International Labour Organization - Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted in 1998 and amended in 2022, is an expression of commitment by governments, employers' and workers' organizations to uphold basic human values - values that are vital to our social and economic lives.

It affirms the obligations and commitments that are inherent in membership of the ILO, namely:

1. freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

2. the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;

3. the effective abolition of child labour;

4. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and

5. a safe and healthy working environment.

This commitment is supported by a Follow-up procedure.

Follow-up to the Declaration

The aim of the follow-up is to encourage the efforts made by the Members of the Organization to promote the fundamental principles and rights enshrined in the Constitution of the ILO and the Declaration of Philadelphia and reaffirmed in the 1998 Declaration. This follow-up has two aspects based on existing procedures:

1. The Annual follow-up concerning non-ratified fundamental Conventions will entail merely some adaptation of the present modalities of application of article 19, paragraph 5(e), of the Constitution.

2. The Global Report on fundamental principles and rights at work will serve to inform the recurrent discussion at the Conference on the needs of the Members, the ILO action undertaken, and the results achieved in the promotion of the fundamental principles and rights at work.

There is a third way to give effect to the Declaration, the Technical Cooperation Projects which are designed to address identifiable needs in relation to the Declaration and to strengthen local capacities thereby translating principles into practice.

"The conventions passed and adopted by the ILO underpin the work we do in all of BAJN Co. and 1800ADVOCATES business divisions"

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Blog post by Brian AJ Newman LLB and sourced materials ** from www.ilo.org