Work.
Whether you have it, you need it or you depend on others to have it, Work is central to your well-being.
Work gives our lives purpose and dignity. Work gives us our humanity.
Almost 500 million women and men need work. Millions more have work but live in poverty .
And hundreds of millions lack the basic labour rights to give them a living that is healthy safe and secure.
The International Labour Organization is the UN agency for the world of work.
It was founded on the belief that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.
The ILO promotes Decent Work for all
through an agenda that aims to give people a fair stake in their working lives and in society .
The ILO was created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War One
to ensure social justice for people through work.
It became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations after the Second World War
and today has a membership of 187 countries that continues to grow.
The ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 and today is recognized as the world's authority on the world of work.
Its impact is seen at key moments in history.
The work of the ILO affects almost every aspect of our lives.
From regulations setting out safety and health standards,
through to policies to end discrimination violence and harassment in the world of work,
there exists International Labour Standards to protect us.
Eradicating child labour and forced labour.
Ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.
Creating new and better jobs,
Strengthening social protection systems.
Helping women and men gain the skills they need to succeed at work.
And upholding the rights of workers and employers including through social dialogue.
The ILO mandate is an integral part of all 17 sustainable development goals
and decent work itself is goal 8 of the UN's 2030 agenda.
Headquartered in Geneva and
with over 40 field offices around the globe,
the ILO is unique amongst international organizations
where not only governments but employers and workers as well have equal voices.
They work together to create labour standards and policies that impact today's global economy.
Headed by a Director General, the secretariat conducts research and data analysis
about the world of work and supports the work of members and constituents.
Each June, the organization meets for its annual International Labour Conference
where labour standards are discussed and adopted.
Its executive council, the Governing Body, meets three times a year.
In the field the ILO advises governments and collaborates on projects at the country level,
to help put standards and policies into practice through training education and research .
in 2019, the ILO adopted the Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work,
to respond to a world experiencing transformative change, driven by technological innovations,
demographic shifts, climate change and globalization.
It calls for a human-centered approach to the future of work,
a task made all the more urgent by the outbreak of COVID-19.
The crisis has revealed a pre-existing pandemic of poverty and inequality which must be tackled
if the world is to build back better.
The ILO Declaration for the Future of Work,
therefore sets out a roadmap for creating a safer more inclusive and just world with Decent Work for all.
Globalization, disruptive technologies, rising inequality, climate change and a pandemic,
the World of Work is changing faster than ever before.
The ILO brings over 100 years of knowledge
experience and achievement as it contributes to peace and security to sustainable economic growth
and the dignity of all women and men.
The ILO believes that the best way to achieve a peaceful and prosperous world
is by promoting social justice and decent work for all.
That has been our mandate for over 100 years
and it's all the more important today as we build forward better,
to ensure conditions of equity, freedom, security and dignity for all in the world of work.