RIGHTS AT WORK Promoting the Declaration

In June 1998, the International Labour Conference reaffirmed its commitment to the founding ideals of ILO when it adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

The Declaration is a pledge by all members to respect, promote, and realize in good faith the principles and rights relating to:
Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
The elimination of all forms of force or compulsory labour
The effective abolition of child labour
The elimination of discrimination in respect to employment and occupation

Declarations are instruments that ILO has used sparingly. Unlike an international labour convention, which binds only members that ratify it, the Declaration applies automatically to all countries that have accepted ILO Constitution, whether or not they have ratified the fundamental conventions of ILO. All countries are encouraged, however, to move toward ratification of these conventions.

The Declaration responds to a widespread concern that economic growth should be accompanied by social justice.

To promote the Declaration ILO launched an InFocus Programme - to raise awareness, to deepen understanding and to promote policies to implement its principles in ways that are gender-sensitive and development-oriented.

InFocus Programme - Promoting the Declaration The new programme to promote the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work will have a threefold purpose: to raise awareness of the Declaration within countries and regions, as well as at the international level; to deepen understanding of how these fundamental principles and rights reinforce development, democracy and equality and help empower all women and men; to promote policies that implement these principles and rights in practice in development conditions of each country. In line with the promotional nature of the Declaration and its Follow-up, the programme will comprise: Media and educational campaigns, targeted at various cultural and economic contexts Research, investigating how each of the rights and principles relates to economic growth, employment creation, poverty reduction and gender equity Social reviews, responding to countries' requests to examine that is hindering or facilitating implementation of the Declaration Policy advice, advising on job creation and social protection underpinned by respect for the fundamental principles and rights Legal support, strengthening the capacity of law-markets and labour administration to enforce laws that give expression to the fundamental rights and principles Widening involvement, working with employers' organizations, trade unions and other civil society groups and regional and international organizations to make use of the Declaration Permeating ILO, refining the ways in which respect for these principles and rights can be woven into ILO work across the board