Tripartite Consultation

Turkmenistan ratifies the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144)

Turkmenistan is the 149th member State to have ratified this Convention.

News | 10 September 2019
On 9 September 2019, the Government of Turkmenistan deposited the instrument of ratification of the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) with the International Labour Organization, becoming the 149th ILO member State to ratify this priority governance convention, which has now been ratified by 80 per cent of ILO member States.

Turkmenistan has been an ILO member State since 24 September 1993. It has ratified nine Conventions, including all eight fundamental ILO Conventions. With the ratification of Convention No. 144, Turkmenistan has now also ratified one of the four priority governance Conventions.

Promoting the ratification of Convention No. 144 is a priority for the ILO, particularly this year, which marks the first century of the Organization. The ILO was founded on the principle of tripartism. A tripartite structure and tripartite functioning are characteristics that enable the ILO to reach consensus through a process aimed at ensuring ownership and commitment of the tripartite constituents and facilitating progress towards the ILO’s mandate of attaining social justice and decent work.

Convention No. 144 promotes application of the principle of social dialogue, bringing together governments, employers and workers’ organizations through the vehicle of tripartite consultations to develop, implement and promote international labour standards governing all aspects of the world of work. The Convention supports the normative work of the ILO by requiring effective tripartite consultation in relation to the development, adoption and supervision of international labour standards. In addition, Recommendation No. 152, which is the companion instrument to Convention No. 144 provides guidance in relation to tripartite consultations concerning ILO activities at the national level.

To this end, the Convention encourages a culture of dialogue between the tripartite actors and enables them to establish a relationship of trust. It is worth noting that social and labour policies based on effective tripartite consultations contribute to ensuring informed decision-making and lead to increased ownership and commitment among the parties concerned. Research carried out by the Office has shown that countries with national institutions that favour social dialogue are better equipped to deal with economic, social or political crises. Moreover, these institutions foster an enabling environment for tripartite discussions which help shape the future of work.

On depositing the instrument of ratification, H.E. Ambassador Atageldi Haljanov, representative of the Government of Turkmenistan, stated: “We express confidence that joining this Convention will become one of the important areas that fully corresponds to the tasks of the Tripartite Commission for the regulation of social and labor relations, namely, conducting tripartite negotiations in accordance with labor legislation, developing a General agreement between the parties, assisting in the settlement of social and labor and related relations, consultations on the development of draft legislative and other regulatory legal acts, state labor programs, awareness and social protection of the population, the study of international experience and, of course, the implementation of cooperation in this direction with international organizations and structures”.

Subsequently, on receiving the instrument of ratification, the Director-General of the ILO, Mr. Guy Ryder, welcomed the ratification, stating that: “Turkmenistan’s ratification of Convention No. 144 marks a significant step in the context of the ILO campaign for the ratification of governance conventions, particularly during this centenary year. Moreover, with the ratification of Convention No. 144, Turkmenistan once again affirms its commitment to promoting and implementing fundamental rights and principles at work through a process of social dialogue.”

The Convention will enter into force for Turkmenistan on 9 September 2020.