How International Labour Standards are created

International labour standards evolve from a growing international concern that action needs to be taken on a particular issue, for example providing working women with maternity protection, or ensuring safe working conditions for agricultural workers. Developing international labour standards at the ILO is a unique legislative process involving representatives of governments, workers and employers from around the world. As a first step, the Governing Body agrees to put an issue on the agenda of a future International Labour Conference. The International Labour Office prepares a report that analyses the laws and practices of member states with regard to the issue at stake. The report is circulated to member states and to workers' and employers' organizations for comments and is discussed at the International Labour Conference. A second report is then prepared by the Office with a draft instrument for comments and submitted for discussion at the following Conference, where the draft is amended as necessary and proposed for adoption. This "double discussion" gives Conference participants sufficient time to examine the draft instrument and make comments on it. A two-thirds majority of votes is required for a standard to be adopted.
The International Labour Conference recently started using an "integrated approach" with the aim of improving the coherence, relevance and impact of standards-related activities and developing a plan of action that embodies a coherent package of tools to address a specific subject. These tools may include conventions, recommendations and other types of instruments, promotional measures, technical assistance, research and dissemination of knowledge, and inter-agency cooperation. First used in 2003 for the purpose of developing a global strategy to improve occupational safety and health worldwide, this approach was used in 2004 to examine the issue of migrant workers and will be applied to several further topics (such as youth employment) at future International Labour Conferences.