Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13969 | 28 January 2016

Means of enhancing the legal effectiveness of the ILO’s core Conventions

Signatories: Mr Philippe MAHOUX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Mr Jean-Claude FRÉCON, France, SOC ; Mr Tore HAGEBAKKEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Niklas KARLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA, Ukraine, SOC ; Mr Dirk Van der MAELEN, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Muslum MAMMADOV, Azerbaijan, NR ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Georgios MAVROTAS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Andrei NEGUTA, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Azadeh ROJHAN GUSTAFSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Evangelos VENIZELOS, Greece, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The purpose of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), whose members are representatives of the governments, employers and workers of its 185 member States, is to promote labour rights, encourage the creation of decent jobs, improve social protection and enhance social dialogue in the labour sphere.

In this connection, the International Labour Office, which is the ILO’s permanent secretariat, has categorised eight of the ILO’s Conventions as “core” conventions, dealing with issues regarded as fundamental principles and rights in the workplace such as freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the effective abolition of child labour and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. These principles are also set out in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up and the ILO has set up various control mechanisms which enable the application of conventions in law and in practice to be monitored after they are adopted by the International Labour Conference and ratified by the States.

Twenty years after the first ILO campaign to obtain universal ratification of the eight core conventions, the Parliamentary Assembly, whose aim is to foster human rights, democracy and the rule of law, should be looking into ways of enhancing the legal effectiveness of these conventions in its member States.