A sprawling recalibration of labour standards rides on the back of a shifting global context, where environmental changes, demographic transitions, and geopolitical flux demand that countries rethink how work is organized, protected, and valued. As workers across sectors—from salt farms in Southeast Asia to high-technology workplaces worldwide—face new risks and opportunities, the task of ensuring that labour is not treated as a mere commodity grows more urgent. The International Labour Organization (ILO) sits at the center of this transformation, guiding nations through a maze of conventions, rights, and responsibilities while weathering evolving expectations about human rights, social protection, and sustainable development.
Section 1: Global context and the recalibration of labour laws
The international environment surrounding work is in a state of dynamic redefinition. Countries across the region and beyond are compelled to reevaluate their labour laws, policies, and practical implementations to align with rapidly changing conditions. Demographic shifts—such as aging populations, declining birth rates in parts of the world, and evolving migration patterns—have profound implications for how work is organized, how social protection systems are designed, and how employers and workers engage with one another. In this moment, a more transactional and conditional world of “quid pro quo” arrangements has become more visible, underscoring the need for robust protections and clear expectations in the workplace. Thailand, like other economies at an inflection point, faces the necessity of making dynamic, well-calibrated adjustments to keep pace with these broader trends.
At the heart of this global conversation is the foundational principle that labour must be safeguarded as a human right and not treated as a fungible resource. The concept that “labour is not a commodity” remains a guiding beacon for policymakers, business leaders, and workers alike. It anchors discussions about fair compensation, safe working conditions, reasonable working hours, and access to social protections. These concerns are echoed by the leading international standard-setter, the ILO, which has evolved into a modern, specialized United Nations agency with a long history of contributing to norms and practices that shape the world of work. The ILO’s framework has matured across almost a century, developing a comprehensive system of Conventions, Recommendations, and supervisory mechanisms designed to monitor compliance, offer guidance, and support reforms that uplift workers across the spectrum of economies and sectors.
As the global context evolves, the ILO’s portfolio of instruments—alongside complementary human rights instruments—takes on greater relevance. The organization continues to expand its repertoire to address new risks and challenges that arise from environmental degradation, climate-related disruptions, and the transformation of work itself by science and technology. The most recent additions to this repertoire include Conventions that speak to the health and safety implications of biological hazards in the workplace, recognizing that health risks are not static and must be continuously addressed through robust, preventive measures. Yet, while the ILO is at the forefront of setting standards, these standards do not operate in isolation. They are reinforced by broader human rights instruments that carry weight across international law and domestic policy.
In parallel, the global development agenda provides a framework that keeps labour standards aligned with broader societal goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG 8 a central pillar, link labor rights to broader objectives such as reducing child labour, promoting inclusive economic growth, and ensuring decent work for all. Even though many SDGs may face challenging timelines and difficult milestones on the 2030 horizon, they act as ambitious roadmaps that mobilize countries to set measurable targets within defined timeframes. The intersection of labour standards with development planning means that reforms in one area—such as social protection or workers’ safety—resonate across the entire development ecosystem, reinforcing the principle that a healthy, safe, and stable workforce is a foundation for sustainable growth.
In this context, the world anticipates the opportunities and commitments that will emerge from major international gatherings, including the forthcoming World Social Summit. At such gatherings, governments, social partners, and civil society come together to renew commitments to social protection, to reinforce safety nets for workers facing uncertain employment conditions, and to broaden the reach of rights associated with work. These alignments will shape policy debates, influence national and regional strategies, and push for concrete measures that translate high-level commitments into practical improvements in workplaces around the world. The urgency of addressing climate change and environmental pressures places a premium on forward-looking governance that can adapt to new risks while preserving core human rights protections in the labour context.
Beyond policy debates, the day-to-day implications of this recalibration are seen in how firms structure work, allocate resources, and engage with workers’ representatives. The modern economy demands flexible, resilient approaches to labour-management relations that can cope with disrupted supply chains, extreme weather events, and shifts in consumer demand. In this environment, the ILO’s blend of normative standards and practical guidance provides a framework for national modernization while ensuring that workers retain essential rights, protections, and channels for voice. The goal is not merely compliance with rules but the cultivation of a work culture that places dignity, safety, and fairness at the core of economic activity, even as the world of work continues to evolve rapidly.
As environmental and demographic pressures intensify, the role of social dialogue, credible enforcement, and transparent governance becomes increasingly important. The tangible outcomes of this recalibration include concrete improvements in safety practices, more robust social protection, better mechanisms for addressing grievances, and greater clarity about the responsibilities of employers, governments, and workers. In short, the current period presents an opportunity to advance a more equitable, resilient, and rights-based approach to work that can withstand the shocks of climate volatility, technological disruption, and demographic change, while continuing to support sustainable development and inclusive growth.
In sum, the region and the world must navigate a complex convergence of factors: environmental risks, political and economic volatility, demographic transformations, and a universal aspiration to protect workers’ rights as fundamental human rights. The ILO’s framework, with its deep history and expanding reach, offers essential tools for that journey. It provides a common language for discussing standards, mapping responsibilities, and measuring progress as countries strive to ensure fair work conditions, safeguard health and safety, and guarantee social protection for all workers—regardless of sector, location, or contract type.
Section 2: The ILO as standard-setter and the human-rights framework
At the core of the global labor regime stands the ILO, a pioneering organization that predates the United Nations in its mission to lay down universal norms for work. Over nearly a century, the ILO has developed an extensive system of Conventions and Recommendations designed to elevate working conditions, protect workers’ rights, and promote decent work as a practical standard across diverse economies. The organization’s evolving mandate now encompasses not only traditional labour concerns but also contemporary challenges such as occupational safety in the face of new health risks, the management of biological hazards, and the implications of rapid technological change for the world of work. The most recent Conventions in this domain are specifically crafted to address the health and safety hazards that workers encounter in modern environments, ensuring that preventive measures, protective standards, and training are embedded in workplace practices.
In this ongoing architecture of norms, the ILO’s instruments do not stand alone. They intersect with the broader human rights framework that binds states to uphold rights such as freedom of association, collective bargaining, non-discrimination, and the right to just and favourable working conditions. Among the most influential of these is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), a foundational treaty within the UN human rights system. The ICESCR provides a framework that can reinforce and clarify ILO standards, clarifying the legal status of rights that are sometimes interpreted with varying emphasis within different national contexts. The ICESCR is often cited for its explicit articulation of certain economic and social rights, offering a complementary lens through which ILO conventions can be understood and implemented. In practice, this synergy helps to harmonize international expectations with domestic policy reform, enabling more coherent and robust protections for workers.
A particularly contentious issue in the modern discourse concerns the right to strike. This right has long been central to debates about collective action and workers’ voice within the framework of the ILO’s Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise. Some have argued that the right to strike is not explicitly guaranteed by Convention No. 87, leading to questions about the scope and limits of this instrument. Conversely, the ICESCR makes explicit reference to the right to strike, reinforcing the protections that workers expect as part of their civil and political rights alongside their economic and social rights. The current juridical landscape has placed this topic before international adjudication bodies, notably the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has been called upon to provide clarifications about how these parallel instruments interact in practice. This situation underscores the importance of a comprehensive, rights-based approach to labour that integrates civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights to create a holistic framework for work in the modern era.
The political dimension of these debates cannot be ignored. In many non-democratic or semi-democratic contexts, there is a marked preference for social rights—such as access to education and social protection—over political rights like freedom of expression or peaceful assembly. This reality drives a nuanced diplomatic strategy: to advocate for a broad spectrum of rights while acknowledging political sensitivities in different jurisdictions. A robust and comprehensive response to labour rights challenges demands a nuanced diplomacy that combines principled advocacy with practical diplomacy, leveraging soft power and multilateral mechanisms to encourage reforms that respect civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights across the board. The overarching aim is to promote a comprehensive rights-based approach that supports workers’ well-being and dignity in all circumstances.
A key concern in modern governance is avoiding a siloed approach to human rights within the UN system. The UN Human Rights Council has, in recent years, been constructive in framing labour rights as human rights in a way that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This perspective is instrumental in addressing complex issues that cross borders, such as the fate of seafarers stranded far from home due to the COVID-19 crisis and the broader implications for social protection in the maritime sector. Amendments to the International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention have been prompted by such humanitarian concerns, reinforcing the principle that social security and workers’ protections are integral to the world of work, not peripheral to it. The link between safe, dignified work and access to social protections becomes especially visible in these situations, illustrating how labor standards and human rights norms reinforce one another in real-world policy responses.
In practice, the ILO’s normative framework interacts with a broad ecosystem of international law and policy. The synergy between labour standards, human rights protections, and social protection mechanisms forms a multi-layered architecture that supports workers in diverse contexts. Whether addressing occupational safety in hazardous work environments, access to credible grievance mechanisms, or the duty of states to uphold non-discrimination and equal opportunity, the combined influence of ILO conventions and ICESCR provisions helps shape national laws, corporate policies, and social dialogue processes. The ongoing challenge for policymakers is to translate these norms into concrete, enforceable measures that protect workers while enabling sustainable economic activity. This requires robust monitoring, transparent reporting, and a commitment to continuous improvement—elements that are central to the ILO’s supervisory machinery and to the broader international human rights framework.
In this sense, the ILO’s role as a standard-setter is complemented by a holistic view of rights that recognizes the interdependence of civil liberties, economic security, and social well-being. The right to strike remains a focal point of the debate, illustrating how the interaction between ILO instruments and the ICESCR can shape jurisprudence, policy, and practice. The resolution of this issue—whether through court rulings, legislative action, or negotiated settlements within tripartite social dialogue—will influence how workers can responsibly claim protections while balancing legitimate societal interests. The broader objective remains clear: to cultivate an environment in which workers can enjoy decent work, participate in decision-making that affects their livelihoods, and rely on legal frameworks that treat labour as a fundamental human right rather than a mere economic factor.
Section 3: Rights, diplomacy, and the balance between civil and social rights
The interplay between civil-political rights and economic-social rights underpins the conduct of labour in diverse political environments. Non-democratic regimes often appear more comfortable with social rights—such as access to education and social protection—as they may view political rights with more scrutiny or not at the same priority. A robust response to these dynamics calls for a comprehensive approach that respects the full spectrum of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. It requires diplomacy that is both tactical and principled, leveraging a combination of principled advocacy, credible evidence, and pragmatic incentives to encourage reforms that improve workers’ lives while acknowledging political sensitivities. In such a landscape, the universal aspiration for dignity at work must be matched by concrete improvements in everyday working conditions, fair wages, safe environments, and predictable career prospects.
This approach is reinforced by a broader global recognition that labour rights are human rights. The UN Human Rights Council’s emphasis on this linkage has helped to normalise the expectation that work-related protections are not incidental to human rights, but foundational to them. When labour standards intersect with the right to freedom of association, collective bargaining, and social security, they create a robust framework for protecting workers against exploitation, discrimination, and coercion, while empowering them to participate in policy processes. The integration of social protection with work-related rights is particularly evident in the context of global supply chains and cross-border labor mobility, where workers may face vulnerabilities that arise from complex contractual arrangements, uneven bargaining power, and limited access to recourse.
The practical implications of this integrated rights-based approach become evident in several interlocking domains. First, it strengthens the case for social dialogue as a mechanism to resolve disputes and negotiate equitable terms of employment. When workers, employers, and governments engage in constructive dialogue, they can address issues ranging from wage levels and working hours to safety standards and access to health care. Second, it reinforces the imperative of social protections that extend beyond basic wages to include health insurance, unemployment benefits, pension schemes, and safe working environments. Third, it clarifies the responsibilities of states and employers to prevent discrimination, ensure equal opportunity, and provide effective remedies for rights violations. In combination, these elements create a more stable and predictable framework for business operations and worker livelihoods, reducing conflict, enhancing productivity, and contributing to broader social cohesion.
The UN system’s emphasis on avoiding silos—treating labour rights as inseparable from other dimensions of human rights—has practical consequences for policy design. It encourages cross-cutting measures that address not only the formal aspects of employment but also the social determinants of work, such as education, training, health, housing, and community safety. By cultivating a comprehensive approach that covers civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, policymakers can better respond to the complexities of modern work. This is particularly relevant in areas facing turbulence from armed conflict, migration, and cross-border trade, where the line between employment and livelihood security can blur quickly. An integrated approach helps ensure that workers retain dignity and protection, even as political and security dynamics shift.
In the realm of international diplomacy, the principle of balancing rights with practical realities requires astute engagement with diverse stakeholders. Governments, international organizations, social partners, and civil society must align on shared goals, identify critical gaps, and coordinate on implementation strategies. This collaborative dynamic can foster reforms that enhance social protection, improve safety standards, and secure fair working conditions while supporting economic resilience and inclusive growth. In the end, the combination of a rights-based framework, constructive diplomacy, and robust implementation mechanisms offers a credible path toward a world of work in which people are safeguarded, empowered, and valued for their contributions to society.
Section 4: Human rights councils, seafarers, and social protection in the maritime world
The United Nations Human Rights Council—along with the ILO and other international bodies—has increasingly highlighted the principle that labour rights are human rights. This stance is particularly salient in global maritime labor, where thousands of seafarers faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to policy responses aimed at ensuring their safety, protection, and access to social security while at sea and ashore. Amendments to the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention have become a focal point of these efforts, illustrating how humanitarian concerns can drive legal and policy changes that affect workers who operate outside traditional national jurisdictions and across multiple flag states.
In this context, social security emerges as a central concern. Seafarers often confront gaps in protections due to the itinerant nature of their work, the complexity of maritime law, and the international dimensions of ship registration and labor coverage. Strengthening social protection for these workers requires coordinated action among flag states, port states, employers, workers’ organizations, and international agencies. It also requires concerted attention to access to medical care, pension schemes, unemployment benefits in port or home countries, and the ability to recover unpaid wages when ships are delayed or laid up. The wider implications for the world of work hinge on how well these protections extend to workers who travel far from home, whose employment contracts can be highly technical and variable, and whose livelihoods depend on the safety and reliability of international shipping networks.
The broader project of social protection calls for comprehensive coverage that not only reduces vulnerability during unemployment or illness but also supports workers in maintaining a dignified standard of living in a highly globalized economy. This means linking wage protection, health care access, and credit or savings mechanisms to ensure resilience against economic shocks. The maritime sector, with its unique governance challenges and cross-border nature, has become a proving ground for innovative policy instruments and international cooperation. When the UN Human Rights Council, the ILO, and other partners converge on the principle that labours rights are human rights, it strengthens the case for extending similar protections to workers across all sectors who face precarity, including those in the informal economy, temporary assignments, or gig-based arrangements.
These developments also underscore the value of social dialogue and tripartite engagement, involving governments, employers, and workers’ representatives in shaping reforms that balance business viability with human dignity. Danish-style collective bargaining protocols, Nordic welfare state principles, or other regional best practices can offer models for how to design robust social protection in a manner sensitive to local conditions and global constraints. The continuing discussions about seafarers’ rights and social protections thus play a crucial role in illustrating how global norms can be adapted to regional realities and how international cooperation can produce tangible protections for workers who live and work at sea, often far from their families and home jurisdictions.
Section 4 continues to illuminate the vital link between labour rights and humanitarian concerns in global mobility, showing how agreements, conventions, and practical arrangements converge to safeguard workers who operate in a high-stakes, transnational environment. It highlights the need for continued attention to wages, health coverage, social security, and safe working conditions on ships and in ports while recognizing the broader goal of integrating these protections into a coherent, rights-based framework that can adapt to evolving maritime labor realities.
Section 5: Labour standards in conflict and the protection of vulnerable groups
Labor standards encounter some of their most challenging tests in times of war and armed conflict. The pressures of conflict create high-risk environments where people are most vulnerable, and where protection gaps can widen rapidly. Nevertheless, certain core norms—such as protections against forced labour, child labour prohibitions, and the prohibition of exploitative practices—remain relevant and applicable even in volatile contexts. The ILO’s long-standing commitment to eradicating forced labour is encapsulated in its convention that targets the most coercive forms of exploitation, including those connected to wartime activities and the use of individuals in situations that undermine their freedom. While historical episodes have exposed the severe abuses associated with slavery and exploitation, the modern framework continues to push for stronger enforcement, prevention, and remedies.
In addition, ILO Convention No. 29 (the forced labour convention) has provided a basis for accountability and safeguards amid wartime disruptions. Its monitoring mechanisms and protective provisions call for vigilance against the use of coercive practices and the exploitation of workers during periods of instability. The protection of children remains a central concern, as reflected in ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour. This instrument emphasizes a firm prohibition on employing children under the age of 18 in dangerous or exploitative situations and has a robust monitoring framework to detect new forms of child labour that might arise in conflict zones. The role of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations is crucial here, as it assesses compliance, highlights gaps, and suggests corrective actions.
The monitoring processes are increasingly sensitive to the reality that non-state armed groups, insurgencies, and other non-government actors may be involved in abuses that implicate children and other vulnerable workers. The committee has called for attention to how these groups may recruit or utilize children, and it has underscored the need for countermeasures that address the underlying drivers of recruitment and exploitation, including poverty, lack of access to education, and social marginalization. In such volatile environments, the labor rights agenda cannot remain purely national or sectoral; it must embrace transnational cooperation that supports enforcement, accountability, and protection across borders. The goal is to ensure that even in war-torn areas, workers have access to basic protections, and that those responsible for violations are held to account.
The battlefield of armed conflict also highlights the need for a humanitarian lens within the labour framework. The vacuum created by conflict—where people may lack shelter, safety, or stable livelihoods—requires coordinated action among international organizations, regional bodies, and humanitarian agencies. Labor protections become part of the broader safeguarding of civilians, with a focus on preventing forced labour, ensuring safe working conditions for relief workers, and protecting workers who are active in reconstruction efforts. The link to transnational cooperation is essential, as border areas and supply chains may be disrupted or endangered by fighting. Consequently, the labour rights agenda must be complemented by robust law enforcement, cross-border cooperation, and accountability mechanisms designed to deter abuses and provide remedies for victims.
Finally, the intersection of war and the global labor context brings into focus the role of the international community in building resilience against such shocks. Strengthening governance frameworks, promoting accountability for violations, and investing in social protection systems capable of withstanding disruptions are all part of a comprehensive approach. The ILO’s normative apparatus and supervisory oversight play a critical role in guiding reforms, offering practical tools for national authorities to adapt conventions to conflict contexts, and ensuring that the most vulnerable workers—especially women and children—do not bear the brunt of instability. In this sense, labour standards act not only as a shield against exploitation but as a platform for humanitarian protection, reconciliation, and long-term recovery.
Section 6: Sustainable development and the labour agenda
The intersection of sustainable development with labour standards is increasingly central to policy design and corporate strategy. The international community has anchored its expectations in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with SDG 8 explicitly calling for the elimination of child labour by 2025 and the promotion of inclusive, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. This linkage creates a powerful incentive for governments, businesses, and civil society to align national policies and corporate practices with measurable targets that advance workers’ rights, reduce vulnerability, and promote fair opportunities in the labor market. Even as some SDGs may present ambitious timelines that are difficult to meet by the target year of 2030, they continue to serve as essential catalysts for change by providing concrete benchmarks and a shared language for accountability.
The World Social Summit, expected to be held in the near term, will provide a stage to reiterate these commitments and to mobilize renewed political will and resources for social protection, job creation, and workers’ rights. The summit’s emphasis on social protection—covering unemployment benefits, health care, pensions, and safe working conditions—illustrates how the labour agenda intersects with broader social policy. The event offers an opportunity to broaden commitments, translate them into policy measures, and secure financing for reforms that improve the safety, security, and dignity of workers across sectors and income levels. By connecting labour rights to the broader SDG framework, policymakers can demonstrate how labour standards contribute to sustainable development, resilience to shocks, and inclusive growth that leaves no worker behind.
Environment and climate considerations are now inseparable from the work agenda. The ILO Conventions on occupational safety and health—Notably Conventions 155 and 187—are increasingly relevant as environments become more extreme and unpredictable due to climate change. Increased temperatures in workplaces, more frequent flooding, and other climate-related hazards require new, adaptive approaches to safety and health. Innovative approaches, such as “green collective bargaining,” aim to make labour contracts more flexible to accommodate environmental realities while maintaining core protections. Climate-change-related paid leave is emerging as a practical measure to support workers during floods or other climate-related events, ensuring they can address personal or household needs without sacrificing job security. These developments illustrate how environmental protection, climate resilience, and worker protections can be integrated into a coherent labour strategy that supports sustainable enterprises and resilient communities.
The sustainability lens also amplifies attention to supply chains and the broader value chain. In industries such as garment manufacturing, due diligence on the part of the business sector has become a prerequisite for responsible business conduct and respect for human rights. This imperative requires comprehensive impact assessments to identify adverse effects on workers and communities, followed by mitigation measures and accessible remedies for those affected. The emphasis on due diligence aligns with the broader trend toward accountable business practices and the recognition that transformative change requires corporate responsibility alongside legal compliance. By embedding due diligence into standard operating procedures, companies can reduce risks of exploitation, improve working conditions, and contribute to a more stable, transparent market environment.
Finally, the sustainable-development lens motivates a broader commitment to environmental stewardship and equitable access to resources, thereby reinforcing the social contract between workers and the institutions that regulate work. It also supports the argument that long-term prosperity depends on respecting workers’ rights, safeguarding their health, and ensuring that economic activities do not erode the social and ecological foundations of communities. In this way, the labour agenda remains a central pillar of sustainable development, guiding policy choices, corporate strategy, and social protections toward a future in which growth, dignity, and resilience are mutually reinforcing.
Section 7: Environmental protection, climate change, and the future of work
The interplay between environmental protection, climate change, and the future of work is increasingly pronounced. As the world experiences warmer temperatures and more frequent climate-related events, the way we think about labour, safety, and productivity must adapt. The ILO’s occupational safety and health Conventions—particularly Numbers 155 and 187—have gained renewed relevance by addressing how environmental changes alter working conditions. These instruments promote preventive approaches, risk assessment, and the establishment of safe and healthy work environments that can withstand evolving climate risks. They also support the development of practical tools and training that help workers recognize hazards and protect themselves in high-heat settings, flood-prone areas, and other climate-affected contexts.
To respond to these challenges, unions, employers, and policymakers have begun exploring “green collective bargaining” as a mechanism to align labour contracts with sustainability goals. This approach seeks to integrate environmental considerations into wage negotiations, scheduling, and benefits in a way that supports both ecological objectives and workers’ well-being. In parallel, climate-change-related paid leave is gaining traction as a policy option to enable workers to manage flood recovery, wildfire smoke exposure, or heat-related health issues without jeopardizing job security. These measures illustrate a broader trend toward resilience in the labour market: policies that acknowledge environmental risks, build adaptive capacity, and protect workers as the climate changes.
In the supply chain, due diligence has become a standard expectation for businesses to uphold human rights and good labour practices. The garment industry, among others, is experiencing intensified scrutiny as stakeholders demand more transparent and responsible practices. The emphasis on due diligence requires that companies conduct impact assessments, identify adverse effects on workers, and implement remediation when necessary. It also emphasizes the need for remedies for those affected by sub-par practices, including access to grievance mechanisms and compensation where appropriate. The integration of environmental protection with labour standards thus reflects a holistic approach to business ethics, one that recognizes the interdependence of ecological stewardship, human rights, and economic performance.
The digital age adds another dimension to this evolving landscape. As digital technologies reshape how work is organized—through automation, platform work, and data-driven management—manufacturers and service providers must rethink labour protections in a world where tasks can be rearranged rapidly. The challenge is to balance innovation and productivity with fair treatment of workers and broad access to social protection. This includes ensuring that gig and platform workers receive adequate wages, rest periods, and coverage for accidents, while also exploring how automation and AI can augment human capabilities rather than displace them without safeguards. The result is a more integrated, technology-enabled framework that preserves core rights and protections while enabling businesses to adapt to environmental and economic shifts.
Section 8: Digitalisation, AI, and the rights of platform workers
The advent of artificial intelligence and widespread digitalisation is ushering in a new era for the workplace, with implications for job design, safety, and equitable compensation. The ILO is actively engaging with these developments, drafting a comprehensive framework for the protection of platform workers and other gig workers who operate in diverse industries, including food services and logistics. The objective is to extend a core set of labour rights—such as minimum wage guarantees, reasonable rest periods, and access to compensation for work-related injuries or accidents—to workers who lack traditional employment contracts but perform essential tasks in the modern economy. The creation of a new treaty or instrument on digital platform workers reflects an explicit recognition that traditional labour law instruments may not automatically cover non-standard employment arrangements, requiring new rules to ensure fairness, safety, and social protection in the digital economy.
One of the central concerns in this space is the fear that AI could disrupt livelihoods through displacements or marginalisation. A constructive response emphasizes proactive planning for AI inclusion rather than passive resistance to technological change. This approach envisions artificial intelligence as a tool to augment human capabilities, particularly in tasks that are difficult, dangerous, or demeaning—the so-called 3Ds. For instance, AI can support tasks such as mining, pesticide application, and cleaning in ways that reduce direct exposure to hazards for workers. In addition, AI can be leveraged in delicate, dreary, and didactic tasks that require precision medical procedures, repetitive processing, and education and training to enhance outcomes while preserving workforce dignity. The emphasis is on leveraging technology to enhance safety, efficiency, and learning rather than simply eliminating jobs.
The world of work is likely to become a mosaic in which human labour operates alongside non-human agents, raising ethical and practical questions about empathy, rights, and decent work for all. This perspective requires a careful balancing of interests—protecting workers’ rights, ensuring fair wages and safe conditions, and accommodating the efficiencies and new capabilities that AI and automation bring. The ILO’s ongoing work in this area seeks to establish international norms that protect workers while enabling optimal integration of technology into the workplace. The result should be a legal and policy framework that locates human well-being at the center of development, ensures accountability for the use of AI and automated systems, and secures a broad-based social contract that supports workers as technology transforms how work is conceived and performed.
In this evolving landscape, the practical implications for policy design and business strategy are clear. Governments must consider how to regulate platform-based employment without stifling innovation or undermining worker protections. Employers should adopt responsible practices that ensure fair compensation, safe working conditions, and access to training that prepares workers to thrive alongside AI. Workers and unions should engage in ongoing dialogue to advocate for rights and protections that reflect the realities of platform work and automated systems. The overarching aim is to create a humane, equitable, and productive future of work in which technology serves workers and businesses alike, rather than leaving workers exposed to precarity or obsolescence. This requires a collaborative, forward-looking approach that leverages the ILO’s normative framework, human rights principles, and the broader development agenda to shape policy and practice for years to come.
Section 9: The blended future of work: humans and non-humans
The future of work is unlikely to be a stark dichotomy between human labour and robotic or artificial agents. Rather, it will be a blended ecosystem in which human and non-human elements coexist, each contributing unique strengths to economic activity. A central challenge is to cultivate an environment in which empathy, ethical governance, and decent work for all underpin the deployment of technology. This means ensuring that the adoption of automation, AI, and digital platforms does not erode workers’ rights or expose them to new forms of exploitation. Instead, these technologies should be harnessed to enhance job quality, safety, and productivity while expanding opportunities for workers to upgrade their skills and participate meaningfully in decision-making processes about how work is organized.
Policies and practices should promote a holistic view of work in this new era. This includes strengthening the protection of workers who are most vulnerable to disruption—such as those in low-skilled, high-risk, or precarious employment relationships—by providing portable benefits, universal or extended social protection, and access to training that helps them transition to better roles. It also means encouraging flexible work arrangements and social protections that adapt to changing patterns of employment, as well as fostering an enterprise culture that values continuous learning, safety, and respect for workers’ rights. The ILO’s evolving normative framework is well positioned to guide these transitions, offering a robust set of standards and supervisory mechanisms that can be applied across sectors and geographies to ensure that technological progress does not come at the expense of human dignity.
In the context of global supply chains, due diligence remains a central instrument for ensuring responsible business conduct. Companies are increasingly expected to assess their impact on workers and communities, identify risks, implement mitigation strategies, and provide remedies for those affected by business practices that fall short of acceptable standards. This approach aligns with the broader movement toward business and human rights, which recognizes that companies have responsibilities beyond legal compliance, including respect for worker rights, safe workplaces, and transparent reporting. When combined with universal human rights norms and social protection mechanisms, due diligence becomes a powerful tool for delivering tangible improvements across complex supply networks.
The anticipated results of these converging trends include broader access to safe, fair, and dignified work for more people, higher levels of skill development, more resilient labor markets, and stronger social protection systems that can absorb shocks from climate change, economic fluctuations, and geopolitical disruptions. The synergy between technology, human rights, and sustainable development holds the promise of a future of work where human beings are empowered to participate fully in productive activity while benefiting from the safeguards, protections, and opportunities that a rights-based framework provides.
Section 10: The ongoing pursuit of decent work in a high-tech, globalized world
As the global economy becomes more interconnected and technologically sophisticated, the pursuit of decent work remains the anchor of policy design and corporate governance. The ILO’s norms, together with the ICESCR and other human rights instruments, offer a comprehensive, rights-based foundation for how work should be organized, protected, and valued. These standards guide national reforms, corporate strategies, and social dialogue toward outcomes that emphasize health and safety, fair compensation, social protection, and equal opportunity.
The system’s strength lies in its adaptability and the concerted effort of governments, employers, and workers to cooperate through tripartite dialogue. This collaboration enables the negotiation of modern labour standards that reflect shifting realities—such as the rising importance of social dialogue in managing transitional economies, the need for safety protections in climate-affected workplaces, and the importance of social protections that keep pace with evolving employment patterns. It also requires steadfast accountability—monitoring, reporting, and remedies that ensure rights are respected and violations are addressed promptly.
The broader aim is a world where work serves human dignity and societal well-being, where workers across regions and sectors enjoy the same core protections, and where the benefits of economic development are broadly shared. Realizing this goal will depend on sustained political commitment, effective international cooperation, and practical policy tools that translate high-level commitments into everyday protections in workplaces from salt farms to data centers. It will require a balance between encouraging innovation and safeguarding workers’ rights, a balance that is both ethical and economically prudent.
As the global community advances in this direction, the ILO and its partners will continue to refine conventions, recommendations, and supervisory mechanisms to respond to new challenges and opportunities. This ongoing work will also involve refining the interplay between ILO instruments and the ICESCR to ensure coherent, consistent, and enforceable protections for workers in all circumstances. The outcome will be a future of work in which human beings are treated with dignity, protected from harm, and enabled to thrive through fair wages, safe working conditions, meaningful voice, and reliable social protection—an enduring testament to the idea that labour rights are universal rights.
Conclusion
The evolving international context places a premium on robust, inclusive, rights-based approaches to work. The ILO stands at the core of this enterprise, building and refining a comprehensive framework of conventions, recommendations, and supervisory mechanisms that shape policies, business practices, and day-to-day workplace realities. Complemented by the broader human rights framework, and reinforced by sustainable development imperatives, this framework seeks to ensure that labour remains a meaningful, dignified endeavour rather than a mere economic instrument. The dialogue among governments, employers, and workers—mediated through social dialogue, collective bargaining, and transparent governance—will determine how effectively the world of work adapts to demographic changes, environmental risks, technological innovation, and geopolitical shifts.
The path forward involves expanding protections for workers across all sectors, including those in volatile contexts such as conflict zones, maritime industries, and global supply chains. It requires advancing social protection, safety standards, fair wages, and access to remedies for violations. It also demands innovative policy tools to address digital platform work and AI-enabled automation, ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes workers’ rights. In short, a future-oriented, rights-based approach to labour presents a cross-cutting strategy that integrates health, safety, social protection, and fair opportunities, while remaining firmly grounded in the principle that labour is a fundamental human right. This is the enduring objective that unites policymakers, businesses, and workers as they navigate the complex, interwoven challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
