1. MNE Declaration - 5th Edition

Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) - 5th Edition (2017)

The MNE Declaration is the only ILO instrument that provides direct guidance to enterprises (multinational and national) on social policy and inclusive, responsible and sustainable workplace practices.

It is the only global instrument in this area and the only one that was elaborated and adopted by governments, employers and workers from around the world. It was adopted 40 years ago and amended several times, most recently in March 2017. Its principles are addressed to multinational and national enterprises, governments of home and host countries, and employers’ and workers’ organizations providing guidance in such areas as employment, training, conditions of work and life, industrial relations as well as general policies. The guidance is founded substantially on principles contained in international labour standards.

To stimulate the uptake of its principles by all parties, the ILO Governing Body has adopted operational tools.

The MNE Declaration

  1. What is the ILO MNE Declaration?
  2. Text and annexes in 14 languages
  3. Role of the ILO Governing Body
International policy coherence:
  1. Overview of references made to ILO MNE Declaration
  2. Partnerships

Understanding the MNE Declaration and putting its principles into practice

  1. E-learning module "Business and Decent Work: an introduction to the MNE Declaration"
  2. Resources and policy briefs
  3. Training opportunities
  4. Country case studies

Operational Tools

  1. Promotion 
  2. Company Union Dialogue
  3. Interpretation procedure

Highlights

  1. Senegal appoints four national focal points and lays the foundations of a national promotion strategy

    By appointing by ministerial order four national focal points responsible for the promotion and application of the MNE Declaration, Senegal has become the first country in Africa to appoint national focal points. Earlier this year, Senegal already made history by creating the first tripartite Commission to promote the MNE Declaration within a national social dialogue institution.

What's new

  1. Regional follow-up

    Information gathering on the MNE Declaration started in preparation for the report and special session on the MNE Declaration during the 14th African Regional Meeting

    In preparation of the 14th African Regional Meeting (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 3–6 December 2019), questionnaires are being sent by the International Labour Office directly and simultaneously to the Governments and Employers' and Workers' organizations of the participating ILO member States.

  2. Training

    Multinational enterprises, development and decent work: the approach of the MNE Declaration

    13-17 May 2019, International Training Center of the ILO, Turin, Italy

    This five-day course will look at how governments, enterprises and the social partners are encouraged to each put policies in place and engage with each other through dialogue to maximize the positive contribution of multinational enterprises to socio economic development and decent work.

  3. 2018 Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights

    ILO Director General addresses 2018 Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights

    Geneva, 26-29 November 2018

    This year’s Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights focused on Corporate human rights due diligence - emerging practices, challenges and ways forward. ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, spoke in the high-level panel “Building coherence and reaching scale on human rights due diligence – International organizations’ leadership perspectives” highlighting how the ILO is contributing to the business and human rights agenda as part of the broader decent work agenda and the need to scale up efforts in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    In addition to the DG’s intervention, the ILO led a panel on labour-rights and human rights due diligence and ILO experts contributed to the discussions in various other panels of the Forum.

  4. Responsible business practices

    First Symposium co-hosted by Keidanren/ILO/OECD regarding Responsible Supply Chains in Asia

    Japan, Tokyo, October 2018

  5. Press release

    Taking steps to promote decent work in global supply chains

    20 September 2018, Beijing, China

    The Ministry of Human Resources (MORHSS) and the ILO organised in Beijing a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss public and private initiatives geared toward responsible business conduct.

  6. Publication

    The ILO MNE Declaration: What’s in it for Workers?

    1 May 2018

    Following the update of the MNE Declaration, the ILO Bureau for workers' activity (ACTRAV) has decided to update its guidance document “The ILO MNE Declaration: What’s in it for Workers?”. The update strives to provide a forward-looking view on approaches and pledges how workers and trade unions can successfully use the MNE Declaration in practice, particularly in respect to its new elements.

  7. News

    ILO, Tokyo 2020 sign agreement to promote decent work in run-up to the Games

    26 April 2018

    The International Labour Organization and Tokyo 2020 sign an agreement to promote socially responsible labour practices in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Japanese capital.

  8. News

    ILO revises its landmark Declaration on multinational enterprises

    17 March 2017

    The ILO has revised its landmark MNE Declaration on multinational enterprises and social policy, which provides guidance on how companies can contribute to the realization of decent work for all.