International Labour Standards on Migration

All international labour standards apply to migrant workers, unless otherwise stated. In addition there are specific instruments on migration, as well as conventions and recommendations that are very relevant to the situation of migrant workers. These include:
In 1998, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work identified eight fundamental Conventions in four key areas: the abolition of child labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, and the elimination of forced or compulsory labour. The Declaration commits Member States to respect and promote principles and rights in these four categories, whether or not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.

In addition to the fundamental Conventions applying to migrant workers, the Declaration specifically states that “the ILO should give special attention to the problems of persons with special social needs, particularly the unemployed and migrant workers”.

In 2012, the ILO launched NORMLEX, an information system on international labour standards. NORMLEX has been designed to provide comprehensive and user friendly information on ratifications, reporting requirements, comments of the ILO's supervisory bodies, as well as national labour and social security laws.