Civil Society - ILO Partnership

The ILO engages with non-state actors to promote social justice and decent work. Their support for policy setting, the adoption of legislation, the dissemination of skills and knowledge, as well as for the implementation of development cooperation is essential to promoting fundamental principles and rights at work, employment, sustainable enterprises and social protection as well as to ensuring better working conditions. Many organisations are engaged in Multi-stakeholder partnerships together with the ILO.  

Parliamentarians

Parliamentarians hold key responsibilities to develop and adopt legislation, to ensure policy coherence and fair governance through government oversight, and to exert leadership.  
The ILO has developed cooperation with the Inter Parliamentary Union, the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino), the European Parliament, and the Pan African Parliament. The eradication of child labour has been one of the most prominent commitments of parliamentary organizations towards decent work.  

Local and regional authorities

Local and regional authorities, together with their global and regional association United Cities and Local Government (UCLG), are key actors in the realization of the Decent Work Agenda at local level. City-to-city cooperation is an important instrument in the context of South-South and triangular cooperation to encourage the involvement of local actors, and to share good and affordable practices among them.  

International non-governmental organizations

The ILO engages in cooperation and consultation with INGOs both in its standard setting mechanisms and in the implementation of its development cooperation programmes. Each year between 60 and 80 INGOs are invited to participate in the International Labour Conference on issues on which they have a special interest and can make a contribution to the technical discussions. The ILO has registered more than 150 INGOs in its Special List covering a wide variety of fields, such as the promotion of human rights, poverty alleviation, social security, professional rehabilitation, gender issues, and youth matters. 

Faith-based organizations

Faith-based organizations support the Decent Work Agenda, its values and its implementation. The ILO is holding a number of international and regional consultations with such organizations. Decent work, which embraces the dignity of labour and of workers, is a value on which many faiths and believers converge. Youth employment, the inclusion of migrant workers, the development of sustainable enterprises and fair business practices, the eradication of child labour and the fight against forced labour are common concerns.