ILO building in Geneva
ILO building in Geneva © ILO

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.

The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

How the ILO works

International Labour Conference
International Labour Conference, June 2023 session

International Labour Conference

ILO Governing Body
International Labour Conference, June 2023 session

ILO Governing Body

ILO Director-General
ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo

ILO Director-General

ILO organizational structure
ILO organizational chart in PDF

ILO organizational structure

Reference documents

ILO Constitution

ILO Constitution

ILO Declarations

ILO Declarations

Managing for results

Accountability and transparency

Accountability and transparency

Reliable and regularly updated financial and results data are an essential component of informing, monitoring, reporting and evaluating progress towards achieving decent work for all and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a results-driven organization, the ILO uses open data to share progress on performance with its constituents, partners and the broader public. The ILO sees transparency as part of the larger process of informed governance and organizational learning. Transparency makes the ILO a reliable partner and ensures its accountability.

Work with us

Employment opportunities
ILO staff walking in the ILO colonnades

Employment opportunities

Procurement
ILO Headquarters building, Geneva

Procurement

Image
Historical image, 1921, ILC 3rd Session - Commission on Weekly Rest.jpg
History of the ILO

History of the ILO

The ILO was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.