International labour standards and human rights

Labour rights are human rights. The ILO pioneered human rights through standard-setting, before the birth of the United Nations and the articulation of human rights.

Ever since the ILO was created in 1919, its international labour standards have sought to set forth the aspirations, values and rights that were eventually expressed in the United Nations Charter (1945) and proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948):

Faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and determination to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

Today, international labour standards give expression to human rights in the civil and political, as well as in the economic, social and cultural sphere.

The ILO is closely engaged with the United Nations system, through initiatives such as the UN Secretary General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, with a view to promoting international labour standards as part of the human rights norms and standards which lie at the basis of the 2030 Agenda.