Programme of the Office and international labour standards

The complementary character of these two activities is clear: international labour standards are used to guide technical cooperation activities of the International Labour Office and technical cooperation activities can give insights into the effectiveness of existing and need for new international labour standards. Within the constraints of available resources, action is taken to promote international labour standards in all ways that ILO officials can conceive of so doing.

• The Office provides technical assistance directly related to international labour standards through its Multidisciplinary Advisory Teams placed around the world.

• Direct from headquarters in Geneva, the International Labour Standards and Human Rights Department responds to requests of assistance ranging from providing help in understanding the system of reporting on ratified conventions to providing ideas for solving problems in applying international labour standards which have been identified by the ILO's Committee of Experts.

• The technical departments of the ILO provide assistance related to international labour standards and use international labour standards as a reference point. For example,
  • experts provide technical advice on the improvement of systems of labour statistics, methods of labour administration and labour inspection, arrangements for employment services, systems for pensions, unemployment benefits, and the like, all in ways which are consistent with international labour standards;

  • drafters of labour legislation consider international labour standards in their work;

  • employment analysts keep the idea of promoting "full, productive and freely chosen employment" (the terms of Convention No. 122) in their minds in devising and suggesting strategies for employment creation;

  • provision of training in prevention of accidents, equipment for measuring occupational risks, ideas for improving worker health and safety are all made with relevant international labour standards in mind.

  • The technical activities of the Office are conducted in such a way as to never contravene basic human rights and to promote the implementation of Fundamental and other international labour standards.