Policy areas

As the only agency within the UN with a tripartite structure, ILO strives to guarantee the core elements of social justice, which are respect for human rights, decent living standards, human working conditions, employment opportunity and economic security for working people everywhere. In line with this objective, the ILO aims to combat child labour, to increase women and youth employment, to strengthen social dialogue and eliminate informal economy.
  1. Child labour

    The ILO and its partners stand for a world where no girl or boy is forced to work at the expense of their health and development or their future prospects of decent work. ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labour, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries -including Turkey- to deal with the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labour. Through these efforts, the number of child labour decreased radically in Turkey.

  2. Women's employment

    Gender equality is at the heart of ILO’s “Decent Work for All Men and Women” agenda. The ILO and its constituents around the world pursue a wide range of activities that use gender mainstreaming as a strategy to achieve gender equality. As part of its program of activities, ILO Ankara Office has launched a project to enhance women employment in Turkey.

  3. Youth employment

    Achieving decent work for youth is a challenge shared by all countries around the world. All too often, they work unacceptably long hours under informal and insecure work arrangements, meagre earnings and reduced labour protection. With its expertise, tripartite constituency and global alliances, ILO can act as a catalyst in mobilizing support and implementing integrated policies and programmes to provide decent and productive work for youth.

  4. Social dialogue

    Social dialogue, for ILO, means exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers, on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy. The main goal of social dialogue itself is to promote consensus building and democratic involvement among the main stakeholders in the world of work. In line with this goal, the ILO Ankara Office facilitated the social dialogue among the representatives of government representatives, employer organizations and trade unions. As a result of this social dialogue, parties have decided to work to increase employment and tackle the informal economy as a priority.

  5. Occupational Safety and Health

    Against the background of Turkey’s international commitments under ILO Conventions, the ILO office in Ankara is managing a one year technical assistance project namely “Improving Occupational Health And Safety In Turkey Through Compliance With International Labour Standards” aimed at facilitating, in tripartite consultation, the national efforts to improve occupational safety and health, in particular in the areas of mining and construction. The assistance is provided in the context of national laws and regulations and the political and strategial framework drawn up by the Government and its tripartite constituents in the Occupational Safety and Health (III) National Policy Document and Action Plan (2014-2018).

  6. Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

    In the complex base of our modern society, where labour plays a central role, the recognition and protection of fundamental rights and principles within the realm of work stand as vital pillars. These rights serve as the moral compass guiding equitable interactions. Serving as a moral compass, these rights navigate the landscape of fair exchanges between employers and workers, nurturing an atmosphere where dignity, integrity, equity, and impartiality hold sway. Encompassing a spectrum of principles ranging from the freedom of association to the eradication of discrimination, these fundamental tenets collectively establish the groundwork for harmonious workplaces and thriving economies.

    The fundamental principles and rights at work derive from ILO Conventions and Recommendations, which set international labour standards on a broad range of subjects related to the world of work, including human rights at work, occupational safety and health, employment policy and human resources development. Increasing concerns about the social impact of globalization led the members of the ILO - representatives of government, employers and workers at the international level - to recognize categories of labour standards, expressed in eight conventions (the so-called “core conventions”), that should be considered as fundamental because they protect basic workers' rights.

    The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work affirms that all ILO Members States, even if they have not ratified the Conventions in question, have an obligation arising from the very fact of membership in the Organization to respect, to promote and to realize the principles concerning the fundamental rights which are the subject of the conventions.

  7. Labour Inspection and Administration

    Labour inspection is a key element of any labour administration system for enduring the implementation of labour policies, providing feedback and allowing for a readjustment of these policies as necessary. Even where there is a general agreement on the benefits of labour inspection, the real impact of labour inspectors has often been limited, especially among vulnerable or hard-to-reach groups and in the large informal economy. The ILO is working to strengthen labour inspection systems with a view to ensuring labour law compliance through the promotion of relevant international labour standards, and technical advisory services and projects. ILO Ankara Office has launched a project to contribute to the creation of a more decent work environment for all women and men in Türkiye. With this project, the institutional capacity of Directorate of Guidance and Inspection of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the social partners will be improved to increase workplace compliance as well as the improvement of the workplace compliance through strengthening guidance services and awareness raising on decent work.