International Labour Organization (ILO)

The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the International Labour Organization (ILO) brings together governments, employers, and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

The ILO is the United Nations’ Specialized Agency mandated with the promotion of jobs’ creation and decent working conditions and the implementation of International Labour Standards. The ILO engages with enterprises across all of its strategic objectives and in all regions of the world, and works with enterprises of all sizes, from small and medium enterprises to the multinational enterprises.

The Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) is the ILO instrument that provides direct guidance to enterprises on social policy and inclusive, responsible, and sustainable workplace practices. The aim of this Declaration is to encourage the positive contribution that multinational enterprises can make to economic and social progress and the realization of decent work for all; and to minimize and resolve the difficulties to which their various operations may give rise.

The ILO MNE Declaration has various operational tools such as the ILO Helpdesk for Business on International labour Standards and the Company-Union Dialogue. This procedure foresees that where a brand or its supplier and a union voluntarily agree to take advantage of using the facilities of the ILO to meet and talk, without prejudice, the ILO provides a neutral ground for discussion of issues of mutual concern. Strict confidentiality is maintained throughout the dialogue process. The company-union dialogue is based on consensus of the parties, and its content shall not be used for any binding procedure.

ICS and ILO have agreed to collaborate to promote business practices that align with international labour standards and contribute to decent work for all. This collaboration includes the availing of ILO resources to support strengthening social and environmental compliance in ICS members’
supply chains.

The MULTI Unit focuses on building the capacity of governments, social partners, and enterprises to promote and apply the MNE Declaration by providing policy guidance to governments on maximizing social and economic benefits of MNE operations, developing information resources to encourage coordinated approaches between governments and enterprises, and facilitating tripartite and tripartite plus dialogues.

The unit operates the ILO Helpdesk for Business, the one-stop shop for company managers and workers on how to better align business operations with international labour standards and build good industrial relations, and works with the International Training Center of the ILO to offer training and capacity building opportunities to different audiences including brands and their suppliers to advance responsible, sustainable and inclusive business practices: .

Business and Decent Work: An Introduction to the MNE Declaration (free self-guided eLearning – available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese) – This course provides a first introduction to the ILO MNE Declaration, its aim and objective and principles. The course contains real life cases studies on how to maximize positive impact of enterprises to Decent Work and sustainable development.
Responsible Business – Meeting Labour Standards in Global Supply Chains (free self-guided eLearning – available in English, Español, Português) Responsible business practices are good for business! This course provides a first introduction on what are the expectations to enterprises that are contained in codes of conduct.
International Labour Standards and Corporate Social Responsibility: The labour dimension of human-rights due diligence (online fee-based course, 18 October–12 November 2021) This course will take you through the complex issues that companies may face when designing labour rights related human rights due diligence processes principles, drawing on the fact that companies that fully understand their employees’ rights are better at respecting them.
How enterprises contribute to achieve decent work for all (SDG 8) (Free Massive Online Open Course, 6 September- 8 October 2021) The aim of this MOOC is to enhance understanding on the ways and means whereby enterprises can contribute to the achievement of decent work for all (SDG 8) through their operations. Starting from the principles set forth by the ILO MNE Declaration, the MOOC will gradually expose participants to the business and decent work nexus, to ways in which companies can contribute to the different pillars of the decent work agenda, and the broader partnership, coherence and synergies with other international organizations and frameworks that promote responsible business practices.
Disability in the Workplace: A Global Perspective (free online course) By taking this interactive, video-based course you will gain the latest insights and knowledge from employers, experts and persons with disabilities themselves from across the world on how to identify the competitive advantage of including people with disabilities in your workforce, how to build a business case, and how to plan, implement and audit your disability inclusion strategy.
Introduction to International Labour Standards (free online course) This online course aims to provide a non-specialist audience with a basic understanding of international labour standards (ILS) as important instruments that respond to the changing patterns of the world of work, for the protection of workers and taking into account the needs of sustainable enterprises.
Fire Safety Management (free online course) This course is designed to provide employers, workers and their representatives, as well as others with roles and duties with regards to fire safety with information to enable them to verify that adequate measures are in place to prevent fires occurring, to detect a fire should it occur and to enable all occupants of the building to be efficiently and safely evacuated.
Fire Inspectors (free online course) One of the major objectives of this project is to provide support to the Fire Service and Civil Defense in its efforts to bring increase capacity of inspector and ensure they are well versed in internationally accepted standards.