The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to advancing social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. It is an institution founded in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League of Nations, created to address the severe labour conditions and social injustices that arose during the Industrial Revolution. The ILO became the first specialized agency of the UN in 1946 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 for its efforts to promote justice and fair work.
The ILO operates through a unique tripartite structure, which is its key mechanism, bringing together representatives of governments, employers, and workers from its 187 member States to set labour standards and develop policies. Its main bodies are the annual International Labour Conference, the executive Governing Body, and the permanent secretariat, the International Labour Office. The ILO sets international labour standards primarily through Conventions and Recommendations. Conventions, if ratified by a member state, become legally binding instruments, and the ILO has a supervisory mechanism to examine their application. A core concept is the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which mandates member states to promote eight fundamental principles, including the elimination of forced labour (Conventions No. 29 and No. 105) and the abolition of child labour (Conventions No. 138 and No. 182). The ILO's work connects directly to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the broader international labour law framework. Recently, the ILO has been undergoing a reform process to become more streamlined and agile, with a focus on reprioritization of its work programme for 2026–27 and restructuring of its headquarters.