ILO centenary initiatives

Towards social justice

In 2019, the International Labour Organization – the oldest UN specialized agency – celebrates its 100th anniversary. In the run up to the anniversary seven Centenary Initiatives are being implemented – part of a package of activities aimed at equipping the Organization to take up successfully the challenges of its social justice mandate in the future.

Shaping a future that works for all

The world of work has the capacity to consign poverty to history, to provide decent work and living standards universally, and to extend protection from the risks of working life to all. That potential is yet to be realized. The problems of unemployment, underemployment, inequality and injustice are becoming more, not less, acute.

There are calls for fairer globalization, for balanced and sustainable development and for economic growth that drives social progress. Action in the world of work is crucial to these objectives. At the same time the world of work itself is rapidly evolving.

The ILO is equipping itself to understand and respond to the changes in the world of work and to give leadership in the global challenge of ensuring Decent Work for all women and men.

In 2013 the Director-General set out the challenges facing the Organization in his report Towards the ILO centenary: Realities, renewal and tripartite commitment, where he presented the following seven centenary initiatives:

The seven initiatives

  1. The future of work initiative

    Initiating and cultivating a global dialogue on the future of work, to build the ILO’s ability to prepare and guide governments, workers and employers to better meet the world of work challenges of the next century.

  1. The end to poverty initiative

    Promoting a multidimensional response through the world of work, labour markets, and social and employment protection to eradicate global poverty.


  1. The women at work initiative

    Reviewing the place and conditions of women in the world of work and engaging workers, employers and governments in concrete action to realize equality of opportunity and treatment.

  1. The green initiative

    Scaling up the ILO’s office-wide knowledge, policy advice and tools for managing a just transition to a low carbon, sustainable future.

  1. The standards initiative

    Enhancing the relevance of international labour standards through a standards review mechanism and consolidating tripartite consensus on an authoritative supervisory system.

  1. The enterprises initiative

    Establishing a platform for ILO engagement with enterprises which would contribute to their sustainability and to ILO goals.

  1. The governance initiative

    Reforming the ILO’s governance structures, assessing the impact of the 2008 Declaration as set out in its final provisions, and act on its finding.