The ILO and the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Tokyo 2020 and the ILO agree unique partnership to promote Decent Work
The Organizing Committee and the UN Agency for the world of work will sign an agreement to promote socially responsible labour practices among the delivery partners of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The milestone partnership, announced during a visit to Japan by Guy Ryder, the ILO’s Director-General, will be formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding.
This constitutes Tokyo 2020’s first partnership with a UN organization, and the first time that the ILO officially partners with an Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee. The partnership will encourage enterprises to play a positive role in promoting decent work through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Socially responsible labour practices will be promoted in all delivery partners of the Games, taking guidance from the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles covering multinational enterprises and social policy and will include technical seminars and symposiums on CSR practices.
Promoting jobs and enterprise development, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection and promoting social dialogue are the four pillars of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, a key driver of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“This agreement is much to the credit of the Organizing Committee, who reached out to the ILO. On this occasion, Tokyo 2020, we have the chance to move from ad hoc informal relationships to a formal and systemic cooperation, and this marks a qualitative step forward. It parallels the on-going dialogue that the ILO has with the International Olympic Committee. This agreement can set the standards for future practices in the Olympic Movement,” Guy Ryder said.
“Since 2014, the ILO has been supportive of Tokyo 2020, providing insights and technical assistance, and we are delighted to further deepen our collaboration through this unique partnership, which reinforces Tokyo 2020’s commitment to sustainability,” Tokyo 2020 CEO, Toshiro Muto said.
The IOC Sustainability Strategy focuses particularly on the “workforce” – the protection of employees, volunteers and contractors engaged by the Olympic Movement. Its provisions require Organising Committees to ensure that working environments are safe and healthy, and to take all necessary measures to ensure that working conditions on all projects carried out in conjunction with the organization of the Olympic Games comply with internationally-recognized standards and with all international agreements, laws and regulations applicable in the host country.
For more information:
International Labour OrganizationMs. Akiko Taguchi, Director, ILO Office for Japan, tokyo@ilo.org, +81-3-5467-2701
Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee
- Tatsuo OGURA, tatsuo.ogura@tokyo2020.jp
- Tristan LAVIER, tristan.lavier@tokyo2020.jp
- Junichi SATO, junichi.sato@tokyo2020.jp
- Kaho AKIYAMA, kaho.akiyama@tokyo2020.jp
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