Published in August 2020

Decent work results

ILO programme implementation 2018-19

This report offers detailed information on the impact of ILO work on people’s lives and on the realization of the ILO’s social justice mandate throughout the 2018-19 biennium.

Keep scrolling for an overview of the main findings or download the full report.

Worker in a factory in Ethiopia, where the ILO has initiated a coordinated intervention to improve working conditions in the garment sector. June 2019. © ILO

Report (PDF)

"By common consent, we have made a considerable success of this unique Centenary. (...) The result is that the ILO can move forward from its Centenary with confidence and momentum, and this is good news for us all.

Good news, because the ILO has gained enormously in visibility this year. Good news, because the ILO has gained too from the extraordinary engagement of its constituents which I have seen directly in so many member States."

Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General. Opening remarks, 337th Session of the ILO Governing Body, October 2019.

A biennium to remember

In 2018-19, the ILO continued to provide support to governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations in their efforts to promote social justice through decent work, while deepening knowledge about the future of work and strengthening partnerships in the context of the UN reform.

The biennium covered the historic milestone of the ILO’s 100th anniversary in 2019. The Centenary presented an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate the Organization’s history and look to its future. We invite you to relive some of the main events here, in videos and photos.

The adoption of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work by the International Labour Conference in June 2019 reaffirmed the relevance of the ILO’s mandate in the 21st century and the imperative of shaping a fair, inclusive and secure future of work with full, productive and freely chosen employment and decent work for all.

International Labour Conference Committee on violence and harassment in the world of work. June 2019. © ILO

2018-19: ILO influence and leadership

Adoption of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work on the last day of the International Labour Conference, Geneva, Switzerland. June 2019. © ILO

Canada ratified two ILO instruments in 2019. The ILO Centenary Ratification Campaign achieved 70 new ratifications in 2019. © ILO

Director-General Guy Ryder (third row, third from left) in a group photo at the G20 Osaka Summit. June 2019. © Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik

The ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work is transmitted to the United Nations. July 2019. © ILO

The Director-General participating in an Alliance 8.7 event at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, New York, USA. July 2019. © ILO

The ILO takes part in the UN Climate Action Summit at the UN General Assembly, New York, USA. September 2019. © ILO

Launch of the Equal Pay International Coalition in the Arab States, Amman, Jordan. December 2019. © ILO

ILO performance

The 2018–19 biennium was unique due to the many events and initiatives marking the Organization’s 100th anniversary.

The programme of work continued to place decent work at the forefront of sustainable development, with a focus on maximizing the opportunities generated by the Centenary and on preparing the ILO for its second century.

Celebration of the 24-hour Global Tour in New Delhi, India, to mark the ILO's Centenary. April 2019. © ILO

Budget and expenditure

In 2018–19, the ILO spent $983.3 million on delivering the ten policy outcomes included in its programme, 49.9% from its regular budget and 50.1% from voluntary contributions.

Voluntary contributions are channelled through extra-budgetary development cooperation projects or as core funding through the Regular Budget Supplementary Account (RBSA).

Boat mechanics training in an ILO-supported project that aims to increase economic opportunities in the fishery sector in Mauritania. September 2018. © ILO / Alfredo Cáliz

Decent work results

Through its more than 50 field offices and headquarters in Geneva, the ILO provides services to its constituents with the overarching goals of developing the institutional capacity of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations and improving the normative and policy environment for decent work.

During the biennium, there was progress in 135 countries, with 844 results achieved across the ten policy outcomes of the Programme and Budget for 2018-19.

Activities continued to be grounded in tripartism, international labour standards and social dialogue with recognition of the need to support the capacity development of tripartite constituents. The results also contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

You can also visit the Decent Work Results Dashboard for detailed information on results by country and by policy outcome.

An industry-based apprenticeship programme is creating job opportunities for young workers in Indonesia. March 2019. © ILO

ILO work on the ground

How has ILO work impacted people's lives? Explore examples of how results under each of the policy outcomes were achieved around the world.

Discover a few of our 760 ongoing projects around the world

Find out more

This InfoStory and the ILO programme implementation report for 2018-19 are the products of collaborative work involving all ILO departments and offices.

Download the report or access the ILO Decent Work Results Dashboard for more detailed information.