Institutional strengthening to promote compliance with international labour standards in Colombia

Context

Within the framework of the Canada–Colombia Labour Cooperation Agreement (2018), the ILO and the Government of Canada have jointly supported the institutional strengthening of the Colombian State to advance compliance with the recommendation to protect the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Over the past five years, gaps have been identified in the operational and training capacities of justice system actors regarding the application of International Labour Standards (ILS).

Currently, only a fraction of judges within the ordinary jurisdiction are specialised in labour matters, despite the increasing number of cases—more than 231,000 labour-related proceedings were recorded in 2023, mainly concerning employment contracts and social security disputes. This has highlighted the need to strengthen judicial training. In response, the Judicial Branch’s 2023–2024 Training Plan included a labour law subprogramme, adapted to the new challenges arising from the pandemic and the transformation of the world of work.

The project is situated within this context as an opportunity to contribute to strengthening judicial capacities in the field of ILS and international labour obligations, promoting a more specialised, efficient and inclusive justice system. All of this is grounded in the constitutional principle of harmonious collaboration among public authorities—a key element to ensuring a coordinated response to the challenges of the world of work in Colombia.

The ILO, as the specialised agency for International Labour Standards (ILS), provides technical support to the Government of Colombia to strengthen the capacities of labour court judges. The strategy focuses on supporting the efforts of Colombian government institutions aimed at enhancing the skills of their officials in the application of ILS in labour proceedings.

Through specialised training, technical assistance and institutional support, the project seeks to improve the technical and procedural capacities of those responsible for administering labour justice.

This support aims to help consolidate a more efficient justice system, with enhanced capacity to apply ILS and contribute to the achievement of SDGs 8 and 16. In addition, the project focuses on strengthening social dialogue, contributing to the development of sustainable solutions that benefit both workers and the Colombian labour justice system.

Within the framework of the project Institutional Strengthening to Promote Compliance with International Labour Standards in Colombia, a range of activities were carried out with the participation of more than 600 people. These actions were aimed at strengthening the technical capacities of public institutions, judicial actors, academia, and workers’ and employers’ organisations in relation to International Labour Standards (ILS).

• On 26 and 27 June, the first exchange meeting between Colombia and Brazil on bloc de constitutionality and control of conventionality was held, with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation for the promotion of labour rights. See post
• From 11 to 15 August and from 25 to 29 August, the training programme “International Labour Standards for Judicial Officials in Colombia II” was held in Bucaramanga and Medellín, with the participation of labour magistrates, judges and other officials of the judicial branch. These initiatives aim to reinforce the application of international standards in judicial decisions and labour proceedings. Learn more: ILO implemented a training programme on International Labour Standards for officials of the Judicial Branch in Colombia
• From 22 to 26 September, the Course on International Labour Standards for judges, legal practitioners and law professors took place in Bogotá, bringing together representatives from eight Latin American countries, with the objective of promoting technical exchange and strengthening knowledge on the mechanisms for applying international labour conventions. Learn more: The ILO promotes the strengthening of the application of International Labour Standards in Latin America
• On 2 and 3 October, the ILO took part in the XVII National Meeting of the Ordinary Labour Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia, contributing to a dialogue on the relevance of International Labour Standards in judicial interpretation in labour matters. See post

These activities contribute to the overall objective of the project: to strengthen national and regional capacities for the promotion and effective compliance with International Labour Standards.