ILO IN CHILD PROTECTION: ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS IN COMBATING CHILD LABOR

Abstract

The international Labor Organization (ILO) was established as part of the Peace Treaty of Versailles in 1919.  As an international institution ILO is mandated to set labor standards and this role is justifiably defensible especially in light of its unique tripartite structure.  It is believed that ILO is the only UN Agency that brings together and provides a platform for employers, government, and worker representatives.  In tripartite consultation, governments, workers, and employers contribute voluntarily to the labor standards development and protection of rights of workers through dialogue.  The ILO's efforts in elimination of child labor in all its efforts has not enjoyed the academic limelight despite the fact that as an international organization it is well known and its activities have been widely publicized on its website.  This paper is an attempt at closing the gap existing between ILO's efforts in child labor elimination and the serious academic discourse of the efforts.  With a critical analysis of official reports from its activities and projects, the paper offers a unique contribution in child labor literature by tracking the ILO's efforts across the time and globe.