Practical guide explains key terms on labour rights, supply chains and trade

BANGKOK (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a user-friendly publication to simplify the complex terminology linking labour rights, trade and supply chains.

Understanding rights at work: A guide to key terms related to fundamental principles and rights at work, trade and supply chains offers clear, accessible explanations of essential concepts such as forced labour, child labour, collective bargaining, equality and non-discrimination, occupational safety and health, and key trade frameworks.

Each entry provides a plain-language definition, a concise reference drawn from international sources, and examples to encourage reflection, dialogue and application. QR codes and links support deeper exploration.

Developed for governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, businesses, researchers and academics, the guide responds to the need for a practical tool that supports a shared understanding of labour rights in the context of trade and decent work — a need underscored by the growing inclusion of labour-rights provisions in trade agreements and expanding regulatory due-diligence obligations in supply chains.

Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, highlighted the publication’s aim: “By deepening our collective understanding and commitment to these principles, we can ensure that trade and growth go hand in hand with basic rights, decent work and social justice for all.”

The guide was developed under the ILO’s Trade, Labour and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in Southeast Asia project, funded by the Government of Canada.