Promotion (awareness raising and training)

Under the promotional aspect of the Ethics Office, it is the responsibility of the Ethics Officer to provide guidance to the HRD to ensure that relevant ethical standards are reinforced and promoted by ILO policies, procedures and practices, and that ethical standards are clearly understood.

Additionally, with a view to increasing awareness on ethical issues, the Ethics Officer cooperates closely with the HRD Director and her collaborators, to assist with the design and promotion of programmes to inform and educate staff members.

The first stage in this promotional action concerns the knowledge of the relevant standards, which are mentioned in the Office Directive on ethics in the Office, namely Chapter I of the ILO Staff Regulations, the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service adopted in 2001 by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), and the rules governing outside activities contained in the Office Directive, IDGS No. 71, Office Procedure, IGDS No. 70 and Office Guideline, IGDS No. 67.

In fact, the first promotional activity was put in place directly by the Office Directive on ethics in the Office, to the extent that one of the measures decided by the Director-General in this context was delivering a copy of the 2001 Standards of Conduct to each official, with a request to sign a statement confirming that they had read and agreed to observe them.

The signature of the Standards is not a condition for their applicability. It simply confirms the fact that ILO staff members have read and understood that they are expected to live up to the standards of behaviour described in the text. The signature is without prejudice to their rights and obligations.

Training programmes are being prepared and will be announced in due course. See also past events and campaigns.

Training and awareness raising material

The Booklet Principles of Conduct for staff of the International Labour Office elaborated by the Ethics Office in 2009, translates and explains ethical standards in accordance with the relevant core instruments as well as various rules and internal governance documents. This booklet can further assist staff members in recognizing the ethical issues present in a number of situations and in responding to them in the correct way, thus maintaining the standard of conduct expected by international civil servants.

The brochure on "Ethics in the Office" was published in May 2011 and is intended to serve as the very first introduction to the functions of the Ethics Office. It answers some preliminary and general questions on the tasks of the Ethics Office, particularly emphasizing how the Office can be useful and helpful to all staff members of the ILO.

Further, an ILO Ethics e-learning module ILO Ethics e-learning module on ethics has been developed and was made available to all staff members on the website of the Ethics Office in March 2010.