Türkiye and ILO reinforce decent work in supply chains through the appointment of the national focal point for the promotion of the ILO MNE Declaration

ANKARA (ILO News) – The Government of the Republic of Türkiye has officially designated the Directorate General for Labour of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) as the national focal point for the promotion and implementation of the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration).

The appointment was formally communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Mr. Gilbert Houngbo, by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, reaffirming Türkiye’s strong commitment to responsible business conduct (RBC), respect for fundamental principles and rights at work, and the advancement of decent work across supply chains.

The designation reflects the long-standing and constructive cooperation between the ILO and Türkiye, particularly in the areas of labour governance, social dialogue, RBC and human rights due diligence (HRDD), which has been further strengthened in recent years through joint initiatives aimed at advancing the application of international labour standards in enterprises operations.

These efforts included a tripartite workshop in January 2024, where government officials, employers and workers from Türkiye strengthened their knowledge on RBC and discussed measures to advance decent work through responsible business and investment. In April 2024 Türkiye then joined Alliance 8.7 as a Pathfinder Country , and developed a Country Roadmap, where promotion of RBC and decent work were identified as key priorities. Following up on these developments, the MoLSS and the ILO Office for Türkiye convened a national meeting on the MNE Declaration in February 2025, bringing together representatives of government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society and international stakeholders.

“I am glad that the work of ILO Office for Türkiye with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has yielded such a tangible and important step, which reaffirms the commitment of Türkiye towards ILO’s values and guidelines as demonstrated in the MNE Declaration”, said Yasser Hassan, Director of ILO Office for Türkiye.

MNE Declaration: ILO’s key instrument on RBC

The ILO MNE Declaration is the ILO’s key instrument on RBC and the only one that was elaborated and adopted by governments, employers and workers from around the world. Its principles are addressed to multinational and national enterprises, governments of home and host countries, and employers’ and workers’ organizations providing guidance in such areas as employment, training, conditions of work and life, industrial relations as well as general policies. The guidance of the Declaration is founded substantially on principles contained in international labour standards.

The establishment of a national focal point marks an important step forward in strengthening policy coherence between labour, investment and enterprise policies in Türkiye, while reinforcing social dialogue as a key mechanism to promote the positive contribution of multinational enterprises to economic and social progress, the realization of decent work for all, and prevent or address challenges arising from their operations.

In line with the guidance of the MNE Declaration, the national focal point will promote awareness of its principles, facilitate tripartite and tripartite-plus dialogue, support capacity-building and knowledge-sharing activities, and ensure regular and effective communication with the ILO.

With this appointment, Türkiye joins 22 other countries that have informed the ILO of the their designation of national focal points to promote the MNE Declaration and its principles, contributing to the global advancement of RBC and decent work.

“The broad tripartite consensus on the importance of establishing a national focal point to strengthen national ownership of the guidance provided by the MNE Declaration has now materialized and I recommit the ILO to continue providing the necessary support to the “focal point” as well as to the employers’ and workers’ organizations for the effective implementation of the MNE Declaration recommendations”, said Yasser Hassan.