First summer school on Social Dialogue explores industrial relations and due diligence

TURIN, Italy (ILO News) – The International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), with the financial and institutional support of the French Government and in collaboration with the ILO, successfully held the first edition of the summer school on Social Dialogue from 16 to 19 September 2025 in Turin.

Over 60 participants from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, enterprises and academia came together to reflect and exchange on how social dialogue, grounded on freedom of association and collective bargaining, can make the due diligence process more effective when identifying, mitigating, preventing and accounting for how the enterprise addresses its actual and potential adverse impacts that relate to internationally recognized human rights.

© Gabriella Di Muro

© Gabriella Di Muro

Sessions examined the role of workers’ organizations in strengthening the human rights due diligence process, how meaningful engagement and consultations between employers and workers can improve respect for human rights in business operations, including in a supply chain context, and how different mandatory and voluntary initiatives can complement one another. Guided by a scientific committee, the programme was enriched by nine academic studies that provided participants with the latest research and practical insights on specific topics and regions.

Several sessions were held jointly with representatives of OECD National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct (NCPs), who participated in a parallel course on Responsible Business Conduct, International Labour Standards and Decent Work, organized with the support of the ILO project Trade for Decent Work, funded by the European Union. During these joint sessions, participants explored the complementarities between existing social dialogue mechanisms, such as global and international framework agreements, European and global works councils, OECD NCPs, and multi-stakeholder initiatives, as well as the role of social partners in due diligence processes.

The summer school also showcased the ILO’s key instruments and tools on business and human rights, in particular the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) and its operational tools, including the Helpdesk for Business and the Company-Union Dialogue. Participants were also introduced to the ILO Repository of Knowledge on Cross-Border Social Dialogue, the most comprehensive database of initiatives and processes that promote social dialogue beyond national borders.

Voices from participants

The summer school allowed participants to exchange good practices, share diverse perspectives, and reflect together on how ILO principles can be applied in practice.

Ivann Liberatore, Deputy Representative of the French Government to the ILO and to the G7-G20 Labour and Employment

I greatly appreciated the diversity of discussions and the chance to engage with researchers, workers’ representatives and participants from around the world.

Christine Blanc-Michelland, Project Manager, Social Dialogue Directorate, EDF Group

The course gave us the opportunity to exchange with employers’ and workers’ representatives, as well as academics, on the highly relevant theme of social dialogue and due diligence.

Anne-Catherine Cudennec, National Secretary for Europe, International and Human Rights, French Confederation of Supervisory Staff – General Confederation of Executives (CFE-CGC)

About the summer school

The summer school on Social Dialogue is an initiative of the ITCILO, supported by the French Ministry of Labour and carried out in collaboration with the ILO Office for France, the Social Dialogue, Labour Relations and Governance of Work Branch (LABGOV), and the Multinational Enterprises and Responsible Business Conduct Unit (MULTI/RBC) of the ILO.

The ITCILO also offers a wide range of training opportunities on social dialogue and on responsible business conduct.