A legal perspective on the role of international labour standards in rebalancing globalization (original) (raw)
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International Labour Standards and the Ilo Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights
Manas Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2005
I-INTRODUCTION As it is known the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was founded by the Versailles Treaty signed at the end of the First World War. Later, the ILO joined the United Nations Organisation upon its foundation, and started to function as an expert organisation of the United Nations. The ILO was founded in the conviction that lasting peace can only be obtained through social justice, and has arranged international labour standards generally by means of convention and recommendations (Kutal: 24). Today, the number of ILO conventions reached 185 and the number of recommendations reached 194. In the General Conference, convening at Geneva in 1998, the ILO adopted a declaration entitled " Declaration On Fundamental Principles And Rights at Work And Its Follow-Up" (see ILO, 1998 b:1 and following). It is the third document that the ILO arranged under the title of a "declaration". In the United Nations implementation, a declaration is defined as a "formal and solemn instrument suitable for rare occasions when principles of lasting importance are being enunciated" (ILO, 1997 b: 2). It is beyond doubt that the International Labour Standards formed by the ILO has had an initial and continuing impact on the legislations of the member countries. This is a result that was expected and sought by the ILO Constitution, and also by the mechanism and procedures devised in accordance with this Constitution. Approaching the issue from this aspect, the ILO standards, and especially the provisions of the ILO Declaration On Fundamental Principles And Rights, are of prime importance in the Central Asian republics-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan-and also to the Caucasian republic of Azerbaijan, due to the reason that all of these countries have become members of the ILO after they have gained their independence upon the collapse of the Soviet Union. II-INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE International labour standards and principles reflected in the ILO conventions and recommendations were not solely guidelines in arranging labour lives of the member countries, but they have effects on some international organisations as well. For example, organisations such as OECD and the European Union benefited from the ILO standards and principles as guidelines; additionally, organisations such as the UN, GATT, and the WTO made direct references to the ILO principles in the widely participated platforms they have arranged.
The ILO: An Agency for Globalization?
Development and Change, 2008
The International Labour Organization, set up in 1919 to develop and promote labour standards, is at a crucial point. It has preached that labour is not a commodity and in 1969 received the Nobel Peace Prize. Since then it has run into trouble. This article considers how the ILO has failed to come to terms with the Global Transformation, seeing it as trying to play three roles -a standard-setter, a technical assistance agency and a knowledge generatorwithout developing the professional capacity to do so. The big question is whether the ILO could become an effective development agency given the changing character of work and labour in globalizing labour markets and its antiquated governance structure.
The ILO as an Actor in International Economic Law: Looking Back, Gazing Ahead
European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2019, 2019
This essay traces over time the tripartite International Labour Organization’s mission and means of action as they relate to international economic law since its founding in 1919. The article highlights key markers along the road to social justice, from the ILO’s constitutional origins to major Declarations (on the ILO’s mission and purpose, on fundamental principles and rights at work, and on decent work and social justice) to the recent ILO Centenary Initiatives. The interplay between the ILO’s work and that of international financial institutions as well as developments in areas such as green jobs in response to climate change, and business and human rights, are briefly explored. Lamenting the largely (and unnecessarily) divergent paths taken by international economic law and transnational labour law, the article identifies several possible avenues to bring them closer: techniques of general international law, use of opportunities created by the 2030 Sustainable Development Agend...
Anuario de Acción Humanitaria y Derechos Humanos, 2013
This article focuses on the analysis of the role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the current global governance, analysing its interaction with the main actors of governance and the involvement of the ILO itself as a current actor in global governance. It has taken into account for this writing both the historic role played by the ILO in the international institutional architecture since its creation in 1919 (today as a part of United Nations System), and the relevance it may have now seeking social justice in a global economy still governed by neoliberal principles. The question is whether social justice can be accommodated between these principles and if the main actors of global governance are really willing to strengthen the social dimension of globalization in times of crisis. The formal inclusion of some of the proposals of the ILO among those that seek to define the terms of post-crisis global governance (for example, the decent work strategy) cannot be overly optimistic even be considered a positive step.
The ILO Stumbling towards Its Centenary Anniversary
International Organizations Law Review
Throughout the 20th century, the International Labour Organization (‘ILO’) has played a significant and successful role in the international advancement of social justice. However, in the past 10–15 years the impact of the organization has decreased. Its legislative machinery seems to have come to a standstill. Hardly any influential modern legal instruments have been developed in these years. The ILO’s monitoring system via the Committee of Experts is in danger to be weakened, mainly due to questions from within the organization. The boat that passed by flying the corporate social responsibility (‘CSR’) flag, has been missed. A powerful and unanimous signal, for instance by adopting a Framework Convention on Decent Work, is necessary if the organization is to survive in the 21st century.
Decent Work'The Shifting Role of the ILO and the Struggle for Global Social Justice
Global Social Policy, 2002
With the proliferation of supranational trade agreements and the deregulation of national labour markets, calls for representative international organizations and international mechanisms aimed at improving the conditions of workers are growing. One outcome of these developments is that international organizations, like the International Labour Organization (ILO), are rethinking their roles under globalization. This article examines the ILO's new platform of
The International Labour Organization
New Political Economy, 2010
The ILO has reached a venerable old age. In 2009 it celebrated its ninetieth birthday, having been established in the wake of the First World War by the Treaty of Versailles that recognised the imperative to meet social needs and in response to a fear of bolshevism and the socialist movement spreading across Europe.