Key documents

  1. Article 9 of the Constitution of the ILO

    This fundamental text stresses that the responsibilities of the ILO officials shall be exclusively international in character, thus the prohibition for them to seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization.

  2. Standards of conduct for the international civil service 2013

    This important text of the UN system, adopted in 2013 by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), updates the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil Service, prepared in 1954 and revised in 2001. It was welcomed by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 67/257.

    The ICSC Framework for Human Resources Management, approved by the General Assembly in 2000, illustrates the overarching nature of the Standards of Conduct, noting that they are linked to all elements of the Framework, and states that “although organizations’ internal cultures may vary, they face similar ethical challenges. Standards for ethical conduct promote common values and define the behaviour and performance expected of international civil servants.”

    This new text aims at providing for the international civil service standards that, like those of 1954 and 2001, become an indispensable part of the culture and heritage of the organizations and are of similarly enduring quality.

  3. Principles of conduct for staff of the International Labour Office

    This text, adopted by the Ethics Officer under his own responsibility, outlines and elaborates the standards and the principles, and will assist staff in maintaining the highest standards of conduct.
    The principles are an important element in the framework of training programmes on ethical issues. They are not intended to replace the relevant formal texts.

  4. Chapter I of the ILO Staff Regulations

    These articles of the Staff Regulations reiterate the principles enshrined in article 9 of the Constitution, developing them in more detail as regards, in particular, conduct, use of information, loyalty, honours and gifts, political office, privileges and immunities, and duties.

  5. Office Directive on rules governing outside activities and occupations, IGDS No. 71 - Office Procedure on approval procedures for outside activities and occupations, IGDS No. 70 - Office Guideline on outside activities and occupations, IGDS No. 67, 17 June 2009

    These texts provide comprehensive and detailed statements, including principles, procedure and guidelines, of the policy that the Director-General decided to follow with regard to the application of the relevant rules in respect of outside activities.

  6. Office Guideline on conflicts of interest, IGDS No. 68, 17 June 2009

    The purpose of this Guideline is to assist officials to identify circumstances which may give rise to potential conflicts of interest and to provide guidance on the procedures to be followed to avoid such conflicts.

  7. Circular on employment and other types of contracts with close relatives of ILO officials, Series 6, No. 666, of 4 April 2007

    This text aims to establish a framework and set down uniform and transparent rules related to recruitment and employment and issuing of other types of contracts, or both, to engage the services of close relatives of officials. These rules aim in particular to avoid any risk or perception of favoritism or nepotism, and to ensure compliance with appropriate internal controls while ensuring respect for the principle of nondiscrimination.

  8. Circular on inappropriate use of contracts in the Office, Series 6, No. 630, of 10 July 2002

    This circular aims to remind managers and staff of the main rules governing ST, SST and Ex-Col contracts; and to outline the measures which the Human Resources Development Department (HRD) has been asked to implement to enforce these rules.

  9. Office Directive on ethics in the office, IGDS No. 76, 11 November 2019

  10. Office directive on reporting misconduct and protection from retaliation

  11. Financial Rules of the ILO - (for staff only)

  12. Office Directive on anti-fraud policy (IGDS No. 69)

  13. Office Guideline on the ILO accountability framework: key standards and mechanisms, IGDS No. 195, 25 October 2010

  14. Office Directive on employment of domestic workers by ILO officials, IGDS No. 479, 27 July 2016