Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2019
Abstract
The centenary of the international organization whose constitution proclaims that social justice is indispensable for universal and lasting peace is too pivotal to go unnoticed. Established during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the International Labour Organization (ILO) was once a paradigmatic subject of study by international legal scholars and international relations theorists. A uniquely tripartite institution whose governance structure comprises workers, employers, and governments, the ILO survived the beleaguered League of Nations to become the first United Nations specialized agency in 1946. Its staff narrowly escaped the rise of fascism in Europe and settled into a wartime home at McGill University from 1940 to 1948, where they prepared for the challenges of a postwar future, including new economic relations and decolonization.
By the time the ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969, its influence was already waning. Yet those who follow the organization closely know that it facilitated democratization processes in Eastern Europe and provided steady support to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.The ILO also honed its normative core to prioritize Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and sought to address the social dimensions of trade. It holds untapped potential to respond to the discontent that is manifest in the rise of nationalist populism in many countries.
Citation
Adelle Blackett & Laurence R. Helfer, Introduction to the Symposium on Transnational Futures of International Labor Law, 113 AJIL Unbound 385-389 (2019)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
International Labour Organization, International Labor laws and legislation
Included in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/aju.2019.70
Available at: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/faculty_scholarship/4431