Freedom of association and labour rights as human rights training

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), are strengthening national capacities to promote and protect the right to freedom of association (FOA) and to advance labour education in the Philippines in line with international human rights and labour standards.

The training builds on consolidated FOA modules developed collaboratively with the government and social partners, including trade unions, employers’ organizations, and labour‑focused civil society groups.

Objectives:

• strengthen the capacity of CHR personnel- Information Officers, Training Specialists, and Special Investigation Officers- alongside labour rights groups and other key stakeholders to effectively promote, monitor, and protect the right to freedom of association and the right to organize.
• deepen CHR’s understanding and application of international labour standards on freedom of association, supported by technical expertise from the ILO, to enhance its human rights monitoring, advocacy, and policy engagement.
• develop a pool of CHR facilitators equipped to cascade FOA knowledge and conduct rights‑based capacity‑building activities at local, sectoral, and institutional levels, contributing to stronger national protection mechanisms for FOA.

This activity coincides with the celebration of the World Day of Social Justice 2026 with the theme “Renewed Commitment to Social Development and Social Justice’’ which underscores the shared accountability to advance decent work, especially the right to organize and other civil liberties.

Partners:

Resource persons from the DOLE, ILO, CHR, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and University of the Philippines Law Center – Workers and Employees Program (UP Law – WEP), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) will deliver the sessions.

The FOA training programme is also integrated into the DOLE E-campus, offering the participants an enhanced learning experience with self-paced navigation, access to the modules and supplementary references, and participation in online discussion forums.

Technical assistance was provided by the ILO in this initiative through the “Strengthening freedom of association and action against child labour in the Philippines” project funded by the Government of Canada.