Labour Laws and Practice · International Labour Organization

Organs of the ILO: Conference, Governing Body and Office

Updated 11 October 2026

The ILO has three organs. The International Labour Conference is the supreme policy and law-making body that adopts standards. The Governing Body is the executive council that sets the agenda and directs the Office. The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat in Geneva that runs day-to-day work.

Understand Organs of the ILO

The International Labour Organization is a tripartite body. That means governments, employers and workers all take part in its decisions. This is its defining feature, and every organ reflects it.

Think of the ILO like a company. The International Labour Conference is like the general meeting of members. It meets once a year and takes the big decisions. The Governing Body is like the board. It meets several times a year and manages the organisation between conferences. The International Labour Office is like the management and secretariat. It works full time and carries out the decisions.

The Conference is made up of delegations from each member State. Each member sends four delegates: two government delegates, one employers' delegate and one workers' delegate. Each delegate may speak and vote individually. So the employers' and workers' delegates need not vote with their government. Advisers may accompany delegates.

The Governing Body has 56 regular members: 28 government, 14 employers and 14 workers. Of the 28 government seats, 10 are held by States of chief industrial importance. The other 18 government members are elected by the government delegates at the Conference. The delegates of the ten States of chief industrial importance are not excluded from this vote. Employers and workers elect their own members. The Governing Body is elected every three years. The Director-General is the head of the Office and is appointed by the Governing Body.

In the exam, the question is nearly always one of three kinds: name the organs, state the composition, or state the functions. Learn each organ with three points: who sits in it, how often it meets, and what it does.

Key rules to remember

Organs of the ILO: International Labour Conference + Governing Body + International Labour Office; Three permanent organs. The Conference and the Governing Body are tripartite in composition, with government, employer and worker representatives. The Office is an international civil-service secretariat with no tripartite membership.
Composition of the Conference: 4 delegates per member State = 2 government + 1 employers + 1 workers; Each delegate votes individually. Advisers may attend with delegates.
Composition of the Governing Body: 56 = 28 government + 14 employers + 14 workers; Ten of the 28 government seats are held by States of chief industrial importance, as determined by the Governing Body. India has held such a seat, but the list can change over time, so do not treat it as a fixed exam fact. The other 18 government members are elected by the government delegates at the Conference. The ten States' delegates are not excluded from that vote. Elected for three years.
Meeting frequency: Conference: at least once a year; Governing Body: several times a year; The Conference usually meets in June in Geneva. The Governing Body usually meets three times a year.
Head of the Office: Director-General, appointed by the Governing Body; The Director-General is accountable to the Governing Body.

How to solve Organs of the ILO questions

Use this method for any question on the organs of the ILO, whether it asks for a list, a comparison or a case-based application.

1Read the question and mark the exact ask: composition, functions, difference, or which organ does a stated act.
2Name all three organs in one line before you elaborate. This secures the basic marks.
3For each organ, write the composition first: who sits in it and how many.
4Then write the functions in short bullet points, starting with the main one.
5Add the meeting frequency and the place of work, such as Geneva.
6For a comparison question, use the same headings for each organ: nature, composition, frequency, role.
7For a case-based question, identify the act in the facts and match it to the organ that does it, then state your conclusion.
8Close with a one-line conclusion that links the organs: Conference decides standards, Governing Body directs, Office executes.

Quickest way: Board, general meeting, secretariat shortcut

When to use it: Use this when you have only a few minutes and the question asks for a quick description or a match of functions to organs.

Write: Conference = general meeting, sets standards, adopts the budget, once a year.
Write: Governing Body = board, 56 members (28/14/14), appoints the Director-General, sets agenda.
Write: Office = secretariat, Geneva, Director-General, prepares documents and research.
Add the 4-delegate rule (2+1+1) for the Conference.
Match the act in the question to the organ before you write.

Common mistakes in Organs of the ILO

Saying the Governing Body adopts Conventions and Recommendations.
Students know the Governing Body is the executive and assume it makes the rules.
Fix: Only the Conference adopts Conventions and Recommendations. The Governing Body sets the Conference agenda.
Writing the Conference composition as 2 government, 2 employers and 2 workers, or 1 each.
Students mix up the tripartite idea with equal numbers per group.
Fix: Remember 2+1+1. Each member State sends 2 government delegates, 1 employers' delegate and 1 workers' delegate.
Stating the Governing Body strength wrongly, or leaving out the split.
Numbers are memorised without a pattern.
Fix: Remember 56 as 28 + 14 + 14. Government has half the seats; employers and workers have a quarter each.
Describing the Office as a decision-making body.
The word Office sounds like management.
Fix: The Office is the secretariat. It prepares, researches, publishes and carries out decisions. Policy decisions are made by the Conference and Governing Body.
Saying the delegates of a country must vote together.
Students assume one country has one vote.
Fix: Each delegate votes individually. Employers' and workers' delegates may vote differently from the government delegates.
Treating the Director-General as elected by the Conference.
Students confuse the Conference's role with the Governing Body's.
Fix: The Governing Body appoints the Director-General, who heads the Office and is responsible to it.

Worked examples

Example 1

Explain the composition and functions of the International Labour Conference.

Show the solution

Identify the organ: the Conference is the general assembly of the ILO, often called the supreme body or a world labour parliament.
Composition: each member State sends four delegates. Two represent the government, one represents employers and one represents workers.
Voting: each delegate may vote individually, so non-government delegates can vote independently of their government.
Functions: it adopts international labour Conventions and Recommendations, and it adopts the ILO budget.
Further functions: the Governing Body is elected at the Conference every three years, by the government, employers' and workers' delegates, each group electing its own members. The Conference also discusses the Director-General's report and provides a forum for debating labour and social questions.
Meeting: it meets at least once a year, usually in Geneva.

Answer: The International Labour Conference is the ILO's general assembly. Each member State sends four delegates (2 government, 1 employers, 1 workers), each voting individually. It adopts Conventions, Recommendations and the budget, and its delegate groups elect the members of the Governing Body.

Example 2

A student writes that the Governing Body has 56 members, all appointed by the Director-General, and that it adopts Conventions at its annual session. Point out the errors and give the correct position.

Show the solution

Check the number: 56 is correct. It is 28 government, 14 employers and 14 workers.
Check how members are chosen: they are not appointed by the Director-General. Ten government seats are held by States of chief industrial importance. The other 18 government members are elected by the government delegates at the Conference, and the ten States' delegates are not excluded from that vote. The 14 employer members are elected by the employers' delegates and the 14 worker members by the workers' delegates.
Check who heads whom: the Governing Body appoints the Director-General, not the reverse.
Check adoption of Conventions: this is done by the Conference, not by the Governing Body.
State the real role of the Governing Body: it sets the Conference agenda, decides policy between sessions, prepares the draft programme and budget and supervises the Office.
Conclude with the corrected statement.

Answer: Only the number 56 is correct. Members are elected, not appointed by the Director-General; the Governing Body appoints the Director-General; and Conventions are adopted by the Conference. The Governing Body is the executive council that sets the agenda and directs the Office.

Exam tips

Write composition numbers in a short list: 2+1+1 for the Conference and 28+14+14 for the Governing Body. Examiners look for exact figures.
For a difference question, use the same four headings for each organ: nature, composition, frequency, functions.
Always state who adopts Conventions and Recommendations. This is the point most often tested, and the answer is the Conference.
Name Geneva as the seat. If the question is about India's role, you may say India has held a seat among the States of chief industrial importance, but do not present it as a fixed fact, because the Governing Body determines the list.
In a case-based question, quote the fact that points to the organ before you give your conclusion.

Practice questions from International Labour Organization

Organs of the ILO: frequently asked questions

What are the three organs of the ILO?

They are the International Labour Conference, the Governing Body and the International Labour Office. The Conference makes policy and standards. The Governing Body is the executive council. The Office is the permanent secretariat.

What is the difference between the International Labour Conference and the Governing Body?

The Conference is the large annual assembly of all member States that adopts Conventions, Recommendations and the budget. The Governing Body is a smaller 56-member executive body that meets several times a year, sets the agenda and supervises the Office. The Governing Body also appoints the Director-General.

What is the composition of the ILO Governing Body?

It has 56 regular members: 28 government, 14 employers and 14 workers. Ten of the government seats are held by States of chief industrial importance. The other 18 government members are elected by the government delegates at the Conference. Members are elected for three years.

Who heads the International Labour Office?

The Director-General heads the Office. The Governing Body appoints the Director-General, who is responsible to it for the work of the Office.