WSSD2 Brief

Fundamental principles and rights at work: A critical crossroads

This brief highlights the urgent need to uphold fundamental principles and rights at work as universal human rights essential to fair globalization. It presents alarming global data and calls for renewed commitment and transformative action to tackle persistent inequalities and decent work deficits.

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Key considerations for WSSD2

Fundamental principles and rights at work are universal and inalienable human rights that all workers should enjoy regardless of their employment status. The five categories of the fundamental principles and rights at work are freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the effective abolition of child labour, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, and the right to a safe and healthy working environment.
The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022, is a direct response to the 1995 World Summit for Social Development’s call to safeguard basic workers’ rights as a cornerstone of fair globalization. Although many important steps have been taken to advance fundamental principles and rights at work in different national contexts, action has so far fallen short in both scale and scope.
At a critical juncture, the WSSD2 must serve as a catalyst for transformative action. By reaffirming and advancing the commitment to the fundamental principles and rights at work, it offers a vital opportunity to confront persistent global inequalities, build resilient and equitable societies, and create a level playing field for globally connected economies.
Global estimates for 2024 indicate 138 million children engaged in child labour, of which 54 million were in hazardous work. An estimated 27.6 million people were in forced labour in 2021, generating illicit profits of approximately US$236 billion annually. Almost 3 million workers died from occupational accidents and diseases in 2019, and more than 395 million sustained nonfatal work injuries. The gender pay gap stands at 19 per cent globally, while global labour force participation rates show a 25-percentage-point gap between men and women. More than 40 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries with no protection for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.