Labour Laws and Practice · International Labour Organization

ILO: History, Objectives and Structure Explained

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The International Labour Organization (ILO) was created in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles to promote social justice and decent labour standards. Its objectives are set out in its Constitution and the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944). It is tripartite: governments, employers and workers take part in its decisions. To answer questions, state origin, aims, Philadelphia principles and structure in order.

Understand ILO: History, Objectives and Structure

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the international body that sets standards for work and working conditions. It was established in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War. Its Constitution forms part of that Treaty.

The idea behind it was simple. Lasting peace needs social justice. Poor and unfair working conditions cause unrest. Also, if one country improves conditions and another does not, the first country loses in trade competition. So countries agreed to act together on labour standards.

The ILO's aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment, extend social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. It does this by adopting Conventions and Recommendations, giving technical help and doing research.

The Declaration of Philadelphia was adopted in 1944 at the ILO conference in Philadelphia. It restated the aims and purposes of the ILO and was later annexed to the ILO Constitution. Its well-known principles are:

Labour is not a commodity.
Freedom of expression and of association are essential to sustained progress.
Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere.
The war against want must be carried on with unrelenting vigour within each nation and through continuous international effort in which workers and employers, with governments, join in free discussion and democratic decision.

The ILO's special feature is its tripartite structure. Each member state sends a delegation of four: two government delegates, one employers' delegate and one workers' delegate. Employers and workers therefore vote independently, and not only as voices of their governments. The ILO later became a specialised agency of the United Nations (1946). Its headquarters are in Geneva.

Key rules to remember

Year of establishment: ILO established in 1919 under Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles; Remember 1919 for origin. The ILO was set up by the peace settlement after the First World War.
Declaration of Philadelphia: Adopted 1944 | later annexed to the ILO Constitution; It restates the aims and purposes of the ILO. Do not confuse it with the 1919 founding.
Four principles of Philadelphia: Labour is not a commodity | Freedom of expression and association | Poverty anywhere is a danger to prosperity everywhere | War against want, by workers, employers and governments together; Quote them in this order. Wording may be paraphrased, but keep the idea intact.
Tripartite delegation: Each member state: 2 government + 1 employers' + 1 workers' delegate = 4 delegates; Ratio is 2:1:1. Government gets half the voice, employers and workers a quarter each.
Core aims of the ILO: Rights at work + decent employment + social protection + social dialogue; Use this four-part list to structure any answer on objectives.

How to solve ILO: History, Objectives and Structure questions

Questions on this topic ask for history, aims, the Declaration or the structure. Use one fixed frame so no part is missed.

1Read the question and mark which part is asked: origin, objectives, Philadelphia, or tripartite structure.
2Start with the origin in one or two lines: 1919, Treaty of Versailles, post-war aim of social justice for lasting peace.
3State the objectives: rights at work, decent employment, social protection, social dialogue.
4Add the Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) with its main principles, if the question touches aims or philosophy.
5Explain the tripartite structure with the 2:1:1 delegation and why it matters: employers and workers have an independent voice.
6Link the facts to the question. If it is a case or opinion question, apply the point to the facts given.
7Close with a one-line conclusion that answers the question asked.

Quickest way: The O-A-P-T frame

When to use it: Use it when you have only a few minutes for a short-note or 5-mark answer on the ILO.

O for Origin: 1919, Treaty of Versailles, social justice and lasting peace.
A for Aims: rights at work, decent jobs, social protection, social dialogue.
P for Philadelphia: 1944, labour is not a commodity, plus the other three principles.
T for Tripartite: 2 government, 1 employer, 1 worker delegate per member state.
Write one line per letter, then expand whichever part the question stresses.

Common mistakes in ILO: History, Objectives and Structure

Writing that the ILO was founded in 1944 with the Declaration of Philadelphia.
Both dates appear in the same notes and students merge them.
Fix: Link 1919 to founding and the Treaty of Versailles. Link 1944 only to the Declaration of Philadelphia.
Saying the ILO has only government representatives.
Students think of it like most international bodies.
Fix: Always state that it is tripartite and give the 2 government, 1 employer, 1 worker delegation.
Listing Philadelphia principles loosely, such as 'workers should be paid well'.
Students recall the spirit but not the text.
Fix: Learn the four principles by their key phrases and write them in that form.
Forgetting the reason for the ILO's creation.
Notes list dates and bodies but skip the purpose.
Fix: Add one line: social justice is needed for lasting peace, and no country should be disadvantaged by fair standards.
Treating the ILO as part of a single country's law-making system.
Students mix the ILO with national labour law.
Fix: State that the ILO sets international standards. Member states choose whether to ratify them, and ratified Conventions bind that state.

Worked examples

Example 1

Explain how the ILO was established and state its objectives. (Short note)

Show the solution

Origin: the ILO was established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War.
Reason: universal and lasting peace can be based only on social justice. Unfair working conditions cause unrest, and a country that improves conditions alone may lose in trade.
Objectives: promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues.
Method: it adopts Conventions and Recommendations, offers technical assistance and does research.
Conclusion: the ILO was designed as a permanent international body for fair labour standards.

Answer: The ILO was set up in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles to secure social justice as a base for lasting peace. Its objectives are rights at work, decent employment, social protection and social dialogue.

Example 2

Discuss the significance of the Declaration of Philadelphia and the tripartite character of the ILO.

Show the solution

Declaration: adopted in 1944 and later annexed to the ILO Constitution. It restated the aims and purposes of the ILO.
Principles: labour is not a commodity; freedom of expression and association are essential to sustained progress; poverty anywhere is a danger to prosperity everywhere; the war against want needs joint effort of workers, employers and governments.
Significance: it gave the ILO a human-rights-based philosophy and widened its concern to social and economic policy.
Tripartism: each member state sends four delegates, two from government, one from employers and one from workers.
Effect: employers and workers vote independently, so standards reflect those who live with them. Government has half the delegates, the other two groups a quarter each.
Conclusion: Philadelphia supplies the ILO's values and tripartism supplies its working method.

Answer: The Declaration of Philadelphia (1944) restated the ILO's aims and principles, including that labour is not a commodity. Tripartism, with a 2:1:1 delegation of government, employer and worker delegates, ensures standards are made through social dialogue.

Exam tips

Write the year with each fact: 1919 for founding, 1944 for Philadelphia. Examiners check dates.
Use a short numbered or bulleted list for the four Philadelphia principles. It is easy to mark.
Draw a small line diagram or write the 2 + 1 + 1 delegation split to show tripartism clearly.
In case-based questions, name the ILO feature the facts illustrate before giving your conclusion.
Keep history to a few lines in longer answers and spend your time on analysis.

Practice questions from International Labour Organization

ILO: History, Objectives and Structure: frequently asked questions

How was the ILO established under the Treaty of Versailles?

The Peace Conference after the First World War set up a commission on labour. Its work became the ILO Constitution, which formed part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. The ILO therefore began as part of the peace settlement.

What is the Declaration of Philadelphia?

It is a statement of the aims and purposes of the ILO adopted in 1944 and later annexed to its Constitution. It states, among other things, that labour is not a commodity and that poverty anywhere is a danger to prosperity everywhere.

What does tripartite mean in the ILO?

It means three groups take part in its work: governments, employers and workers. Each member state sends two government delegates, one employers' delegate and one workers' delegate.

Is the ILO part of the United Nations?

Yes. The ILO became the first specialised agency of the United Nations system in 1946. It has its own Constitution, membership and tripartite structure.