Social Protection, Governance and Tripartism

This programme provides training to promote tripartite social dialogue for safer and healthier workplaces.

The programme supports the negotiation, consultation, and exchange of information between governments, employers, and workers to create better economic and social policies.

It specifically endorses universal social protection and the realization of the human right to social security.

Overall, it aims to disseminate subject-specific knowledge and good practices worldwide. It contributes to institutional capacity building by providing training courses and other learning events for ILO constituents, UN staff, and other development partners and stakeholders at the Centre and in the field.

Labour administration institutions play a key role in designing and implementing labour-related economic and social policies. They also provide feedback on and allow for readjustment of such policies.

Governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of labour administration systems in today’s globalized world.

Labour inspection systems, an essential part of labour administration, function as labour law enforcement. These systems ensure good governance and fairness in the workplace.

The Centre’s training activities aim to strengthen the capacity of governments to better govern labour markets through the design of effective labour administration and labour inspection systems.

Globalization, climate change, and income inequality are among the reasons people cross borders in search of employment opportunities today. In 2018, the ILO estimated that, out of 258 million migrants worldwide, 164 million were employed.

Labour migration affects most countries in the world today; migrant workers contribute to development in both their origin and destination countries. They deserve rights-based policies that maximize the positive effects of labour migration.

The migration process, including fair and effective governance, worker protections, sustainable development, and international cooperation, is complex and challenging to navigate.

The Centre’s training activities aim to strengthen the capacity of constituents and stakeholders to develop and implement policies that work for migrants.

Workplace interventions based on ILO standards protect workers’ safety and health. To ensure maximum safety, prevention, reporting, and inspection practices are essential.

Key competencies, including expertise in the physical and social sciences as well as management principles, ensure that workplace interventions protect workers and prevent accidents and diseases.

The ILO guidelines on occupational safety and health management systems provide guidance at the national and enterprise levels. These systems are designed for continual improvement.

The Centre’s training activities aim to strengthen the institutions, social partners, and stakeholders involved in the creation and maintenance of safe and healthy workplaces.

Social dialogue is a fundamental right that promotes better pay and working conditions, as well as peace and social justice. It includes all types of negotiation, consultation, and exchange of information among governments, employers, and workers.

Sound industrial relations and effective social dialogue on economic and social policy issues may be tripartite processes, with the government as an official party to the discussions. It may instead be a bipartite process between labour and management or between trade unions and employers’ organizations.

Strong, independent, and capable social partners are the foundation of effective social dialogue. There is no single model of social dialogue; rather, social dialogue and tripartism broadly promote consensus building and democratic involvement.

The Centre’s training activities aim to equip labour administrations and workers’ and employers’ organizations with the knowledge and skills they need to participate fully and effectively in these dialogues.

Social protection floors and comprehensive social security systems guarantee that workers have access to essential health care and income security. Yet, global estimates show that only a fraction of workers are adequately protected today.

Countries around the world are considering ways to expand and adapt social protection systems as the world of work shifts and changes. Aging populations and workers in the informal economy are especially vulnerable.

The more people adequately covered by social security—from health care to income security—the better.

The Centre’s training activities aim to strengthen the capacity of constituents and stakeholders working on social protection to improve their practical skills in areas such as policy formation, social security administration, and quantitative analysis of social protection systems.