2019 marks the century year of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations agency that sets international labour standards and promotes social protection and work opportunities for all. Created in 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War, the ILO has spent 100 years advancing social justice and promoting decent work, changing the working lives of millions of people across the globe. The ILO has 187 member states: 186 of the 193 UN member states in addition to the Cook Islands. 

In its 100 years, the ILO has produced a series of legally-binding international labour standards, dealing with a range of issues from labour inspection to freedom of association, the right to organize and collectively bargain, equal pay, forced labour and discrimination.

In January, the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work launched its landmark report, marking the start of a year of global events to mark the achievements of the ILO’s first 100 years and to look ahead to the next. 

Read more about the ILO centenary, here.