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Standards explained

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By the end of June 2007, the ILO had adopted 188 Conventions and 199 Recommendations covering a broad range of subjects: freedom of association and collective bargaining, equality of treatment and opportunity, abolition of forced and child labour, employment promotion and vocational training, social security, conditions of work, labour administration and labour inspection, prevention of work-related accidents, maternity protection, and the protection of migrants and other categories of workers such as seafarers, nursing personnel or plantation workers. More than 7,500 ratifications of these Conventions have been registered so far. International labour standards play an important role in the elaboration of national laws, policies and judicial decisions, and in the provisions of collective bargaining agreements. Whether or not a country has ratified a particular Convention, the standards provide guidance for the operation of national labour institutions and mechanisms, and good labour and employment practices. Thus, international labour standards have an impact on both national law and national practice, which goes well beyond simply adapting legislation to the requirements of a ratified Convention.

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