International Labour Organization (ILO)

Agenta Item:

Informal Economy and Workers Deprived of Social Security Due to Informal Employment

Social Security:

The ILO has played a significant role in guiding the establishment, development, and maintenance of social security systems worldwide, serving as a leading global reference point through its internationally defined normative framework. Since its founding in 1919 and following the addition of the Philadelphia Declaration to the ILO Constitution in 1944—recognizing the right to social security—the Organization’s tripartite structure (governments, employers, and workers of its 186 member states) has developed and adopted a series of Conventions and Recommendations. These instruments have established social security as a distinct branch of international law and provided a framework for expanding and strengthening social protection systems across all regions of the world.

Labour Rights:

Labour rights refer to the legal, social, and economic protections granted to individuals in the workplace. These rights include fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to unionize, protection against discrimination, and the right to rest and leisure. They are designed to ensure that workers are treated with dignity and respect, protected from exploitation, and provided with secure and humane working environments.