Geneva

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ILC Conversations 2025

113th Session of the International Labour Conference

Opening of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference

Plenary debates – Morning sitting

Plenary debates - Afternoon sitting

World Day Against Child Labour 2025

Annual Forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice

Key intervention’s Spotlight - Living wages: A driver of social and economic development   

Closing of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference

Switzerland

The opening sitting of the 113th International Labour Conference will elect the Conference President and Vice-Presidents, adopt the operational arrangements for the conduct of the Conference and the constitution of committees.

Palais des Nations

- Discussion of the Reports of the Director-General and of the Chairperson of the Governing Body

ILO Headquarters

- Adoption of the report of the General Affairs Committee&nbsp;- Discussion of the Reports of the Director-General and of the Chairperson of the Governing Body

- Adoption of the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-conference/113th-session-international-labour-conference/committees-113th-session-international-labour-conference/finance-committee">Finance Committee (CF)</a> report and vote to adopt <a href="https://www.ilo.org/resource/conference-paper/gb/gb353/director-general%E2%80%99s-programme-and-budget-proposals-2026%E2%80%9327">Programme and Budget 2026-27</a>- Adoption of General Affairs Committee (CAG) outcome- Discussion of the Reports of the Director-General and of the Chairperson of the Governing Body

- Presentation of the first Credentials report- Discussion of the Reports of the Director-General and of the Chairperson of the Governing Body

Progress is clear, but there's more to do: let’s speed up efforts!Organized on the margins of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference, this high-level event will mark the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/topics/child-labour/campaign-and-advocacy-child-labour/world-day-against-child-labour">World Day Against Child Labour 2025</a> with the launch of the ILO-UNICEF joint report on the latest global estimates of child labour.The event brings together ILO constituents and partners to discuss the implications of the new global estimates and trends in child labour, and the steps needed to accelerate progress.This high-level event provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the urgent need for stronger action to meet global goals. On this World Day against Child Labour, the ILO calls for the full ratification of <a href="https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO:12100:P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312283:NO">ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age</a> and the implementation of <a href="https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO:12100:P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312327:NO">ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour</a>. Their effective ratification and implementation remain essential to achieving the goals set by the Durban Call to Action, which urges strengthened prevention, protection, and partnerships to eliminate child labour.

The opening session, chaired by the President of the 113th International Labour Conference, will feature high-level addresses and present an overview of the Coalition's key achievements since June 2024.Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.&nbsp;

Opening session of the Annual Forum

Room XX

The panel will discuss the role that living wages can play in addressing broader systemic challenges including in-work poverty and income inequalities. It will also explore their potential to create more resilient local economies and the need to address the root causes of low pay. With increasing global attention to living wages, the session will showcase the initiative’s efforts to promote alignment with ILO principles for estimating and operationalizing living wages. This includes strengthening social dialogue and empowering wage-setting institutions. Partners will share their experiences and ambitions. Their contributions will reinforce sustainable development and social justice.&nbsp;Over half of the global workforce are wage earners, making wages the primary income source for many households. Over the years, there have been positive trends in real wages, with real wages increasing more rapidly in developing countries than in high-income countries. Yet millions of workers earn wages too low to afford a decent standard of living. In response, the number of living wage initiatives has risen sharply, reflecting a growing recognition that decent wages are central to economic and social development and essential in ensuring a decent and dignified life and in advancing social justice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and international sign language.&nbsp;

This session draws on recent initiatives and provides a platform to assess progress and strengthen social dialogue in climate and development frameworks.&nbsp;The transition to environmentally sustainable, resilient economies is a defining challenge of this decade. Success depends not only on climate ambition, but on how transitions are governed and financed. Global efforts to address the climate crisis and build resilient economies rely on just transitions that promote inclusive growth, business development, and job creation. However, many transitions remain technocratic or top-down, risking the exclusion of workers, employers, and communities. Social dialogue and investment frameworks are essential, yet too often disconnected in national strategies.&nbsp;Most climate strategies, including NDCs and JETPs, lack strong provisions for social dialogue or engagement of social partners. Workers’ and employers’ organizations are frequently excluded from critical investment and policy processes. Social dialogue is vital for building trust and shaping fair, inclusive solutions rooted in decent work. Despite its value, it remains underused in climate policies, finance mechanisms, and global cooperation.&nbsp;Interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.

Partners’ conversation - Fostering a just transition through social dialogue

Room XXIII

This panel discussion will highlight how the private sector contributes to better jobs, inclusive growth, and social justice. It will examine the role of governments and social partners in creating an enabling environment for responsible business. The financial sector’s influence through investment and lending decisions will also be addressed. The session will showcase how enterprises—both multinational and small—are adopting responsible business practices. These efforts are guided by international standards like the UN Guiding Principles and the ILO MNE Declaration. Employers’ and workers’ organizations and other stakeholders play a critical role in promoting and supporting responsible business.&nbsp;The Responsible Business Conduct agenda has become increasingly important in promoting an inclusive and comprehensive approach to sustainability across enterprises of all sizes. At the same time, there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen the social dimension of sustainable finance frameworks, including ESG criteria, and to foster models that balance social, environmental, and economic goals. These efforts are being driven forward by the Global Coalition for Social Justice and its partners, who are committed to ensuring that sustainability translates into real benefits for workers, enterprises, and communities.&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and international sign language.&nbsp;

Key intervention’s Spotlight - Responsible business for inclusive and sustainable societies

The Human Rights Economy (HRE) offers both a guiding framework and an operational approach for&nbsp;embedding human- and related labour rights - into economic and social policymaking. It promotes equitable access to resources, addresses inequality and discrimination, and calls for&nbsp;inclusive institutions, social protection and supports systems that uphold the rights of both service providers and recipients.&nbsp;The HRE aims to ensure that no one is left behind by integrating rights into every dimension of economic policy. It is articulated&nbsp;around ten transformative pathways, including global financial reforms, progressive taxation, combating corruption, and curbing illicit financial flows. These measures are designed to expand fiscal space, support inclusive development, combat inequalities, and align economic systems and policies with human rights obligations.&nbsp;The HRE bridges the gap between economic growth and social justice by embedding rights in national and global economic policies. It supports international commitments, informs global policy discussions, and develops tools to integrate rights into fiscal and governance systems. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the HRE offers a vision of justice, sustainability, and inclusion. It serves as a key instrument for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through rights-based, transformative change.&nbsp;Interpretation available in English, Spanish and French&nbsp;

Partners’ conversation - Human rights economy 

Chaired by the President of the International Labour Conference, the closing session will feature high-level addresses and providing a space for partners to reaffirm their commitments, outline concrete next steps and reinforce the Coalition’s collective ambition to advance social justice through impact-driven interventions at national, regional and global level.&nbsp;Interpretation will be provided in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and international sign language.&nbsp;

Closing session of the Annual Forum

- Presentation of the second Credentials report- Adoption of the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-conference/113th-session-international-labour-conference/committees-113th-session-international-labour-conference/standard-setting-committee-biological-hazards-cnb">Standard-Setting Committee on Biological Hazards (CNB)</a> outcome and vote

- Adoption of <a href="https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-conference/113th-session-international-labour-conference/committees-113th-session-international-labour-conference/standard-setting-committee-decent-work-platform-economy">Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the Platform Economy (CNP)</a> outcome- Approval of the report of the <a href="https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-conference/113th-session-international-labour-conference/committees-113th-session-international-labour-conference/committee-application-standards">Committee on the Application of Standards (CAN)</a>- Closing ceremony

This talk will address the concerns of the Left Behind: the many communities around the world, where decent work is threatened by the combined impact of globalisation and technological advancements.&nbsp;Decent work transcends mere income, it fosters self-respect that comes from performing a meaningful, skill-based employment that contributes to the community. Creating such employment opportunities within an economy is a practical and achievable form of social justice – what Michael Sandel terms Contributive Justice. It also revitalizes and rejuvenates economies harmed by the myth that globalisation leads to universal prosperity.&nbsp;However, not all employment creation efforts are successful. Nostalgic policies attempting to revive obsolete jobs are unlikely to be sustainable, particularly in developing countries.&nbsp;Instead, proactive public policies should focus on training and equipping workforces with skills that are relevant for 21st&nbsp;Century that builds on their distinctive strengths and harness technology for societal benefits.&nbsp;In those societies currently gridlocked by polarised politics, progress requires a package of policies that resonate across the ideological spectrum. While maintaining core principles of a market economy such as competition, we can learn from recent successes in societies that offer more equitable forms of economic democracy which avoid ‘hierarchies of humiliation’ and unsatisfying work.

9th Regulating for Decent Work Conference

Contributive Justice: Why decent work matters and why it is under threat

This plenary session of the Regulating for Decent Work Conference explores how labour regulation can be made more impactful and inclusive, reaching those it too often leaves behind. We are delighted to welcome three leading voices in the field: Professor Guy Davidov, Professor Kamala Sankaran (member of the ILO Committee of Experts), and Professor Adelle Blackett (Senior Advisor to the ILO Director-General), who will serve as discussant. Professor Davidov will examine how new technologies are reshaping the reach and effectiveness of labour protections—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Professor Sankaran will draw attention to the many workers still excluded from the scope of labour law, whether by legal design or lack of enforcement.Can AI improve the enforcement of labour laws? - Guy DavidovEmployers around the world increasingly rely on algorithmic management, including by incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities. The risks to privacy, equality, and workers’ bargaining power are already well-documented. Additional risks associated with AI more generally make its regulation apparent and urgent. Notwithstanding these dangers, these new technological advancements can also be used for the benefit of workers, if adopted by the state as part of efforts to improve the enforcement of labour laws. Prof. Davidov will discuss three different ways in which this can be done. First, the use of AI by enforcement agencies; second, using AI as part of court-based online dispute resolution; and third, relying on AI to determine the default state of the law, shifting the burden to the employer to contest it. He will also briefly consider the risks associated with any reliance on AI, including by the state, and what can be done to minimize them in the current context.Regulating for Decent Work: How do we protect and sustain livelihoods? - Kamala SankaranMany workers today are not in ‘jobs’ or in employment relationships. Instead, they are owner-operators of own-account enterprises or small and marginal farmers lacking the capacity to scale up, or are (unpaid) family contributing workers, or are trafficked and are engaged in forced labour. Does labour law have the capacity to regulate such forms of work? Could contributing family members be treated as workers? Should small and marginal farmers be treated as employers or workers? How can the law provide for equitable access to land, urban spaces, natural resources, the market and credit, critical for sustaining such forms of employment and livelihood? Prof. Sankaran argues that labour regulation could draw upon other normative frameworks as well as ILO’s international labour standards that address matters of development, migration, transitions, labour rights and social protection, to work towards&nbsp; regulatory frameworks for decent work and livelihoods that are more inclusive and socially just.

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