economic and social progress.

1. 2. Enhancement of the scheme of recurrent discussions

1. (i)  Strengthening the dual function of recurrent discussions as a knowledge and governance tool to better understand and respond to Members’ needs, including:

1. (a)   further aligning Office reports with the objectives of the Declaration, using all the means available, based on improved Office-wide coordination;

2. (b)   designating the recurrent discussion committee as a standing committee of the Conference with a specific name and terms of reference;

3. (c)   organizing an initial interactive phase of recurrent discussions with broader participation for the sharing of experience, and a second tripartite phase focusing on priorities for the future;

4. (d)   operationalizing the outcomes of recurrent discussions in the work of the Governing Body, the programme and budget and the strategic plan; and

5. (e)   involving international, regional and other organizations in recurrent discussions with a view to knowledge sharing and consideration of collaborative action.

2. (ii)   Guiding the Governing Body in its determination of the next cycle of recurrent discussions.

1. 3. Coordination of all the ILO’s means of action

1. (i)   Further support for the efforts of Members to advance the integrated pursuit of the strategic objectives for decent work could include:

1. (a)   continued reform of the Conference and the Governing Body, and the launching of the reform of regional meetings;

2. (b)   the strengthened role of international labour standards in the integrated pursuit of the four strategic objectives, including through the implementation of the SRM and continued support for Members’ efforts to achieve wider ratification and effective implementation of ILO standards based on the work of the supervisory system;

3. (c)   enhanced strategic programming, based on more focused priorities, through: the use of the differentiated global typology of member States with similar needs; the use of decent work indicators as targets and measurement criteria in future programmes and budgets, and the development of a new generation of DWCPs; and

4. (d)   a renewed, comprehensive and coordinated approach to institutional capacity building for the tripartite constituents and ILO staff through a strengthened knowledge base and knowledge sharing.

1. 4. Leveraging partnerships

1. (a)   the strengthening of strategic collaboration with and between Members and international, regional and other organizations, with particular reference to the United Nations and the global economic institutions, and the promotion and facilitation of inter-agency dialogue at the country and regional levels; and

2. (b)   the promotion of decent work and sustainable enterprises through stronger and more strategic partnerships with development partners, industry and trade unions at the sectoral level, and with other economic and non-state actors.

2. (ii)   The exploration of ways in which the ILO can provide assistance to Members to promote its objectives jointly in the framework of regional integration processes or other regional cooperation mechanisms.

1. 5. Policy coherence

1. (a)   convening an ILO tripartite forum on “Decent work for sustainable development” for ILO leadership on decent work related goals (perhaps during the interactive part of the recurrent discussion);

2. (b)   assisting member States and international agencies to “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full employment and decent work for all” (SDG 8) and related goals and targets, taking into account the four strategic objectives of the ILO; and

3. (c)   encouraging member States to ensure that the social partners are fully involved in the formulation and implementation of national sustainable development plans for the achievement of the SDGs, as well as national decent work indicators to measure progress.

5.2.2.Realizing the universal aspiration for social justice

230.   In the Preamble to the Declaration, the Conference expressed its conviction that the ILO has a key role to play in helping to promote and achieve progress and social justice in a constantly changing environment. In the current context of profound structural transformations in the world of work and the centrality of decent work in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, consideration might be given to a message from the Conference to reaffirm the enduring relevance of the Declaration and to provide a sense of direction in its implementation.

231.   This gives rise to the following questions:

1. (i)   What are the options to ensure that the ILO’s working methods are up to date and fit for purpose in the changing world of work?

2. (ii)   What are the actions required to strengthen the universal implementation of fundamental principles and rights at work as central elements for a fair globalization, including through greater policy coherence with the other international organizations concerned?

3. (iii)   What are the actions required to promote social dialogue and tripartite cooperation as essential elements in achieving social justice, including through the involvement of constituents and other relevant actors in an integrated approach to decent work, particularly at the country and sectoral levels?

[1] Declaration, Annex, Part III(D).

ISBN 978-92-2-129727-7 (print)

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ISSN 0074-6681

First edition 2016

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