Since becoming a member on 12 June 1950, Indonesia and the ILO have collaborated very closely. The need for the ILO to maintain close contact with member States prompted the establishment of branch and area offices as well as national correspondents. The ILO Jakarta Office was opened on 21 May1970, and is now located at the Menara Thamrin, Level 22, Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav 3, Jakarta 10250.

Basically, the ILO programmes for Indonesia fall into four categories, namely Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, Decent Employment, Social Protection and Social Dialogue.

In Indonesia, the ILO assistance includes major programmes on labour law and rights at work; support for and development of emerging trade unions; strengthening government administration and inspection services; addressing the challenge of youth employment in Indonesia; social security programme; time bound programme for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour; implementing the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS; and industrial relations as well as tripartism programme.

Much work is directed toward socializing the Fundamental Principles and Right at Work in order to gain civil society support for dealing with labour problems and providing protection for vulnerable group of workers, especially women and disabled people. The ILO also provides assistance for employment creation and poverty alleviation strategies.

The ILO works closely with the Indonesian Government and employers' and workers' organizations. Relations between the ILO and the Indonesian Government are handled principally by the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration. The Minister of Manpower and Transmigration attends the annual International Labour Conference held in Geneva. Currently, Indonesia holds a position of regular member of the ILO’s Governing Body.

The ILO Jakarta Office also works closely with a range of other government departments, including the Coordinating Ministry for Economics Affairs, Ministry of People’s Welfare, Ministry of Trade and Industry, State Ministry for Cooperatives and Small-Medium Enterprises, National Planning Board (Bappenas), State Minister for the Acceleration of Development of Eastern Indonesia.

During the 1990s, the ILO technical assistance program in Indonesia experienced a slightly slower rate of expansion than during the previous decade, especially in the last two years. Changes in donors' policies have also negatively affected the level of expenditure in technical cooperation projects. Major donors financing the ILO projects include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the Governments of Belgian, British, Denmark, Japan, German and Sweden.

The Indonesian government has ratified seventeen (17) ILO Conventions, including all eight of its core human rights Conventions. For a full list of ILO Conventions ratified by Indonesia. Indonesia has sought to move forward with reforms in the labour and employment fields based on respect for labour standards and with the assistance of the international community.

The head office of the ILO is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and oversees the operations of the ILO Jakarta Office through the Regional Office for the Asia and Pacific (ROAP), located in Bangkok, Thailand. The Sub-Regional Office for South-East Asia and the Pacific (SRO), located in Manila, Philippines, provides technical support to the Jakarta Office.

DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAMME: PRIORITY OBJECTIVES FOR INDONESIA, 2004-2005, click here (PDF format)
DECENT WORK COUNTRY PROGRAMME: PRIORITY OBJECTIVES FOR INDONESIA, 2006-2009, click here (PDF format)