March 2026

Summary

A comprehensive reform of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is necessary to ensure the organisation's long-term effectiveness and legitimacy. The ILO will only remain capable of action and globally relevant if it focuses consistently on its core mandate, streamlines its bodies and uses resources efficiently.

Like all United Nations (UN) organisations, the ILO is under considerable structural and financial pressure. Global economic upheavals, geopolitical tensions, the increasing fragmentation of multilateral structures and new demands arising from digitalisation and sustainable transformation are leading the ILO to also fundamentally rethink its priorities and working methods.

It is essential to focus more closely on the ILO's core mandate: strengthening fundamental principles and rights at work, promoting competitive enterprises,  effectively supporting the transition from informal to formal employment, and combating forced labour and child labour.

An important reform goal should be to provide better support for the implementation of ratified conventions from the set of standards that has grown over decades. The ILO must focus its resources more strongly on practical effectiveness in member states. Otherwise, new conventions will continue to be adopted without any guarantee that existing ones will be implemented on the ground. New regulations should only be adopted if there is a clear need identified by all three groups and if practical, evidence-based solutions can be developed. Outdated, overlapping or practically inapplicable conventions should be revised or repealed.

The tripartite approach between governments, employers and workers is unique within the UN system. However, employers' interests have often been marginalised. Employers' and workers' positions must be given equal weight in decision-making processes.

Sectoral and thematic conferences must also reflect the actual needs of members in order to make the ILO's work more practical and effective. Digitalisation and innovation must become strategic drivers – with efficient reporting, modern analysis tools and more digital governance.

A successful reform can strengthen multilateralism and trust in the rules-based international order. The ILO can only create trust and stability if it acts reliably and impartially, strengthens the coherence of global standards and maintains its core competencies at its headquarters. A modern, efficient and politically balanced ILO is a prerequisite for shaping international labour and social policy in a future-proof manner.