The ILO, Tripartism, and NGOs: Do Too Many Cooks Really Spoil the Broth?

Abstract

The mandate of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is to promote the implementation of international human and labour rights. Due to the unique tripartite structure in its bodies and decision-making processes, the ILO has always been able to claim a high degree of (input) legitimacy with regard to the participation of non-state actors. In recent years, the prominent role of the traditional non-governmental constituents of the ILO — the employers’ and workers’ organizations — has been challenged by the growing participation of civil society organizations (CSOs). Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — as the ILO calls them — are intruding into the activities that were traditionally the prerogative of the social partners. How are the ILO and its constituents affected by this development, and how do they react to it? For a long time, trade unions, in particular, have been (and still are) critical to some degree of the inclusion of NGOs in the work of the ILO. On the other hand, the recent controversy over labour standards, trade and the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has created a new type of global labour movement that unites trade unionists with human rights activists, globalization critics and other grass-roots organizations. In addition, ever more corporate codes of conduct are being adopted, with NGOs actively participating in the development of these codes and in their subsequent implementation and monitoring.